KatiesMom

I just noticed the hotel that is most likely the Omni is still on PRICELINE EXPRESS this morning. I stayed at the Grand Hyatt this weekend, lovely room and extras. But I don't see anything that matches that description on Priceline Express today. My experience is The Grand Hyatt often (but not always) waits until the last minute to offer deals. Did you book your hotel yet Isabela?

MTC is a great zone. Very convenient. I can't determine what property this is though. It's not an exact match for either The Shoreham or The Royalton. Amenities and the Trip Advisor ratings are different. Hmmm... On PRICELINE EXPRESS there is a listing for a 4.5* property in Midtown East for $282. Amenities are: Pets, Restaurant, Business, Fitness Guest Score: 9 out of 10 Because it is PRICELINE EXPRESS you can add in the Coupon Code BigCity6 for 10% off and the total price comes to $2,792.43 This looks like it could be either the Omni Berkshire Place or outside chance The Benjamin. Experts on here would know better. Either would make a LOVELY honeymoon hotel.

I agree with Aaron about MTE, Empire State Building, or CPS. There are also some very good hotels in other zones. This is what I would do. Make a fully cancellable reservation, such as one with the hotel itself, right now. For example, a hotel you can cancel up to one or two days before your trip WITHOUT a penalty. This will give you some peace of mind while you shop around for a deal. Consider BOTH PRICELINE EXPRESS and HOTWIRE. The more you can be sure about what you are getting the better. I recently wanted the Grand Hyatt, but couldn't get it on the cheap so I booked Affinia Shelburne on hotels.com which was cancelable without penalty up to the day before the trip. I kept checking and finally, what I believed was the Grand Hyatt turned up on Priceline Express at a lower rate than the Shelburne, PLUS PRICELINE EXPRESS had an additional 10% off, so I snatched it up. Very happy. I am a former NYC destination expert on Trip Advisor, and here are some hotels that show up on HOTWIRE and PRICELINE and I have personally stayed in (or people in the know have told me about) and think would be worthy of a honeymoon: Grand Hyatt - It's a large 4* hotel. Stayed here many times. Convenient location near Grand Central Terminal. Join their gold passport customer loyalty program, it's free. They go out of their way to give passport customers upgrades EVEN if you buy from hotwire or priceline. I've asked for many things. Never a problem. Near The Grand Hyatt is The Omni Berkshire Place. A nice, solid 4* hotel, with nice front desk clerks. I like the Omni line generally, and when I travel I seek them out. In the same 'hood, I don't recommend The Roosevelt. I've never stayed there and won't. So many people told me they were given a room the size of a closet. When they asked for a larger room they were told no. This is why I won't bid on Priceline, 4* in Midtown East. The bloody Roosevelt is the stinker in the bunch. Sofitel - 4.5* hotel. Great location, about a five minute walk to Times Square one way, and a five minute walk to Rockefeller Plaza the other way. One block from scenic and fun Fifth Avenue. Personally, this is my top pick for a honeymoon. It's a bit luxurious, lovely bathrooms, beautiful for honeymooners. If you join their loyalty program, free, they go out of their way to treat you well. Hotwire, as per the norm, booked me a room with one queen bed. I arrived with my daughter, asked if we could have a room with two beds, and yes, no problem. It shows up on hotwire quite frequently, so worth watching for. Near the Sofitel are the Algonquin, Royalton, Iroquois and City Club hotels. I don't know about City Club, but the other three have good reputations and are worth considering. In Times Square, I wasn't wild about the Marriott Marquis. Tiring just to get to our barely-above-ordinary room. Too much congestion in the busy "fish bowl" lobby of visitors. Also didn't care for the Crowne Plaza in Times Square. Very small, ordinary rooms in a congested atmosphere. However, I'm very tempted to try the InterContinental New York Times Square. Friends tell me it's a winner. The Affinia line of hotels (there are several in NYC) are noted for exceptional customer service and upgrades. I stayed at Affinia's flagship, The Benjamin, and was upgraded to a one bedroom suite, without asking! That was a LOVELY stay! I would have enjoyed checking out the Affinia Shelburne. It's been recently renovated. A good sign. Hilton New York. Large hotel, nice rooms. But not on hotwire or priceline much these days. Regular PRICELINE bidding is iffy for a honeymoon. I would prefer knowing what I am getting and would go with hotwire or priceline express. What hotels have you come across that sound interesting?

A honeymoon is such an important occasion. Not all 4* hotels in NYC are created equally. Check out the hotels you are considering on TripAdvisor.com to see what people are saying about them. Also, check them out on oyster.com. People give very helpful pros and cons.

