Hotwire Hotel: 4* New York City (Midtown Central) The Iroquois

[yoeyoe]

Hi

 

It is my first time going to NY. I am organizing my girlfriends family trip and need to book 4 hotel rooms, 4*, from March 26th to March 31st.

 

The areas I have been looking for are:

 

-Times Square (Theatre District) - Express deal: $195 + 10% discount= $176

- South Central Park - Express deal: $187 + 10% discount= $ 168

 

A friend also recommended me Midtown West (Express deal: $177 + 10% discount= $159), but i think that for the difference it might be better one of the other areas, what do you think?

 

Yesterday I bid $130 and got rejected, which do you think should be a fair price for these areas? How much should I bet, and which kind of hotel will I get?

 

I guess that wanting 4 rooms make things more difficult.

 

Many thanks in advance for your help!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

 

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

If you haven't yet, please start by reading your messages.

If you're looking for the best 'bang for your buck' i think it would be this 4* Upper West Side hotel (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $137/nite with Indoor or Outdoor Pool, Pets Allowed, Restaurant, Business Center, Fitness Center. While most of this zone extends a bit too far to the north for the average visitor, i suspect that this hotel is likely the Empire Hotel which is close to Lincoln Center and has good subway access nearby, so would be a good value at this price.

The issue with bidding the CPS is that it contains the Hudson Hotel, which while well located, has notoriously small rooms (even by NYC standards)... would this be an acceptable outcome?

If you're not interested in the PRICELINE EXPRESS UWS property above i think you're likly looking in the $150-$170 area for something that is centrally located, which we can discuss further if there is no interest in the one above.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Let us know your thoughts and how you'd like to proceed (or how it goes if you take the offer above) and we'll take it from there.

[yoeyoe]

Hi

 

Many thanks for your help! Yes, I believe 4* Upper West Side hotel might be too risky, I am planning the family vacations for my gf family and I dont want to send them to a hotel which is too far away so I think I might stick to the other areas?

 

Any particular recommendation on Times Square (Theatre District), South Central Park, Midtown West? Any hotel which I could get which you would be able to recommend?

 

Which bidding strategy do you recommend? strat by $140 for Time Square, and then add $145 for South Central Park? What do you recommend?

 

Also a couple more questions:

• We are a group of 7 so we would be booking 4 rooms, as we dont know if it would be possible to add a bed or upgrade to a triple room, whats your opinion here? Do hotels allow for this or are we safer by bidding for 4 rooms?
• Do these hotels usually include breakfast?

Many thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

If you haven't yet, please start by reading your messages.

2x

[yoeyoe]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for your help! I just read your message and will place my new bid using the link.

 

So what is your opinion on my questions? Your advice will be very much appreciated, and I will place the result of the bidding as soon as I do it!

 

 

Many thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

Any particular recommendation on Times Square (Theatre District), South Central Park, Midtown West?

I would avoid the CPS zone due to the small rooms at the Hudson... i might be OK there for one or two nites if all i was doing was sleeping in the room, but if i needed to do any work during the trip, or would be using the hotel room as a place to relax during the day or evening, i would look elsewhere.

In addition to MTW and TS i would also consider:

MSG - most hotels are well located and easy access to subways (the Wyndham New Yorker is often won in this zone. The hotel tends to get decent reviews, is usually available at a good value, and is across the street from Penn Station for easy subway access anywhere in the city... of course you could receive a different property, but most in the zone are generally well located)

Chelsea - can be up to a 10 minute walk to the subway but a 'hot' area right now with lots of cafes, bars, restaurants, boutiques, etc. that it is still considered a desirable area

ESB - a nice combination of being accessible to mass transit while also not being a little more laid back/slower pace, and a midtown location that has a bit of residential mixed in with the businesses.

 

Any hotel which I could get which you would be able to recommend?

Since you can't bid on a specific hotel, there isn't much point to specific hotel recommendations since you're giving up the right to choose in exchange for a deeply discounted rate.

 

Which bidding strategy do you recommend? strat by $140 for Time Square, and then add $145 for South Central Park? What do you recommend?

Please list all zones that are acceptable, as well as your maximum bid, and we will suggest a strategy for you to follow.

 

We are a group of 7 so we would be booking 4 rooms, as we dont know if it would be possible to add a bed or upgrade to a triple room, whats your opinion here? Do hotels allow for this or are we safer by bidding for 4 rooms?

