Arista

First try successful. Room subtotal:$101.00 Taxes & fees:$23.93 Total charged today:$124.93

I started out looking for something in Manhattan, bidding $101 for a 4-star. I was appalled that, in addition to the usual "taxes and fees," they tacked on $28 for a "hotel fee," which I'd never seen before. I decided to go ahead anyway, but my offer was rejected and they counter-offered with $155 (not counting taxes, fees, and more fees, of course). I turned it down. Today I tried again, trying $111 for a 4.5 star in Manhattan. I got the same "hotel fee," this time of $30, and my offer was rejected. Then I tried Jersey City/Hoboken, first with an offer of $101 for a 4.5 star property. No hotel fee, but it was rejected with a counter-offer of $126. I turned it down and bid $111 for 4-star, and this was accepted. Room subtotal:$111.00 Taxes & fees:$26.15 Total charged today:$137.15 What is this "hotel fee,' anyway? The last time I used Priceline's name-your-own price, in December, I booked a 3-night stay in Charleston, SC, and there was no such thing. Is this an attempt to extract the last penny from people staying in the most expensive areas?

Tried first for Saturday the 17th through Tuesday the 20th, but came up empty. So we switched to Sunday the 18th through Wed. the 21st. Bid for 4.5* at $91 rejected. Bid for 4* at $92 accepted. Room subtotal (3 nights): $276 Taxes & fees: $58.38 Total: $334.38 Bid through Better Bidding.PRICELINE link.

Room subtotal:$56.00 Taxes & fees:$13.10 Total charged today:$69.10 Amenities: Free Internet in room, free parking, shuttle, spa, outdoor pool, gym, restaurant, business center. Bid through the Better Bidding PRICELINE links.

I'm sorry, I didn't save the screen listing the amenities. :(

I started at $100 for Strip South, then $105 for Strip South + North, then $110 for Strip South, North, and Vicinity East. All bids were for 5* hotels. Room Subtotal: $110.00 Taxes & Fees: $ 22.26 Total: $132.26

This was a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal. I tried yesterday by bidding, but various bids of $120-$155 for a 4* or better hotel yielded nothing. We're also going to need a room for the night of Sept. 22, but since that's a Sunday, I expect we'll get something more glam for a similar price. B) Price: $105.00 Taxes & Fees: 22.61 Priceline Hotel Coupon: -$10.50 Total: $117.11

Bid first a few days ago, looking for a 4* at $100. Rejected. Then tried 3 1/2* at $105. Rejected. Just bid $110 for a 3 1/2*. Accepted. Offer price: $110 Number of rooms: 1 Number of nights: 2 Room Subtotal: $220.00 Taxes & Fees: $43.62 Total Charges: $263.62 I lived in Hoboken in the '90s, so this visit will give me a chance to see how it's changed! Bid through BB.

Started yesterday by bidding $70 for a 3* (I was fuddled and forgot to start with 4* :) ). Bid rejected, but with a note saying that I could get a room for $90. I skipped that and re-bid, beginning with 4* (how they let me do this, I don't know) at $75. That was rejected. I tried $80 for a 3 1/2*, also rejected. Today I bid $85 for a 4* and won. :) Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $85.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Room Subtotal: $170.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $35.58 (USD) Total Room Cost: $205.58 (USD) Bid through BB PRICELINE link.

1st bid: $85 for 4*, rejected 2nd bid: $91 for 3.5*, rejected 3rd bid: $95 for 3*, accepted Doubletree Hotel Jersey City Newark (Jersey City) 455 Washington Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07310 201-499-2400 Check-In: Friday, September 17, 2010-03:00 PM Check-Out: Sunday, September 19, 2010-12:00 PM Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $95.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Room Subtotal: $190.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $38.88 (USD) Total Room Cost: $228.88 (USD) Bid through BB PRICELINE link

First try Monday: started at $75 for a 4*, rejected. Tried $80 for a 3.5*, also rejected. This morning, started at $80 for a 4*. Got a message that I could get a reservation if I increased my bid by $22. I rejected that. Then bid $85 for a 3.5*, and won. I was "upgraded" to the 4* Westin. :) I've never been there before--I understand it's new. I usually get the Hyatt. Used the Better Bidding Priceline link.

