funkymonkee

Mercure London City Bankside (4 Star - new rating) London City-Tower Bridge Region Two nights 31/7/09 - 2/8/09 $90

Hi I was bidding on a 4 star hotel in London for a few nights at the end of July. I was deciding on the areas to try and bid for and was torn between Kensington-Earls court area and The City-Tower Bridge area. I didn't really want to stay in Westminster or Mayfair. I ended up choosing The City/Tower Bridge area because it seemed as though the 4* hotels there were a little nicer (Crowne Plaza/Hilton) and there was less chance of getting the lower end 4* that are in the Kensingtion area (Holiday Inns / Copthorne Tara). I placed my first bid at $85, just above the $80 which I was told (in the priceline red box) would have little to no chance of being accepted. The $85 was rejected and I decided to wait a day and bid again instead of adding a new area. The next day i bid $90 and this was accepted. The hotel I was given was the Mercure London City Bankside. I didn't remember seeing this hotel and thought that it was a new addition. However, when I went back to better bidding I realized that it was there as a 3*. Apparently it has recently been upgraded to 4*. I was rather disappointed by this and was hoping for a better grab. The hotel seems fine based on trip advisor reviews, but really appears to be a no frills place and probably should be a 3* hotel. I will post after my visit and update. The thing that really got me was that if I went directly to the hotel site I could have gotten the equivalent deal through a summer sale promotion they were offering. Oh well thems the breaks Details first bid $85 - rejected second bid (24 hours later) $90 - accepted Mercure London City Bankside75/79 Southwark Street London, SE1 0JA 44 20 7902 0800 July 31st - August 2nd Total $216.74 (USD) ($90 a night plus taxes and service fees)

correct 4 nights, checking out Sunday jan 7th. sorry for the confusion

The dates were actually dependent upon other factors and getting airfare. But I just bought my plane tickets today and the dates are now set. It would be from Wed jan 3rd to sunday jan 7th.

I was wondering if someone might be able to help me. My girlfriend and I are looking to go to New york for 5 days in early january, after New Years, and are trying to get a hotel. We would like to get a 3-4* place for $100-$150 a night in Midtown south, Midtown central, Midtown east or Times square. I see that the Sheraton Manhattan is offered for approx $103, but am not sure how nice it is. The hudson, I believe (3.5*, fitness, restaurant, business, high speed in midtown central), is available for $126 a night which may be a better deal. However I have also read that the rooms are really small, even by New York standards, and the staff are somewhat standoffish. Suggestions about either of these places? I was also wondering when the best time to reserve is. I know that new deals come up all the time but is there a point when the price starts increasing as the date comes closer or does it get cheaper as rooms may go unsold? I would like to get a good deal but don't want to wait too long and end up getting screwed later. I have been looking mostly on hotwire but also briefly on priceline. Can you get better deals on priceline because you set the price? If I were to choose a 4* hotel in midtown on priceline and bid $100-$110 do you think I would be able to get anything? And when you bid low on priceline are you more likely to get a lower quality hotel within the same star category? I'm not sure who accepts the bid (hotel or priceline) and how they determine which hotel you will get. Thanks in advance