jgassman

Plan a back up hotel in case you don't get what you are looking for. Kayak.com shows 2* Comfort Inn, 442 W 36th St (Midtown West, Times Square), at $200 (I think this is a bit south of where you'd like to be, despite the kayak.com label) 3* the Crowne Plaza United Nations 304 E 42nd St, New York, NY at $199 (a bit east of where you'd like to be) 3* the Ramada The New Yorker 481 8th Ave at $199 (at 34th, a bit south of where you'd like to be) 2* the Howard Johnson at Penn Station at 215 W 34th St at $167 Jennifer

I probably could have saved $10 by waiting a day and rebidding $12 more rather than taking their suggestion to bid $22 more, but I wanted to be done with this. :)

My back up hotel plan was the 2-star Best Western President, which had good rates with an AAA discount. The hotel is on 48th between Broadway and 8th. My daughter and I could have shared a double for about $141 or a queen size for $161, plus tax etc. I was looking for a better price at a nicer hotel. Earlier, what appeared to be the Westin Times Square was at hotwire.com for $130 but by the time I thought about it enough, the price on hotwire had increased to $150. So, I was trying priceline. I started out at savingsbarn.com. I wanted a room in NYC (MTW) for one night, Sunday night June 18. I was not in a rush and I particularly wanted MTW so I tried every day or two, starting at 81, then 91, then 101, then 111. Today, when I tried $111, I got a message saying "If you are willing to raise your bid by $22, you can try again now." I rebid at $133 and got the Westin New York Times Square. West 43rd and 8th street. This bid was accepted 2 weeks and five days before the night I needed the room. The hotel sounds great. They have Westin "Heavenly Beds" which are either a king or two doubles, so there will be plenty of room for the two of us. Sounds good to me! Priceline offered that I could extend the stay for the same price. Thank you to betterbidding.com for helpful advice.

I am still trying to figure this out. I think am thinking that maybe this is the Times Square Westin Hotel and that it has been downgraded from a 4.5* to a 4*. It is in the right area with the right five features listed.

Hello! I have never used Hotwire before. I looked at the Hotwire hotel list and don't see a 4 star hotel in times square theater district on the list. If I search for a room on hotwire for one night June 18-19 I see a hotel for $130 that includes restaurant, exercise room, spa, internet and business center (if I am reading the little icons correctly). Can any of you help me figure out what hotel this might be? It sure sounds good. Thank you very much for any help or advice. JG

I think this is an example of a case in which, if you are a young man, it would help to look like a tired golfer. In my opinion, many many of the men who check into hotels are road warriors, in sales or some field that makes them have to travel a lot, and they look like tired golfers and the clerks are just used to seeing them and unlikely to question their age. When I say look like a tired golfer, I mean (if it's not too inconvenient to you) wear khaki pants and a shirt with a collar. You'll look like all of the young road warriors and be virtually invisible to a hotel clerk. You would probably have no trouble in jeans and a t shirt, but I think this would help. And don't try this in Vegas. :)