Got this on the first try. :) Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $80.00 Subtotal: $160.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $33.57 Total Charges*: $193.57 When I came here to post, I was intrigued to see that there's a new hotel in town: the Westin. Where exactly is it? At four stars, is it appreciably nicer than the Hyatt? It's also interesting to see that a new W Hotel is opening in Hoboken, where I used to live. I've heard wonderful things about this chain. Next time, maybe I'll try for it.

Your Offer Price: $75.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 3 Subtotal: $225.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $45.25 Total Charges*: $270.25 Got this on my first try. :) Maybe I should have bid lower. :)

On first bid: 1 night (Sat., March 16): $81 Taxes & Service Fees: $20.92 Total Charges: $101.92

Started with a bid of $81 for a 3*, was hoping for the Hyatt. Bid rejected, with a counter-offer of $103. Turned it down and re-bid at $82 for a 2.5*. Got the Marriott. Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $82.00 Subtotal: $164.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $35.74 Total Charges*: $199.74 I've stayed here before. Not luxe, but fine for me. It's right next to the PATH train, very convenient.

$189 on hyatt.com $64 bid for a 3* failed. $71 bid for a 2 1/2* accepted, w/upgrade to 3*. Bid through Savings Barn.com Offer Price: $71 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Taxes & Service Fees: $19.22 Total Charges: $90.22

Bid several times at $71 for a 3*, followed, after rejection, by a $76/77 bid for a 2.5*. After several failed 72-hour cycles, tonight I bid $77 for a 3*, which failed, and followed that with $81 for a 2.5*. This was successful :) and PL told me that they'd "upgraded" me to a 3*, the Hyatt. Total price is $100.37. I stayed there in January for two nights at $37 per. Ah, the good old days . . . But I'm very happy with this. Last month I had to pay $121 for the Marriott Courtyard.

Manhattan-bound travelers looking for value would do well to consider staying in the Newport area of Jersey City, just a PATH train ride away. The Marriott Courtyard is right next door to the Pavonia/Newport station, convenient for access to midtown Manhattan, and much closer than the Doubletree, which is several blocks away. (The Hyatt Regency is at the Exchange Place station, which is convenient to the Financial District but less so to midtown.) Night owls, however, should note that the last PATH train leaves Manhattan at 11:40 (midnight on Saturdays), so if you're planning on staying out late, Jersey City may not be for you. This 2 1/2* property is the equivilent or better of some 3* hotels in Manhattan, and if you're willing to forego the convenience of being able to pop into your hotel easily in the middle of the day, the savings will be worth it. My room faced Washington Boulevard, so I was spared the sight of the parking garages on the other side. I asked for and received a nonsmoking room, despite the fact that the Marriott website had stated that no such rooms were available. The clerk noticed immediately that I had booked my two sequential nights separately, and gave me the same room with the same entry card for both. All that was necessary was that room charges for the two nights had to be collected separately. I don't think I was treated differently because I was a Priceline customer. The previous poster has described the room and the hotel accurately, so I'll add only that there is a PC with (slow) Internet access and a printer available for free (30 minute maximum) in the lobby. I found that extremely helpful both for staying in touch and for researching things during my stay. All in all, I was very satisfied with the hotel and would certainly return.