Four rooms is safer as there would be no risk in having enough rooms to accommodate everyone, whereas the ability to upgrade to a room that can accommodate three people (or a rollaway brought into the room), would not be guaranteed. This is especially true in NYC where rooms with two beds are often considered an upgrade and cost me, most hotels have a high percentage of rooms with only one bed, and some rooms are so small that they can't accommodate a rollaway (and some hotels don't even carry them)

 

Do these hotels usually include breakfast?

Typically not at the higher rated properties... but there are TONS of delis (and breakfast carts) where you can get a very affordable breakfast... $1.50 for a bagel and coffee, $2.50 for an egg sandwich and coffee, etc. etc. You can either 'brown bag' it and go to a park or a bench to eat breakfast or many of the delis have seating upstairs where you can take your tray and sit down.

Let us know regarding the zones and your maximum bid and we will advise accordingly.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

[yoeyoe]

Hi

 

Many thanks for the detailed information!

 

Based on your comments I think we would stick to the 4 room bid. So the areas we are interested in order of priority would be:

 

1- Time Square: Express deal: $195 + 10% discount= $176

2- Midtown West: Express deal: $177 + 10% discount= $159

3- Chelsea: Express deal: $180 + 10% discount= $162 

4- MSG: $166 + 10% discount= $149 (The Wydham is $204)

 

So basically I would like to know which is the best option, I know how much I can get if I use the express deal for each area. My priority would be Times Square and then probably Midtown West, does it make sense? So I would be willing to pay up to $150-160 I believe, as it is the lowest price I could get a hotel for. What bidding strategy would you suggest?

 

Based on your experience, are there any prelavent hotels in these area, such as the Hudson in CPS?

 

Many thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

It's not clear from what your post, what is it that you're trying to do... guess one of the PRICELINE EXPRESS hotels above OR bid on a PRICELINE for the lowest possible price?

If bidding are you only interested in the TS and MTW zones OR are all four zones above acceptable in hopes of the best deal? Are you willing to pay more to stay in TS vs. MTW, vs. Chelea vs. MSG... or is the objective the least expensive 4* or better in any of these four zones?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[yoeyoe]

Hi,

 

Sorry for not being clear. So yes, i think I agree with your first comment. Basically I am willing to pay some more money to stay in TS, so I might try to first bid for this, and then if I cannot get anything for $150-155 I might add MTW but reduce the fee (as the express deal would be around $160), so probably add MTW and reduce my offer to $140, and if rejected also add Chelsea for the same money. Would this make sense?

 

Do you have an idea of the most likely hotels in these areas? As you mentioned the Hudson in CPS?

 

Thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

It makes sense, but i also think you're putting too much emphasis on the zone location, as all of the zones above have their pros/cons and my goal would be the least expensive 4* in any of your acceptable zones (i always say that you will spend far less time in Times Square than you think, as per this Hotels Near Times Square thread), but it's your trip and you know your needs best.

If you want to start with only Times Square, how high do you want to bid for just this zone before adding MTW? Once you include MTW, how high are you willing to bid for this zone?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[yoeyoe]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for your commentary. To be honest I haven't been to NY, but I am doing this for my father in law so I want to get him a nice hotel for good money?

 

I read the thread and it makes sense, I guess it is just a famous landmark. So as you mention I might want to add MTW for mi initial bidding, as it is still quite close, but probably much cheaper. Would Chelsea also make it to this list? Do you happen to have a list of pros and cons?

 

So in case I want to bid for TS, MTW, for a 4 stars hotel would it make sense to:

 

- Start in 135 for MTW

- Add TS and go for 145 (maybe also add Chelsea?)

 

If not succesfull maybe I can try tomorrow with the same but increasing my bid in $5, so 140 and 150? Would this have chances of being succesfull?

 

Another important question, do you have an idea of the most likely hotels in these areas? As you mentioned the Hudson in CPS? I have read the list of previous hotels and it is quite varied.

 

Many thanks for all your help and sorry for the bunch of questions!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

Some people choose to not even bid Times Square as it is so crowded and it can be difficult to walk anyplace 'at a good pace' as the sidewalks can get very congested. I don't ever think it's necessary to avoid Times Square, but i also don't see any need to target it either. The most important aspect of NYC (imo) is that you're conveniently located to subway stations so that it's easy to get all over the city. As well, you will most likely leave your hotel in the morning, go to Point A, from there take the subway to Point B, from there head to Point C, etc, etc... all via subway. If your hotel is close to a subway station is makes it easier to head back during the day to rest, freshen up, drop of bags you may have acquired during shopping throughout the day, etc, etc.

