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Just came back from 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt New York, Feb 28-Mar 1. I got the hotel for $130 on Hotwire. Checked in over the phone before I left home. The room was very spacious, 2 comfortable queen beds, large bathroom, great TV and very quiet. Access to Grand Central Subway under the hotel so we didn't have to go outside during a blizzard. Signed up as a gold member on the Hyatt website and got complimentary coffee and newspaper. Overall no complaints about the hotel, except that it's full of business travellers, and although the location was fantastic for sight seeing, next time I might stay in Soho or an area that had a bit more character. But that's being really picky.

After reading the Hotwire boards and getting nowhere with Priceline, I decided to go for the 4* MTE. Got the Grand Hyatt for $130, for 2/26 to 3/1. Very pleased as it was $10 below my limit. Thanks for all your help, these boards are great!

My dates are 02/26 to 03/01. Started bidding for 4*'s only, at $75 kept adding re-bid zones, went up to $120 with no luck. Will try again in a few days. Decided not to bid in MTE, don't want to chance the UN Mill too far east for a February visit. My limit is $140. Do i have any chance at a 4* in MTW, UM, MTS? Will keep you posted.

Haven't started bidding yet. For a 3 night stay in New York, I'm wondering if I have a better chance at getting a Fri, Sat, Sun or Sat, Sun and Mon nights stay. From your experience do you think one would get better rates than the other, or would the difference be negligible?

Thanks for the detailed response. Once my plans are finalized, I will try your strategy and let you know.

I've used Priceline before but this is the first time posting. I'm planning a trip to NY, Feb 25th -Feb 28th. I can book the Red roof Inn for $109, but if I could get a similar price I would prefer a 3* or 4*. Is it too soon to bid? Do you think the prices might go down near the end of Feb? I'm not too picky about location.