Blueskies

I think with your budget you will not win a 4 star in London mid week. You will need to consider staying slightly further out or your star level. Do you have any prices from conventional means? What are the best rates you are getting quoted? In my experience getting a room midweek in London for 150 pounds is good never mind 150 dollars. You may want to add Finsbury to give you a chance at the Hilton Islington which would be fine for getting around. There has been the odd success for low ball bids but not a lot. You seriously need to consider your options IMO.

I always understood that you could not do this via Priceline. I think this is what Powerplantop is saying - if you did book via this (wishing to drop off at a different location) then you more than likely would have a costly problem when you tried to drop it off at a different location and any savings you thought you made would be wiped out.

I would have to agree that Westminster would be my preferred area too if you are going to see the sights. There are a few that spring to mind but there is little history here so it is a risk. The hotel that sprung to mind was the Marriott County Hall but from what I can see the map does not extend that far. I think Riverbank Park Plaza is out of zone too. The City Inn would be in zone. Kingsway Hall is another option but it could be the Thistle Trafalgar Square, which gets very mixed reviews. I think the Apex City is out of this zone but another good choice. I really don't know which one this is and as thereuare says it is a big differential and in my opinion you can get a hotel that you know is ok for that price. You are arriving on a bank holiday weekend and there will be little going on in the "city of London" (the business are - will be dead) but there will be plenty of tourists. Prices for hotels are cheaper at this time and the Apex City can be got for under

Hi We stayed in this hotel a few years back during the London Marathon weekend before I had ever heard of Priceline and we paid well over

I believe you would do better to get a flight into Newark rather than JFK if you are looking to stay in New Jersey. Thereuare will know more about this as he is a local.

An hour flight means getting to the airport an hour or more prior to departure, paying parking and then train or taxi into the hotel when you arrive ( may need 2 if there are 5 of you). It probably takes about 2.5 hours out for an hour flight. If you like driving and there are enough of you to share driving but still be comfortable then I would consider that particularly if cost was an issue. Depending on your plans you may be able to get a better deal on Priceline further from Manhattan if that works. For 2 couples and a teen I would also want 2 rooms. Good luck

Tarmac, It Wimbledon rather than Wimbleton just in case that causes a problem in searching for info. I would suggest that you are not going to get anything near for less than a fortune. Stay somewhere central and take public transport would be my advice. If you don't have them already, I would recommend you get tickets. It is a great place to visit and not too far from Central London. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/4092134.stm Southfields is on the district line. Have a great time! Hope the sun shines on you. Blueskies

You may want to check out the Marriott Courtyard on Upper East side that has been getting v g reviews and is just above the $200 budget if you pay in advance. It is a bit further out but still accessible. You can book this through the travel links on this page. Recommend you read the reviews on Tripadvisor.

Just to get you started we did a three night trip last year to DC (our first time there) and booked the St Gregory Suites direct in the "Dupont Circle" area I believe for 2 adults and 2 kids. We got a AAA rate of below $200 for a suite with a bedroom with 2 Queen beds and a sofa bed in the lounge and a small kitchenette. We did a lot of walking as the metro was a bit away and the weather was good. Nobody going around at the weekend (October). I see that the St Gregory comes up on Hotwire and you may want to consider if you want to try Hotwire for more than 2 occupancy or just the two rooms on Priceline. Depends on your kids ages and level of independence, I suppose. Looking back now we probably would have been able to secure 2 rooms via P/l for a similar price but we were happy to get a hotel with all we needed with good Tripadvisor reviews. we took a taxi to and from the airport and to get back once after a long day walking but otherwise we walked to the sites or took the metro (to Arlington). Hope this helps.

Dougie, you can bid after 24 hours now, no need to wait for 72 hours. If you want to use UK Priceline (due to you being UK based) then you can donate through Paypal to the site in recognition of the assistance you receive. Alternatively you can use the US website and simply insert a USA Zip code of your choice, it does not matter. Obviously this way (US through Savings Barn) does not cost you anything. Blue Skies

1Bob, I have found this problem too. Have you tried travelsupermarket.com or UK sidestep? Londontown is another one I use some times but I think they add on tax or something unlike most other UK sites. Good luck. Blueskies

Hilton used to list a spa but no laundry listed so unsure. Sorry can't be more help. Perhaps a local can help.

Gary, Courtyard - It's part of the Marrriott group, a bit lower grade than a Marriott Hotel but with nice extras like free internet and breakfasts. If you are interested in reading reviews on this property then here is the link to trip advisor - this hotel only opened a few months ago. Very good reviews. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-...y_New_York.html Please remember to use the betterchecker route to support the board. I stayed in the upper west side recently and really enjoyed that area. It is much more residential. I would certainly snap up this deal. Even if you are not sure and want time to think the rate is cancellable, nothing to lose. Good luck. I stayed in a couple of Courtyard brand hotels recently and they were excellent. I don't use 24 hr room service and need a bar and someone to turn down my covers at night so this is great for me - a good clean safe place to rest for the night.