Oy. The bidding process for this was so long and complicated I'm sure I'll forget some steps, but here goes. I started out about ten days ago, bidding for JC, starting with 3* and going down to 2.5*. My first bid was, I think, $55, and as the 72 hours passed I upped the dollar amounts ever higher as time got nearer. Tonight, on the eve of my intended departure, I bid up to $91 for 2.5* for both nights, and was rejected. I then tried 4* and 3* in New York (MTW and CPS), $115 and $121 -- rejected. So I tried for Saturday night (6/4) only in JC, starting with $115 for 3* (rejected), then -- tada! -- winning the Marriott Courtyard for $121. Then I tried for Friday night. When I bid $121 for 3*, I got a $143 counter-offer, which I rejected. Instead, I lowered my star rating to 2.5, and got the Marriott again. Whew! :) While this was going on, I had a window open to book the Marriott directly through their website at $139.

I bid today (through Savings Barn) for June 3 and 4, and was unsuccessful. First bid -- $61 for 3* Second bid -- $66 for 2.5* Since I have time, I'm going to wait instead of trying for a 2*. My concern is that the only 2* we know of in this area, the Candlewood Suites, is the farthest from the PATH. I'm more concerned with easy access to the PATH than with hotel amenities. I've stayed at the Doubletree and I don't think I'd want to walk farther than that. I have a question: if I were to go ahead and increase my bid today, choosing a 2*, what are the chances that I'd get a 2* rather than a higher-rated hotel? I'm talking about Priceline bidding in general, not about this particular situation. If you increase your bid, and two hotels of different star levels are willing to accept it, are you automatically given the lower-rated hotel? I realize, of course, that inventory and the stars being what they are, a higher-rated hotel might accept your bid while a lower-rated one might reject it. But I'm wondering whether Priceline has a policy (that we know of) to give you the least of what you ask for.

Thanks for the link, thereuare. How sad. :) I'm definitely going up June 3 and 4, but I'd been counting on the $37 rate to enable me to go up the previous weekend as well. Whether I'll be able to do both will depend on 1) the rate I can get and 2) whether a friend agrees to share with me for one or both weekends. Several people have indicated that you stand a better chance of getting a good rate if you book as close to last minute as possible. This may work for me for May 27 and 28, but for June 3 and 4 I'll need to plan farther in advance. Do we know if all Priceline's Jersey City offerings are within close walking distance to the PATH?

In January I bid for, and won, two nights at the Newport Hyatt @$37/night (Friday and Saturday). (Well, of course I bid for Jersey City, but was hoping for the Hyatt.) At that time, that seemed to be the going rate for that hotel. In looking over more recent threads, I see that people have been paying $50 to $81 lately for this property. :) Is that the new going rate? Is a $37 winning bid a thing of the past? If so, what has happened to change the situation? I've also stayed at another hotel in the area, one near the Pavonia/Newport station (Doubletree?) and it was fine, wouldn't mind getting that. Are all the Priceline Jersey City hotels near PATH stations? My dates are June 3 and 4, and possibly May 27 and 28. Thanks for any help!

Success. :) I bid $37 for a 3* in Jersey City and did indeed get the Hyatt -- on my first try. Room Rate $37 per night for two nights Total Room Rate $74 Taxes $18.15 Total $92.15 Earlier this year I struck out in Manhattan on Valentine's Day weekend and wound up direct booking the Doubletree in Jersey City for almost three times the rate I'm paying for the Hyatt. If only I'd done my homework then! Thanks, Better Bidding! :)

My dates are Friday Jan. 21 and Saturday Jan. 22. I did check Hotwire and they are showing a 3 1/2* in Hoboken-Jersey City at $77 per night, but that is twice what previous posters have reported for the Jersey City Hyatt. A quick look through previous Better Bidding threads has shown that almost all who bid for JC got the Hyatt, but I haven't read each thread for the details. As I mentioned above, quick access to the PATH is important to me. Thanks for your help.

May I ask how all of you got rates like $35-38 per night for this property (Jersey City Hyatt)? The lowest I've found (on Orbitz) is $134.50 for a Friday and Saturday night stay in January. Did you get it from Priceline or Hotwire? I've been hesitant to use them for Jersey City because I want to be sure that I'm within a short walking distance from the PATH and there's no way of knowing with blind booking.