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Priceline Hotel: 4.5* New York (Times Square - Theatre District) The Premier Hotel Times Square


DPHtraveler
By DPHtraveler,
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In PRICELINE EXPRESS Deals, the only option for my dates (4/27 - 4/30) for 4 or 5 star hotel in Times Square - Theatre District was a 4.5 hotel, priced at $213, shown as 22% discount from $273 per night.  Wondering what this hotel might be, and suggestions for bidding on Priceline.  We are a group of 4 adults and need 2 rooms; will be going to Broadway shows, so this is a convenient area for us, but would be wiling to look at other nearly areas in Manhattan. 

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Welcome to Betterbidding. :biggrin:

 

I'm seeing on PRICELINE EXPRESS (please confirm that the correct # of rooms is showing - as well as the correct dates of travel - on the landing page after clicking the link below.)

 

I'm seeing:

 

4.5* Times Square - Theatre District for $213
Business Center
Restaurant
Airport Shuttle
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>My guess would be the Premier.


HOTWIRE/PRICELINE EXPRESS are slightly/moderately more expensive than bidding, but you can use the information given to make an educated guess as to which hotels are showing. With bidding, you have to be willing to accept any hotel at the star rating picked in the zone/s chosen.

 

What would be your desired max budget per night for this stay and are you looking for anything in particular in terms of hotel style/amenities? Which other zones aside from TS would be acceptable?

 

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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Thanks, you found it.  I'm looking for something that is walkable to the theatre district, so that's why I picked that area, but would consider other nearby areas.  Some quick questions:

 

1. Is there much of a difference between a 4.5* and 4* hotel?  I don't have any particular hotel amenities I must have.

2.  Our trip is for arriving on April 27 and departing on April 30. Is there a sweet-spot in terms of best period of time on when to bid for a hotel? What's the likelihood that a price a hotel would accept on a bid will get lower (or higher) as time moves closer to my dates? 

3.  As to budget, I would really like to find something in the $150 - $175 range on a 4* type hotel. Not sure how realistic that is, but can't hurt giving it a try.  Any suggestion on what my first opening bid should be? 

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1 hour ago, DPHtraveler said:

I'm looking for something that is walkable to the theatre district, so that's why I picked that area, but would consider other nearby areas.

Why not just take the subway to/from the theater, or as you'll be 4 people, take a taxi... if you stay in the midtown area a taxi should only be about $10-$20, so you're looking at $3-$5 per person when it's all said and done; and you can probably save much more than this by staying outside of Times Square.

 

2 hours ago, DPHtraveler said:

Is there much of a difference between a 4.5* and 4* hotel?

Generally speaking, yes.  There may be a specific 4* property that you prefer over a specific 4.5* property, but generally speaking the 4.5* properties are quite a bit nicer than 4* hotels... but usually also have a higher price to reflect the higher quality (ie- there is often more of a price differential between 4* and 4.5* hotels vs 4* and 3.5* hotels)

 

1 hour ago, DPHtraveler said:

What's the likelihood that a price a hotel would accept on a bid will get lower (or higher) as time moves closer to my dates? 

There is no way to know if rates will come down, or move even higher, between now and your trip... when you see a property that is a good deal, works well for your needs, and is within your budget it's time to take it.

 

Based upon the above, do you want to look beyond the Times Square area or stick to only the TS zone?  Will a 4* be sufficient for your needs or do you want to pay more for a 4.5* 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.


Let us know your thougths/questions 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

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Some more questions for you.  I numbered them to make them easier to identify and respond  - hope I'm not being a nuisance now.

 

1.  Priceline Express Deals for my dates at the 4* or higher level for the Times Square - Theatre District comes back with:  a 4.5* hotel at $213 per night, and a 4* hotel at $282 per night.  What's going on here? The higher priced hotel has fewer amenities and the same 7 out of 10 rating.   Why would anyone pick the (unidentified) hotel that is $70 more per night, has a lower star rating (only 1/2 lower), and fewer amenities?  I don't get it.

 

2.  In the results obtained in par. 1 above, when clicking on the "Is this a good price" box, it reveals the names of various hotels in these two categories.  There appears to be no overlap.  So, do some people pick the higher price category in hopes of landing one of those named hotels?

 

3.  If the 4.5*, $213 hotel in the Times Square - Theater Dist. turns out to be the Premier, the rooms looked great on the hotel website. I think we'd be happy here.  If I bid on a 4.5* hotel in this area, would I have a good chance of getting this hotel at a lower price?  Any downside to bidding on a 4.5* in this area instead of taking the Express Deal?

 

4.  Yes, I could expand my area to include Madison Square Garden - Convention Area and Rockefeller Center - Bryant Park.  I checked Priceline Express Deals for my dates in these areas at 4* or higher, and one of the 4* hotels in the Madison Square Garden area was $161 per night, saying it was a savings of 28% or more, rated 7 out of 10.  That seemed pretty good. Clicking on the "Is this a good price?" button showed it might be 1 of 4 different hotels:  Doubletree, Stewart, Wyndham, Cassa.  Any guess as to which one of these was the $161 rate?