As far as which hotels you may get, see my comments above... when bidding trying to guess the hotel you may receive is a futile game that can only lead to disappointment. When you bid on PRICELINE your goal should be a 'good' hotel at a 'good' price... not something specific that you are hoping for. If that is what you want, then you need to pay a little more with PRICELINE EXPRESS (or HOTWIRE)

As far as your bidding strategy above, you can do better. Also, you seem so focused on TS that i would only bid TS and MTW to start, if rejected you can then re-group and make a decision how you'd like to proceed from there.

So if only bidding MTW and TS, what would be your maximum bid?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[yoeyoe]

Hi

 

I think I got your point and I am now more open to other options. I might also want to consider MTW. So my maximum for TS, MTW, MTE area would be 150. If this don't work I would try Chelsea or MSQ (as you mentioned very well connected through subway), and fo for around 135, do you think this would be successful?

 

So I am thinking:

 

1- TS for $140

2- TS + MTE for $140

3- TS + MTE + MTW for $150

4- TS + MTE + MTW + Chelsea for $140

5- TS + MTE + MTW + Chelsea + MSG for $135

 

What do you think?

 

Thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

 

 

[thereuare]

Most 4* MTE properties are well located, but a few can be up to a 10-15 minute walk to the subway... would this be acceptable?

Let us know which zone(s) you want to try for in your first round of bidding and up to what price, we will suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[yoeyoe]

Hi,

 

So I just discussed this with my father in law, and he told me that if it is well located in a nice and safe area, with good transportation to the major sights it should be OK.

 

So i might just try to get something in TS and MTE, but I am willing to try other areas as well (MTW, Chelsea, MSG). I think my maximum price would be around $150 per room (less than this would be great and will make my father in law very happy) in any given area, so which strategy do you think I should follow, trying to get a good hotel in a good area?

 

Also, I wanted to consider bidding for 3.5 stars hotels but I realized that in some cases the difference from the average 4 stars is quite big, so unless I could get important savings i would stick to the 4 stars.

 

Many thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

Most 4* MTE properties are well located, but a few can be up to a 10-15 minute walk to the subway... would this be acceptable?

So I just discussed this with my father in law, and he told me that if it is well located in a nice and safe area, with good transportation to the major sights it should be OK.

So i might just try to get something in TS and MTE...

So a 10-15 minute walk would be acceptable??

Assuming the Wyndham New Yorker is an acceptable property, given your parameters, i would start with the TS, MTW, and MSG zones (and possibly include Chelsea if a slightly less convenient location is acceptable in exchange for a 'hot' area... i would leave off MTE due to the possibility of a 15 minute walk to the subway)

Based upon my comments above, please confirm which zone(s) you'd like to include in your 4* bidding and we will suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[yoeyoe]

Hi

 

I have been analyzing the possibility to use priceline, but as we are 7 people and I need to book 2 double rooms and 1 triple I believe I will use hotwire. I might pay a little bit more per room in hotwire than priceline but i can book three rooms and be sure 7 people can stay here. I will be staying March 26th to March 31st.

 

I get the following offers, any idea of which hotel could be:

• Midtown Central area 4 stars
  • Ammenities: Free Internet,  Boutique hotel,  Fitness center,   Restaurant(s), Business center
  • 4.5/5 on Tripadvisor 60 reviews
  • USD 175 reduced from USD 375

Also, is the USD 175 room rate the same for the 2 people and 3 people room?

 

Many thanks!

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[yoeyoe]

Hi 

 

Sorry for the delay. I was taking a closer look and I believe I might be better off using hotwire, as I can book 3 rooms for 7 people and eventhough I would pay a little bit more than in name your price, I would be saving money for going for 3 rooms instead of 4.

 

I have already asked a question on my "candidate" hotel, your help there will be very much appreciated. Of course, i will book it using the link provided by you.

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. Once you win a hotel use the 'ADD REPLY and REPORT WIN' button on the lower right corner of the board to provide the details of your purchase and the entire thread will automatically be moved to the correct section of the board (if necessary).

How many rooms/adults/children are you including in your search, as i see the property above when searching for 3rooms/6adults/1child... but not when searching for 3rooms/7adults.

I'm not certain, but my guess for this one would be The Iroquois.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. (NOTE: if you're not on the US version of HOTWIRE please change the country on the top right corner of their homepage, close that browser, repeat your searching using our HOTWIRE link and be sure to purchase while on the US version of their site)

Let us know how it goes or if we can be of further help.

[yoeyoe]

So I just got this hotel, seems like a good deal, thanks for all your help!

 

Hotel Iriquois, Midtown 4*, 3 rooms for 7 people at USD 175 per night from March 26th to March 31st.

 

Cheers,

Yoel

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see it was the hotel guessed and that you're happy with the outcome and looking forward to this leg of your trip.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Enjoy your stay.