Priceline Hotel: 4 1/2 star in lower east side

[laurel108]

Hi there, 

 

I am looking for Feb. 13-16 in Manhattan. 

 

I might bid, but saw this 4 and half star in: Lower East Side - Chinatown with express. 

 

I haven't done PRICELINE in a while, and it looks like they don't give much info as before. This is what it states: 

 

4.5-Star Express Deal Hotel

 Lower East Side - Chinatown

What Hotel?

Free InternetBed Choice Available

 

 

 Pets Allowed

 Business Center

 Restaurant

 Free Internet

 Indoor or Outdoor Pool

 Fitness Center

 No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

Is this Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York? Do you think I can do better on bidding? It's $149US for express. Regular shows $189 (but I think you can get a deluxe King at this price too when it shows). 

 

If I bid, should I wait a bit and what price do you think I should try for? It's been a while! 

 

Any help is appreciated. 

 

 

 

[AaronJB]

I'm seeing:

 

4.5* Lower East Side - Chinatown for $149
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Indoor or Outdoor Pool
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>> This would be a possible match for the Indigo.

 

Bidding is generally slightly-to-moderately cheaper, but you have to be willing to accept any hotel at the star rating in the zone and what is showing on PRICELINE EXPRESS does not necessarily reflect what you may get if you bid.

 

If you want to bid, is this the only zone of interest?

 

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.

[laurel108]

Thanks. Under the hotel section, it appears Indigo is the only 41/2 star. I am looking Lower Manhattan. 

 

I am good with Indigo given the price is good and I think it's the only 4 1/2 star so can be pretty confident that this will be the one. 

 

I would start with just this zone. What do you think I should start my bid at? 

 

Thanks so much for your help - yes, will definitely use your link. 

[laurel108]

Is there any other 4 1/2 star in this zone I am not aware of? 

[thereuare]

The Sixty LES would be another possibility of a 4.5* hotel in this zone, but for the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer above, i agree that the Hotel Indigo is the likely outcome for that one and would be my best guess.

Would this work for you needs and Is this the area you want to stay?  I'm very familiar with NYC so if there is something else you're looking for let us know your criteria for this trip and we will advise accordingly.

 

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.

[laurel108]

I understand. I can only check 4* so I could get others. I totally forgot how to use it and remember being so organized the last few times I tried. It's been yrs since I used priceline. I thought I could do a half star - but even then, could get Sixty LES (which is more). 

[laurel108]

I think we responded at the same time! I like LES. I usually stay in Soho area, but even though that week has lower prices, I want to spend less and like Lower Manhattan. Indigo would be new for me, but it seems to check off a lot of things and the price is good, but a bid would be better. Don't want to get stuck with something else though at a 4 star that could be a hilton or something. 

 

I think if I chose 4* I might end up with Wyndham Garden - which I definitely don't want!  So not sure how to get around that one. 

[thereuare]

So why not bid at the 4.5* level? (maybe you could shave a few dollars off of the price above, but of course you would then need to be willing to accept any 4.5* hotel (or higher) in the zone)

 

What is your maximum budget (per nite before taxes/fees) for this stay?

 

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.

[laurel108]

Sorry, I thought you could only do 4 or 5. I didn't realize you could choose a half star. 

 

My max would be 140US. 

 

I would be trying to get the Indigo, which is $149 right now (which is doable, but obviously would want to try at a lower price). 

 

I would start with Lower Manhattan - Chinatown. 

[thereuare]

When bidding 4.5* in NYC you have FIFTEEN re-bid zones.  If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

 

Select 4.5* LES
Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $113, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $118, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $123, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $128, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $133, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $138, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $140

 

Any questions feel free to ask (especially confirming your re-bid zones if you're unsure)

 

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.

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[laurel108]

I haven't done this in a while. How are there are 15? Ones that don't have 4.5 and beyond include 10 areas. 

 

10 don't have any 4 or 5 stars. 

 

So say I start at 4.5 with LES-Chinatown at $100. It's a no. Then I add one of the 10 areas that don't have 4.5 or above and exhaust those neighbourhoods. Where does 15 come from? Also how many shots do I get? 

[laurel108]

The re-bid zones I have noted are: 

 

La Guardia

Kennedy

Washington Hgts. 