You got a great deal. As you can see in my priceline hotel win, I got the same hotel, for the same date on PRICELINE EXPRESS for $135, with the 10% BigCity6 coupon discount it came to $157.62. I wasn't as bold as you to bid on regular PRICELINE because I really wanted the Grand Hyatt and not the Roosevelt. You done good! See you there perhaps! ;-)

**A final change** Because I could cancel my Affinia Shelburne reservation up until 9/13 without penalty from Hotels.com, I kept checking Hotwire and Priceline to see if I could find a better deal, and YES I did. Through your BiddingHelper.com link, I booked: PRICELINE EXPRESS 4*, Midtown East, Grand Hyatt, $135 (Plus an additional 10% off using coupon code BigCity6) Amenities: Restaurant, Business Center, Fitness Guest Score: 8 out of 10 With taxes and fees this wound up being $25 less than the Affinia Shelburne, and it's a hotel I've stayed at before, found them very accommodating, and ultra convenient to Grand Central (you don't even need to go outside). Very very HAPPY!

O.K. This is what I did and this is how I got there. 4*, Affinia Shelburne, $149, Hotels.com (Last minute deal, was $199 with 25% off.) I clicked BetterBidding's Support Page to make the purchase on Hotels.com, but for some reason the site wouldn't take my credit card information, so I had to make the actual reservation by telephone. I hope BB can still get some kind of credit. I tried. Since we are going to be in the Midtown East area for dinner at The Four Seasons, this seemed like a good location for us. It's also near Grand Central, where we are traveling back and forth from by train. My budget was around $150 for the night, but for the past few days the best rate I saw was $165 (with 10% off from PRICELINE EXPRESS) plus taxes and fees, most likely for the Intercontinental the Barclay. I saw what appeared to be The Grand Hyatt pop up on Priceline Express for a few hours yesterday, for a higher rate ($170). I was hoping the Grand Hyatt might show up again because I would prefer it to the Intercontinental, but it didn't, and the trip is coming up this weekend. I saw what appeared to be the Affinia Shelburne on HOTWIRE for $133 a night (4*, Empire State Building, Amenities: Pet Friendly, 4.5 out of 5 on Trip Advisor). But when taxes and fees were added HOTWIRE was more than Hotels.com at $149. Hotwire and Priceline taxes and fees are HIGH and sometimes can wreck a low rate and/or discount. I also bid on PRICELINE going up to $156 for 4.5* properties in Midtown East and Times Square, and $135 for 4* properties. No luck. I've stayed at The Benjamin, another Affina property, and found the service to be top notch, so I'm happy to try out this Affinia property. Thanks everyone for your help.

I was in NYC last week and had wonderful pizza at Rubirosa. So if you happen to be in SoHo, this is a great choice. Thin crust, plentifully covered with wafer thin sliced sausage. Sauce was good and cheese was melty. Very delicious. http://rubirosanyc.com/ My all time favorite 'za is Patsy's in East Harlem, but very few visitors want to make the trek out there. It's only a few blocks from the subway stop so it's not a bad hike at all. The other Patsy's in Manhattan are not the same. The one in East Harlem is the real deal. Established in 1933, very old school, and its rare, coal-fired oven makes a HUGE difference. http://www.thepatsyspizza.com/ For everyone walking the Brooklyn Bridge (which I highly recommend, it's one of my favorite free things to do in NYC), don't wait in line at Grimaldi's. Just two doors down there's Juliana's. Go there - it's actually Grimaldi's! What happened is, a few years ago, Grimaldi's owner Patsy Grimaldi, (Yes there is a family connection to Patsy's in East Harlem), sold the Grimaldi name to Frank Ciolli and retired. Ciolli re-opened Grimaldi's next door in a larger space. However, the city would not give him the right to operate a coal-fired oven and it was left at the old space. Enter Patsy Grimaldi again, who came out of retirement, and in the old Grimaldi's space, using the old school coal-fired oven, opened Juliana's, making the Grimaldi's pies of yore. I've eaten both - my strong preference - Juliana's. http://www.julianaspizza.com/ Griamldi's v. Juliana's story: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2013/06/julianas_and_gr.php I'd post a photo of Rubirosa's pizza, but can't figure it out. You need a URL?

When you click "See all amenities" what are the rest of them?

The BiddingHelper.com is VERY handy. I'm always going to use it when searching HOTWIRE from now on. I'm biding my time to see if prices go down. I'll let you know.

Thanks Thereuare. Yes there are those additional amenities. I don't like the new Hotwire interface. I'm going to let HOTWIRE know. My husband thinks it would be great to spend the night, so it looks like this will be a go. From your pinned Priceline list it would appear the Intercontinental Times Square is likely the 4.5* on Priceline Express? The 4* Midtown East on PRICELINE EXPRESS is now $165. I think I'll wait a day and see if the price goes down. Looking forward to this celebration!

I'm coming to NYC on 9/14 with my husband for a matinee show and dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Thinking of spending the night, but might not because we're just a train ride away home. But if I find a bargain, we'll stay. We're having dinner at The Four Seasons, so Midtown East near Grand Central is great. But will consider other nearby zones. 4* and up unless it's a very good 3.5*. Right now I see a post on HOTWIRE that sounds interesting: 4* Midtown East, $156 4 out of 5 on Trip Advisor Amenities: Pet Friendly Restaurant Hi Speed Internet Fitness Business Tennis Nearby Accessibility Blind Accessibility Deaf Accessibility Path of Travel Do you think this is the Intercontinental? Under no circumstances would I consider The Roosevelt, which is my fear. But with the 4 out of 5 on Trip Advisor, it doesn't appear to be The Roosevelt. See any other deals out there, other than HOTWIRE, for less than $156? Thanks!