Hi Gary, Have you used the hotel checker link? Looks like you can get the Courtyard on Upper East side (your preferred area) for within your budget ($299 + tax and free breakfast) and its cancellable too. There is a Santa Claus!! Remember to book through the BB travel links. Blueskies

Flowergurl got the Grand Hyatt for $180 on one of your nights if that is any help. Do you mean you want to be anywhere central in Midtown, downtown and Central Park area or do you really mean anywhere including further out? Do you have a back up plan? I am looking for the same dates as you but am waiting it out a while longer with acceptance that my back up is a reasonable option. Good luck

If you keep going down the Hotwire previous wins list after the initial one you will see the following which I think matches. 4* Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Children's Activities, Golf, Business It could be annother one but if you click on the hotwire details you may get a bit more info like the tripadvisor rating. Good luck.

JJ It would be helpful perhaps if you would summarise your current thinking Nights you want to bid for (split/not split) Areas you want to bid in, in order of preference Star level(s) What, if any, of the hotwire offers are you interested in? Did you arrange the back up that GlentheBaker suggested? If not, what was your thinking here? You need to be the one making the decisions and there is a fair bit of research you have to do to get the deal, unless you are really lucky. You also have to understand that there are times when there are no deals out there at least that meet your criteria and in your timescales. This board is more relaxed and we don't have to fill in forms here but you still need to do your homework and make decisions. Hopefully when you reply you will be in a position to bid later today. Good luck.

Do you not see the link at the beginning of this post? Page 1 Post 1

Hi Wishful, There are no real guidelines to give you. Some people tip and some people don't. We live in UK but tend to vacation in USA so we are used to tipping and do so if the service is good but not if it does not meet expectations. Bellmen do hang around and expect a tip especially if you are American. Cabbies and bar staff are also the two obvious others. Tour guides do often ask for contributions, which personally I don't like. I would go with your gut feel. With the Euro now in most of Europe it is now a bit easier for Brits abroad as we have less currencies to cope with. I do remember once my husband tipping someone a ridiculously high amount due to not being used to the currency. Also most of the people in positions receiving tips are likely to not be "locals". Good luck Blueskies

Perhaps if you give us a bit more details about your trip and the hotels you think you are seeing then we can all help by giving you our opinion. Dates? City? Actual persons per room? Price? Single occupancy rooms are certainly available in the UK. Hotwire often has a bank of hotels that it rotates with different search criteria and some times just relates to timing. Good luck

My guess - 3* Hudson Hotel (previously 3.5*) Amenities: Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business (Internet recently added, without same as Novotel (don't know if Novotel has also added Internet icon) but if you are lucky it was be the Novotel ( or could be somewhere completely different from previous wins). Good luck. very good price for that time of year.

If you have a reasonable back up I would check back (i.e. bid) every 7-10 days to see if inventory has opened up. I have not started bidding for an October break to NY nor have I started bids for Thanksgiving trip. NY is a busy place all year round. Might be worth checking out when the January wins last year were placed. That may give an indication of when inventory opens "normally" (if there is such a thing with PL).

Micmac Just for clarity - is the $600 the total price for the 3 nights for a room for 2? You pay Priceline and the trip is not cancellable, you pay up front. That is why your plans need to be firm. If you are one of those people who change their minds or have commitments that can mean you have to change plans often then I would not advise you use priceline. There are posts for new bidders which you should read before you bid. MTW and MTE are pretty popular midtown zones. Is it mid-week or a weekend trip. This can have a bearing on the price. UM/CPS is also pretty central. MTE includes Grand Central area so not far from everything. Inter-Continental The Barclay and Grand Hyatt are a couple of the 4* hotels that come up in MTE. Check out the hotel lists.

I was too slow in posting - Thereuare got there before me. On the shopping questions there is Jersey Gardens (http://www.jerseygardens.com/) and Woodbury Commons (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7). The one in Jersey is nearer than the one in Central Valley and is under cover unlike the Central Valley one, which will be cold in February. Woodbury is a great mall (been there quite a few times) but if you are restricted for time and it is dead of winter I would choose Jersey Gardens. Lots of places to eat, take your pick from http://www.menupages.com/ For iceskating- http://gonyc.about.com/od/iceskatinginnyc/ Do you intend bidding for a hotel on Priceline? If so take a look at the maps part of this website and get an idea of what has been won and you can see dates and successful bid prices for the grade of hotel you would like. The Hotel list gives you enough info to guage which hotels would be acceptable. If you do not wish to bid then please begin your searching through the links that support this site. Hope this helps. Blueskies

What hotel did you win?