aesthetic Posted March 11, 2017 Report Share Posted March 11, 2017 I am looking for location suggestions and bidding tips for a 4*+ hotel in NYC from May 3-May 9 (dates flexible). Preferably Manhattan, but we are OK with Brooklyn as well. This would be a third visit (but first in adulthood) for me, and a first time visit for my husband. We are a young, somewhat hipster-y couple and will be planning to see some tourist spots, a few broadway shows, and would also like to check out some foodie spots, restaurants, boutiques, cocktail bars, etc. We are open to location suggestions that are close to a subway line and easily accessible. Could anyone provide tips on where we should be looking, location-wise? Hoping to stay under $200 max, but cheaper would be better so we can spend more money on fun! Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Welcome to BetterBidding! I'm very familiar with NYC and will offer what i find to be the best options available for your dates, but so i can start the research, please confirm: -is your budget $200 before fees/taxes or all-in -how flexible are your dates (could you more +/- a week or two or just a few days...do you have an acceptable date range) -is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option 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 the information above and we'll take it from there. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 $200 before fees/taxes, but we are happy to go lower if possible. I am not sure what a reasonable budget is. We could look at going one week earlier and perhaps til the end of May, but we would like to avoid the weather getting too hot. We could also decide to go later in the year (fall and onwards) if it would make a big difference in our budget. What would be the best time to visit? We are fine with splitting the bid. I am a newbie to the bidding process, but my brother has used this strategy for family vacations in the past and we are familiar with the concept. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Historically in NYC mid-March sees an upswing in rates and then again in mid-April, which remains peak season until the summer months when prices tend to drop in July/Aug (although not as much of a drop as we have seen 5+ years ago as hotel occupancy has generally increased since that time)... winter months of Jan-Feb are usually the least expensive (but also the coldest) If you're looking to stick with your May dates and are willing to SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID, i would suggest looking for two different date ranges: Fri - Sun (nites) Mon-Thur (nites) ... as weekend dates (including Sunday) are usually the least expensive nite of the week in NYC, with Mon-Thur rates being more expensive as more price insensitive business guests comes into the city. I'm not currently seeing that much difference in the weekend vs. mid-week dates that you're considering, but i did see the following for May 5-12 (i changed your dates from Fri-Fri, instead of Wed-Wed)... confirm all dates on the landing page of any provided links, with my best guess/comments listed below: 4* Times Square - Theatre District for $204 Restaurant Free Internet No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ==> Night Hotel Theater District 4* Empire State Building Area for $192 Pets Allowed Business Center Free Internet Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ==> Iberostar 70 Park Avenue Hotel 4* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area for $174 Pets Allowed Business Center Free Internet Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ==> Stewart Hotel 4* SoHo - Tribeca for $190 Restaurant Free Internet No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ==> Arlo Hudson Square All of these are around your budget, so it should be do-able to get something within your budget and not needing to change properties. 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 your thoughts and we'll take it from there. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Thank you, that information is very helpful, and all of those hotels look very nice. Do you have a suggestion on what locations might be most preferable to us, based on what information I have provided? Also, would it be possible at all to lower our bid and still get a hotel in these areas with 4*? We were wondering how much we could lower the bid and what the opportunity costs might be in different price ranges. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 If you bid on PRICELINE you need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone at the star rating (or higher) that you bid... there will be no opportunity to take a guess as to which hotel it is that you may receive nor know anything about the hotel (reviews, amenities, etc). If this is acceptable let us know and we can suggest a bidding strategy for you to follow. 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 how you'd like to proceed. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Yes, that's fine with us. Hopefully, there are some guides as to which areas would be the best for bidding or areas we should avoid? Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Please confirm which dates you will be bidding for, as well as an update to your current maximum bid price, and we will suggest zones and/or a bidding strategy. 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Dates: May 3-May 9 Maximum Bid Price: $180 Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 For the average visitor, at the 4* level, the following zones will generally have you centrally located with easy access to the subway: Central Park South Times Square Rockefeller Center Empire State Building These zones can got a bit far east/west, but the majority of 4* hotels are centrally located: Empire State Building Madison Square Garden (NOTE: this zone does contain the Wyndham New Yorker which gets mixed reviews, but as per above, you could likely get 4* The Stewart hotel in this zone for $177/nite which is less than you indicated you're willing to bid) Chelsea Midtown East Grand Central Terminal (NOTE: this zone contains the 4.5* One UN New York which is quite a bit far east and a 15 minute walk to the subway (not ideal) and your 4* bid could always be upgraded to a 4.5* rated property) Let us know if all of the zones above are acceptable (or which ones you would like to exclude) or if you have questions regarding any of these zones and we will try to 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. 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Those zones all look acceptable to me, except Grand Central Terminal (would prefer not to be so far away from the subway). What would you think about including SOHO? Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Soho is 'ok' in that subway access is pretty good, it's just: 1) it's a bit far south, so if most if your activities will focus around midtown, it will take you a little longer to get to/from (and a bit harder to fit a 'quick stop' back at your hotel in order to drop off bags acquired while shopping, rest your feet for a bit, freshen up, etc. 2) not my style so i tend not to favor it as much Let us know if you want to include/exclude Soho and we'll take it from there. 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 I think we can exclude it, then, especially if we are able to get options elsewhere. Thank you. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 So to confirm you are looking for a 4* or better hotel in any of the following zones with a maximum bid price of $180 (which we will lower to $177 since anything over this amount you could just by the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer in the MSG zone for $177): CPS, TS, Rockefeller Center, ESB, MSG, Chelsea, MTE Assuming we have the above correct, i would proceed as follows: When bidding 4* in NYC you have ELEVEN 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* Chelsea, MTE, CPS, TS, Rockefeller Center, MSG Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $125, 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, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $143, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $145, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* Chelsea, MTE, CPS, TS, Rockefeller Center, ESB Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $125, 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, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $143, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $145, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* CPS, TS, Rockefeller Center, ESB, MSG, Chelsea, MTE Bid $148, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $153, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $158, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $163, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $168, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $173, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $175 If the above is rejected then you can take the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer (confirm your dates on the landing page of the provided link): 4* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area for $177 Pets Allowed Business Center Free Internet Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ==> guessed to be the Stewart hotel 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Hi there, the link you are providing for Priceline isn't working for me. It just loads a blank page and the link stays the same in the address bar. Do you have any advice on how to proceed? Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Okay - was able to get the link to work on Safari. Would these be the re-bid zones? Flushing Elmhurst Jamaica Bayside Morningside Heights Coney Island Bronx Washington Heights JFK LGA Are these correct? Am I missing one? Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 If you go to PRICELINE and only select 'Brooklyn East - Flatbush' what is the highest star rating offered in this zone? PS- if you click thru to PRICELINE in Safari then please use that browser to complete your purchase Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 At Brooklyn East - Flatbush, there are 2 hotels listed under the four star category: Missing Lantern and onefinestay. Don't worry, I already submitted the first bid in Safari and will continue to do so - definitely want to give you all credit for all the help you have provided! Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 STOP A MINUTE! You're not looking at the right page for your re-bid zones.... You need to be on the PRICELINE bidding page and click one zone at a time, then when one zone is selected look below at the highest star rating offered, then uncheck the current zone and check the highest star rating of the next zone, and so-on and so-on. (i thought you were abbreviating some of the zones above, but you need to use this method on the bidding page in order to determine your re-bid zones) Does the above make it clearer? Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Ah yes, I see now. Now I have: Flushing Elmhurst Jamaica Brooklyn East - Flatbush Bayside Morningside Heights Coney Island Bronx Washington Heights JFK LGA Can I proceed with these rebid zones? Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Yup... you got it now. NOTE: if for some reason you have to stop bidding and you resume at some point in the future, you need to re-check your re-bid zones to make sure that nothing has changed since you last looked. Good luck with your PRICELINE bidding and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 Hi there, Bid until 170 on Tuesday and today and was rejected. Am now deciding between Stewart, Iberostar, and Arlo (leaning towards one of the first two). Has there been feedback on the value of these hotels, and also how they may differentiate between Priceline and other customers? Do you have any insight on the hotels and/or the area they are in? Since it looks like we may not be able to get as great of a deal as we hoped, we are open to expanding our budget/location preferences to see what else is out there. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 The Stewart is fairly new, having recently taken over the old Affinia Manhattan. I'm not sure how much or how little of the old staff remains, but the location is very convenient and rooms tend to be a bit larger than most NYC hotel rooms (other than the ones in the basement which are small) as many years ago the property was an apartment building that was converted into a hotel. There isn't that much difference in the reviews of each hotel, but i think the edge would go to The Stewart, which i also think has the edge in regards to convenience and access to the subway (not that the 70 Park Ave is bad, it's just not as convenient as The Stewart) 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 and how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
aesthetic Posted March 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Didn't realize the Stewart tacked on $195 of "Additional Mandatory Fees" that the other hotels do not, which makes it actually around $210/night. Could you help us identify the following hotels so we could compare? 4-Star Express Deal Hotel, Times Square - Theatre District Area $194/night 4.5-Star Express Deal Hotel - Grand Central Terminal - UN Area - $217/night 4-Star Express Deal Hotel - Rockefeller Center - Bryant Park Area - $200/night 4-Star Express Deal Hotel - Central Park South Area - $216/night 4-Star Express Deal Hotel - Grand Central Terminal - UN Area - $211/night 4-Star Express Deal Hotel - Empire State Building Area Area - $206/night With the total cost in mind, would you still recommend Stewart or one of these other hotels as the best value? Thank you. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 For help with the PRICELINE EXPRESS offers please list the full details (including the amenities) of each and use the BiddingHelper.com tool for your searches. Are you now willing to pay over $200/nite for this trip? If so, you may just want to consider this property (confirm your dates on the landing page of the link provided below): 4.5* Grand Central Terminal - UN for $217 Pets Allowed Business Center Restaurant Free Internet Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ==> best guess for this offer would be the Even Hotel New York - Midtown East, which is a new property that has been getting excellent reviews. The hotel is on a somewhat quiet side street, but enough stores/shops 1 minute away along Third Ave, and about a 5 minute walk to Grand Central Station where you can get a few subway lines (or a 10 minute walk to the Lexington Ave/53rd St station where you can pick up 2 other subway lines that are not available at Grand Central) You would also be near my often recommended Ess-A-Bagel (Third Ave at 51st St) which has one of the best bagels in the city, makes for a nice, and relatively inexpensive, breakfast among local NYers. Thoughts on this property? 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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