Yes, it's the most expensive time in New York. Right now, there are deals for other 4* hotels on HOTWIRE that aren't nearly as high, that's why I was asking. Periodically people will ask me for advice about staying in NYC over New Year's eve, so this information comes in handy. I'll refer anyone who's serious to this board. Thanks.

Is this for one or two rooms??? I'm assuming two?

Wow, that's one I never expected to see on HOTWIRE.

I'm cut from your cloth mathprincess. As promised, I updated my post with my take on the Sofitel. In case anyone is considering it, I highly recommend it. I have stayed at MANY hotels in NYC over the years and this was one of the best. My Hotel Review

Just a quick follow up on the Sofitel in case anyone is considering it. This hotel is first class all the way. Terrific rooms, clean, quiet, excellent service. Once I learned I got the Sofitel I went to their website and joined their frequent guest program. It's free and always worth doing with whatever hotel you're staying at. Hotwire booked us for a room with one queen bed. This was a mother-daughter trip so when I called to confirm my reservation I requested a room with two twin beds instead. The clerk said there was no guarantee they could provided it but would note it on our reservation. I also gave them my new guest program number to be put on the reservation too. We arrived at the hotel and a doorman opened the cab for us and asked if we would like help with our luggage. We didn't but we appreciated the offer. No check in line. We were given a room with two twin beds. Super comfortable. Perfect for us. Bathroom, by NY standards was large and included a separate tub and shower. Very nice. We moseyed in around 4 a.m. from our midnight show and never heard a peep or noise. I had forgotten toothpaste and after we checked in I called housekeeping and asked if they had any. Within 10 minutes they brought up 2 small tubes plus 2 toothbrushes. Very thoughtful. I asked the front desk clerk if it was possible to get a late checkout in case we slept late. She said sure no problem. We didn't need it though. We were out by noon, regular check out time. We also received a free daily newspaper at our door. When we ventured out and needed cabs, the doorman was always at the ready and assisted. The location is great - a few blocks between Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza. Just a quick walk to both. There are other hotels right around it — The Algonquin, The Royalton, and The Iroquois, plus the Red Flame Diner for breakfast and quick eats. Walk to the end of the street to Fifth Avenue, and on the left just a few doors down is a super clean convenience store/deli open 24/7. The hotel also has a restaurant and bar. One caveat, if it matters to you - We had a room on the fourth floor that looked out onto another building. If you want something better you may need to go up higher. In our case view didn't matter to us. Highly recommend.

They do have a lot of good reviews on other qualities. Interesting. From this Hotwire hotel purchase I'm staying at the NYC Sofitel today with my daughter (Check in later, not in the city yet). When I get back I'll post a follow up on my HOTWIRE thread about it.

There's an excellent deal for your dates on Travelzoo.com for The New York Palace. Perhaps you could request a view of St. Patrick's. For the money you save you can cab anywhere you like. http://www.travelzoo.com/hotels/new-york/-249-Iconic-New-York-Palace-Hotel-w-Upgrade-Save-100-1514976/

There are several nice options on HOTWIRE in the $300 price range, one of which could be the Waldorf.

Hi, a few years ago I wanted to stay at a hotel on the parade route with a room overlooking the parade in case it was cold or rainy. VERY expensive, premium time and premium rates. Keep in mind that hundreds of thousands of people from around the world come to NYC for Thanksgiving not only to watch the parade but to be in the parade. Hotel prices are through the roof. The rooms with the parade views are THE MOST expensive and pure premium. That said, I booked a room at the Novotel. It's right on the route. Our room was low enough so if it was bad weather we could watch it from the room. The weather was fine so we went outside. It's a madhouse down there on the street. We were lucky to get right behind a jersey barrier facing the parade as it came down so no one was in front of us or our kids.

I'm shocked the Waldorf is classified as 4.5*. The Towers, maybe but not the regular Waldorf.

I would love a report of what you did, where you ate, and what you thought of the Sofitel, since I'm going 7/13! have fun!

I assume you are talking about Long Island City, not Long Island. Some hotels in Long Island City are better than others as far as quality and transportation into NYC is concerned. Here is a link to a discussion about Long Island City hotels on TripAdvisor. You may want to post questions there too. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k6056573-Long_Island_City_hotels-New_York_City_New_York.html I sent you a private message on here as well.

Hi there! Thought I'd jump in. I'm a former Destination/Local Expert for New York City on Trip Advisor. When you say "Nightlife" what do you mean? There is nightlife ALL over NYC. You may find yourself in different areas on different nights. Here's a link to a Bar/Club Search from NY Magazine. Check out things on the left. Read some. Any pop up as WOW, I gotta go there? That will give a good idea where to begin. I'm thinking you may be interested in the Meatpacking District part of the city for your nightlife. New York is open late REAL late. You can party well into the morning. Also, not so sure how good an idea it is not to spend your last night at a hotel. What time are you planning on leaving for the airport? Is your flight at 7?