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Priceline Hotel: Feedback for April trip to NYC


sneadheaern
By sneadheaern,
in

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First, many thanks to the moderators on this board and the excellent work that you do.

 

I'm planning a two night trip to NYC next April, (4/11 check-in, 4/13 check-out). My budget is likely in the range of $150-$220 per night and I'd like to maximize hotel quality  While I've used Priceline for years and consider myself a skilled user, I'd appreciate feedback on a few issues.

 

1) If i correctly identify a likely winning hotel using the Express Deals option, is there a decent likelihood that I'll be awarded the very same hotel should I decide to use the Name Your Price option trying to undercut the Express Deal price? Case in point, there's a $175 Express Deal today in the 4* category in the Empire State Building zone for my dates and It appears the hotel is likely the St. Giles-Tuscany....a well reviewed property on Trip Advisor. If I opted instead to Name My Price and undercut the Express Deal, are chances good that the same hotel will be awarded, or could it well be an alternative and lower rated hotel 4* hotel in the same zone? Any feedback on this would be appreciated.

 

2) Curious if Priceline routinely upgrades Name Your Price bidders to the next hotel Quality level in the New York Market. This is always a risk and I've encountered this in other markets.  Case in point, the 3.5* hotels in the Midtown East zone are generally highly rated, whereas there are some less desirable hotels in the 4* category in this zone. if I bid in this zone with the goal of securing a 3.5* hotel, it's feasible that Priceline could "reward" me with an upgrade to a poorer quality hotel in the 4* category. While I believe Priceline rules do permit this, it can be a negative to some folks using the Name Your Price option. Also, I assume they will not upgrade you to the next higher category if one opts for a PRICELINE EXPRESS selection where you select a quality level. Is this correct?  Thanks in advance.

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Thanks for the compliments on BetterBidding... we appreciate it! :smile:

 

If this is the property you're referencing above (confirm your dates on the landing page of any links provided below):

4* Empire State Building Area for $175
Pets Allowed
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> i'd agree with your guess of the St Giles Tuscany

 

If you decided to bid for a 4* hotel in this zone you may or may not get the same hotel that is currently offered thru PRICELINE EXPRESS.  While your chances of landing this same hotel may be more than 50%... it's also substantially less than 100%.

 

When bidding on PRICELINE you're bidding on any hotel in the zone at the star rating or higher... when you purchase a PRICELINE EXPRESS offer it is for the specific hotel being offered.  So with PRICELINE EXPRESS there is no chance of being upgraded to a different star level hotel, whereas with PRICELINE bidding, you could receive a hotel at any star level higher than the star level that you selected.

 

Not sure of your plans for this trip, but you could also consider the following which is higher rated and still within your budget:

4.5* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area for $205
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> best guess here would be the Even Hotel New York Times Square South which gets excellent reviews

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.


Let us know what you decide to do for this trip or how we can be of further help (i'm very familiar with NYC).

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Thanks for the prompt feedback. It's very much appreciated.

 

Given your information, there's some incentive to consider the Express option if one is relatively confident in the specific hotel associated with the offer. It's a bit of a trade-off against a lower rate that might come via the Name Your Price offer. Under that option, however, any hotel could turn up, as you state, or I could see an upgrade to the next star level. I get occasional promo codes emailed to me from PRICELINE that would give me an additional savings off a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal. That could reduce the net cost of the Express price somewhat.

 

Regarding your suggestion to consider the 4.5* in the Madison Square Garden zone and the Even Hotel, yes that offer is compelling as well. That zone is not quite as compelling a location, but is reasonable nonetheless, as I will depart the city via Penn Station and could walk from the hotel to the station. The neighborhood is not as nice in my opinion. There might be some incentive to try bidding in that zone for the 4.5,  as an earlier check showed no availability at the other 4.5 hotel in that zone for one or both days of my stay, (TRYP Times Square South). As a result, securing the Even Hotel is more likely. I noted some winning bids for that hotel on this forum from $136=$199, although some might reflect a less in-demand season or weekend stay.

 

Is there any rhyme or reason to the sweet spot out from the date of stay? If I wait until I'm say 30-60 days from my stay, will the reduction or discounting be any greater?  Today, there are few Express deals showing savings greater than 30%.

 

I will certainly use the PRICELINE links on your site for all bidding and will update this thread once I have secured something. Regards.

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It is not unheard of for a hotel to show as not having any regular rate inventory then appear as a win on a discount service, so hotels appearing as unavailable on the regular rate side does not mean that they cannot come up on the discount side. There is no "best time" to bid; rates can certainly go higher closer to the stay as well. After 2008, there were more in the way of "last minute" deals, but as demand has ramped up in the years since, there have been less last minute deals and more in the way of rates rising - especially during busier periods.

 

Please keep us updated with what you decide and definitely let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

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