 

5.  Any downsides to the Madison Square Garden area for a tourist as opposed to Times Square - Theater Dist. area?

 

6.  I assume that hotel taxes are in addition to the prices shown in Express Deals, is that right?  For NYC, what % does that add?

 

Wow, that was a lot of questions.  Thanks for your time!

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Sorry for the brevity below but i'm a bit short on time at the moment but wanted to respond:

 

1.  Plenty of explanations, but the easiest to give an example... the 4* hotel is holding a large conference in their convention center during your dates and as a result the hotel is at 90% occupancy so they offer little/no discount; the 4.5* hotel has no events taking place at their hotel so is only at 50% occupancy, they therefore offer a very deep discount in hopes of filling the empty rooms.

 

2.  There wouldn't be any overlap since the IS THIS A GOOD PRICE button takes into account star ratings.... one box is showing 4.5* hotels the other 4* hotels, therefore no overlap.

 

3.  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 choose... it may or may not be the same hotel that is currently being offered thru PRICELINE EXPRESS.

 

4.  please include the full details of the offer and we will have a look

 

5.  both are generally considered to be convenient for the average visitor, but i guess there could be small differences based upon actual schedule and your plans/activities while in the city.  At the 4* level in the MSG zone does have the Wyndham New Yorker which gets mixed reviews, so that would be something to consider if bidding on PRICELINE at the 4* level and was a hotel that you were hoping to avoid (although the location is excellent, so some people have no issues with the property)

 

6.  please include the full details of the offer and we will have a look (and if you click thru on the offer you will see the total amount that would be charged, broken down by room rate, taxes, etc.

 

7. for HOTWIRE hotel please provide the full details of the offer.

 

HOWEVER, keep in mind that any current offer could easily disappear the next time you search, so if there is something that you think would be good for your needs and is a good value, you may want to decide on it sooner rather than later, as it could disappear while you continue to explore other options.

 

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

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Ok, I'm ready to start bidding now -- using your links, of course!  My primary goal would be to get one of the 4.5* hotels in the Times Square - Theater District at less than $200 per night.  Right now, I can get one of those hotels on Priceline Express for $213 per night.  I would also have no problem staying in Central Park South and Rockefeller Center zones, so if I can't get what I wanted in the Times Square zone, could expand my zones with a new set of bids.   I think you have a system that essentially allows multiple bids by adding new zones that don't have even hotels rated as high as your bid.  Could you set out what my bidding strategy should be based on these parameters? Thanks so much for your help!

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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.

 

I would try as follows:

 

Select 4.5* Times Square
Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $183, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $188, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $193, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $198, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $200, if the above is rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

 

Select 4.5* Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park South...
Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $183, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $188, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $193, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $198, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $200

 

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

 

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

 

Good luck and let us know how ti goes.

 

 

 

 

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 help!  Here's an update.  I studied the threads of your rebidding system and determined which zones didn't have a 4.5* or higher hotel, allowing 15 rebids. My goal was a 4.5* in Times Square - Theater Dist. at under $200 per night. My bids were: 125, 150, 165, 172, 177,181,185,189, 193,195, and 197.  I still had a few rebids left to do, but stopped at $197, because I am now re-thinking if I'd be just fine in a 4* hotel at, say, around $170 or less, and whether I should try that.  I can still look for a 4.5* by adding the Rock Center zone as well. So that's where I am now - thinking about whether to go down to 4* level.  

 

Separately, I noticed that Hotwire has a 4.5* "New to Hotwire" hotel in Rock Center area at $209 per night, down from $309 per night, 32% off.  Rating is 90% thumbs up, bed choice available.  Amenities are: bus center, children's activities, fitness center, golf nearby, internet access, pet friendly, restaurant(s), self-service laundry, smoke-free rooms.  Any idea which hotel this might be?  

 

On Priceline Express Deals, in the same Rock Center area, the only 4.5* Express Deal hotel offered was at $251 per night, a 28% savings, with free internet.  

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19 hours ago, DPHtraveler said:

4.5* "New to Hotwire" hotel in Rock Center area at $209 per night

If you stopped your PRICELINE bidding at $197/nite and are now considering trying for a 4* hotel at a lower price... are you willing to pay $209 for a 4.5*?

 

19 hours ago, DPHtraveler said:

Any idea which hotel this might be?  

I believe there are likely more amenities then what you have posted above as HOTWIRE has a new interface that does not show the complete set of amenities unless you search using the EASY VIEW TAB of our BiddingHelper.com tool. (always use this method for your searches/purchases to ensure you're seeing the complete amenity set and for an easy comparison of PRICELINE vs. HOTWIRE, as well as to use our new IS THIS A GOOD PRICE feature).