Bronx

Morningside Hgts. 

Bayside

Jamaica

Flushing

Elmhurst. 

 

I put in the first bid at 4.5 LES. It's a no, I re-bid starting with each of these. Correct? Leaving the 4.5 star. 

 

I was totally into this the last times I tried but want to make sure. 

 

Thanks so much! 

[thereuare]

20 minutes ago, laurel108 said:

The re-bid zones I have noted are: 

No, you're on the retail side of PRICELINE, which is not where you should be looking.

 

Using the NYOP side of PRICELINE:

1) select the first zone in the list

2) scroll down to see if 4.5* or higher hotels are offered in the zone

3) UNcheck current zone and select next zone (so now only the 2nd zone is selected)

4) repeat the process (each time making sure that only one zone is selected at a time)

 

Does that make it clearer and do you now get 15 zones that only have hotels rated 4* and lower?

 

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.

[laurel108]

Thanks. This makes sense. Needed a tutorial. I'll try it and see what happens. Thanks for all your help! 

[thereuare]

Good luck...

 

How did it go?

 

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.

[laurel108]

I had to deal with something so going to try today. 

 

The ones I got that I would pick to re-bid are: 

 

Long Island

Flushing

Elmhurst

Jamaica

BK - Downtown

BK  - East

BK - South

Queensborough Bridge

Bayside

Morningside Hgts

Coney Island

Bronx

Washington Heights

Kennedy Airport

La Guardia

 

(15)

 

I am assuming LES Sixty could be an option for the 4.5* but pricier than Indigo. (not on your list, but 4.5 on Priceline in their list prices as an FYI). 

 

Thanks again for all your help!! 

 

[laurel108]

No luck - went up to $140. Weird as there are doing a PRICELINE EXPRESS for $149. 

[thereuare]

On 2/2/2017 at 10:43 PM, laurel108 said:

$149 right now (which is doable,

So if the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer is within your budget why not that take that one and be in the zone you want... or wait 2+ hours to try bidding again and work your way up to $149 if shaving a few dollars from this price is the deciding factor for this stay.

 

Otherwise, what is your gameplan to move forward?

 

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.

[laurel108]

Well, I have a hold on a cancelable rate somewhere else. I didn't really want to go to $140. I thought I could save money. Is that normal, not to even give you a few $$ cheaper? I will wait till later tonight and decide. I was going to add Soho - as I doubt they would add something from there as the prices are quite high there. My only fear is they might give me a Trump hotel in that area (5*) since I think they are having issues selling rooms - not my kind of vacation. 

[thereuare]

Where, and how much, is your back-up hotel.

 

Your rejection at $140 isn't too surprising... sometimes you can save more, sometimes less, and sometimes the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer is the best deal. 

 

You only need to wait 2+ hours until your previous bidding history is wiped out so there is no reason to add Soho, you can simply repeat the strategy above. (and maybe go as high as $145 to see if the extra $5 lands you a win)

 

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 whatever you decide or how we can be of further help.

[laurel108]

Thank you. I have a cancellable on expedia. The Hotel List for NYC, Priceline is not showing the full list. I've seen before but now is just showing one area on your site. 

[thereuare]

We'll fix that in a few minutes... but on the left side use the link for 'New York' (above the 'New York City' link that you are using) as this is the 'official' PRICELINE name for the zone.

 

Where, and how much, is your back-up Expedia reservation (please use our Expedia link for your purchases... or you can use our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your future back-up reservations)

[laurel108]

Does the bidding have more hotel fees? The fees seem much higher than Expedia. I tried again with no luck. So am looking at the Express. 

[thereuare]

17 hours ago, thereuare said:

Where, and how much, is your back-up Expedia reservation

3x

 

For the most part very few of the OTA's charge booking fees on 'regular' reservations anymore (where you know the name of the hotel prior to your purchase)... bidding on PRICELINE (as well as PRICELINE EXPRESS and HOTWIRE) are unique services that offer deep discounts, so with less competition and their discounted prices, they are able to still charge a booking fee for their service. 

 

When getting a $200 hotel room for $125/nite i don't care how much the booking company offering me the deal makes... sometimes it costs money to make money.

 

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. (or our Expedia link if that is the route you decide to go)