If you repeat your search using our BiddingHelper.com tool... use the HOTWIRE EASY VIEW tab and then click the GREEN BUTTON next to this listing, do you see more amenities (including any accessible amenities) then what you have listed above?

 

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

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Further update.  I bid again for the Time Square - Theater District for 4.5*.  My first bid was $165, and my bid was rejected but I got an immediate response from Priceline saying I could have a free rebid at $238 per night.  I didn't do that, and instead added other zones for the following rebids:  179, 189, 196, and 199.  None of these bids were accepted, so I am now wondering whether to: (1) look for a 4* and better deals, (2) proceed further with bididng for a 4.5*, or (3) take one of the Express Deals or Hotwire deals for 4.5 hotels that are only a few dollars higher than my rejected $199 bid but have slightly more info on them.  My budget would allow bidding or taking a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal up to $215 for a 4.5* hotel, but I would only want to spend the extra money if a 4.5 hotel really did provide a better experience than a 4 hotel.  Any thoughts on this? 

 

Also, I would have no problem staying in the Rock Center zone, and would be happy to add that to my bidding,  But if I can't get a 4.5* in Times Square zone for under $200, is it likely that I could get one in the Rock Center zone? If there is a decent chance of that, then I could do the rebidding scheme by adding Rock Center and see what happens.

 

As to the $209 "4.5-star New to Hotwire in Rockefeller Center area," regular price $309, 32% off, -- I found that by using BiddingHelper and the first "Hotwire" tab.  Amenities listed are:  Boutique hotel, Business center, Children's activities, Fitness center, Golf nearby, Internet access, Pet friendly, Restaurant(s), Spa services,. When I click on the listing, the Amenities listed are slightly different: Business center, Children's activities, Fitness center, Golf nearby, Internet access, Pet friendly, Restaurant(s), Self-service laundry, Smoke-free rooms. That is still there.

 

If I move to the next tab over, "Hotwire Easy View," there is 4.5* in Rock Center zone that is $207 per night - very close, but $2 less.  Amenities are:   Pet friendly, Smoke-free rooms, Fitness center, Restaurant(s), Business center, Self-service laundry, Internet access, Golf nearby, Children's activities, Accessible for hearing impaired, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Wheelchair accessible, Accessible bathroom.  And when I click on this hotel, it goes to another screen about the hotel that says "Hot New Rate to Hotwire."  Do you think this is the same hotel as the $209 in the Hotwire view or these are 2 different hotels?  If the same hotel, why are there slightly different prices?  Any idea as to what hotel(s) these are?

 

Thanks again for your help!


 

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For the 4.5* Rockefeller Center HOTWIRE hotel:

4.5* Rockefeller Center for $207.00
Pet Friendly
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Laundry
Hi-Speed Internet
Golf
Childrens Activities
Deaf Accessible
Travel Accessible
Room Accessible
Wheelchair Accessible
Bathroom Accessible
==> from the Hotwire Hotel List this matches previous reports for the well reviewed Omni Berkshire Hotel so that would be my best guess for this one

 

So do you want to move forward with this HOTWIRE offer, include Rockefeller Center in your 4.5* PRICELINE bidding, or lower to 4 stars?

 

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 (or how it goes if you move forward with bidding or one of the offers 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

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This was a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal for a 4.5* at $209, but factoring in the 5% discount from BetterBidding results in an effective rate of about $199 per night (not including taxes and fees, which add a total of $269 for our 3-night, 2-room stay).

 

Before taking the Express Deal, I did multiple bids, several different times, looking for a deal on a 4.5* hotel in the Times Square - Theatre Dist.  I started bidding  around $165 and my highest bid was $195.  I had plenty of re-bids left, but at that point I went for the PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal because it offered the certainty of the amenity of Free Internet. Based on previous threads, I was pretty sure that I would be getting the Premiere Hotel and am perfectly happy with the result. Thanks, BetterBidding!

 

The full list of Amenities are: 

 

Airport shuttle

Business centre

Facilities for disabled guests

Fitness centre

Free Internet

Free WiFi

Non-smoking rooms

Non-smoking throughout

Restaurant

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Congrats on your success.

 

Really an excellent win for this well-located property! Glad you are pleased with the win and are looking forward to your stay.

 

Can you confirm the list of amenities that were showing with this listing before purchase? Thanks.

 

Thank you for sharing your win and using the site's PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

 

Enjoy your stay.

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The Priceline Express Deal that I took ($209, 4.5*, Time Square - Theater Dist.) is still available and the only amenity showing is "Free Internet".  When I took the deal, there might have been some other amenities listed, but I'm not sure.  I know that "Free Internet" would have been the only one that would have made any difference to me.

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I'm seeing this 4.5* Times Square hotel on your dates for $209  with the following amenities:

Business Center

Restaurant

Airport Shuttle

Free Internet

Fitness Center

No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

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

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