Priceline Hotel: Meadowlands - Rutherford 5/25-26

[jstar]

Don't know if anyone will be able to help me out here, but it is worth a shot...

My parents are coming out for my college graduation at Continental arena on May 26. They tend to get lost if they have to drive too far in Jersey, so I wanted to get something close to the meadowlands area. (To clarify, the hotel is for the night of May 25, a Weds. night.)

I have checked regular hotel booking sites, all rooms in the meadowlands area run around $100/night. Lowest I think I've found is Homestead suites for $88/night.

Here's the problem: My parents would much rather stay in the Carlsdat Hampton Inn (They've stayed there before, we're happy with it and like the free full breakfast.) It's running about $100/night.

I'd like to know if anyone thinks it will be possible to get a nice hotel in the Meadowlands area for $70 or less, including taxes and priceline fees? Thus far, I tried $40 for a 3* and 2.5* in Meadowlands - Rutherford only, both failed. Because its going to take some convincing of my parents to take a shot with Priceline again, I'm trying to feel out about how much Meadowlands area hotels go for before bringing it up to them.

Also, Secaucus-North Bergen looks close on the map. However, are there hotels in this zone where you have to pay for parking? If so, I don't want to risk bidding in that zone. From prior posts, it seems as if most hotels in Meadowlands - Rutherford have free parking, is this correct?

[jstar]

Looks as if the 3.5* Crowne Plaza is going for $83 on Hotwire, based on matching with the Hotwire hotel list. I'd like to go a little lower, if possible.

[dahammer]

You still have time, I would make a cancellable backup reservation (you can do this by clicking the travel links to support better bidding above) at the Carlstadt Hampton Inn through the Hilton website. You might be able to get the 3* Crown Plaza in Secaucus-North Bergen zone for around $60 on Priceline, but your date of travel is a Wednesday night, a busy night for business travellers. The Secaucus Courtyard is rated as a 2.5* as is the Amerisuites. Hotwire is also an option, but the rates are in the $80-90 range. You can access both Priceline and Hotwire through savingsbarn.com

In the Meadowlands-Rutherford zone, there is a nice 2.5* Marriott Courtyard in Lyndhurst that I have won for $62. I have yet to pay for parking in either of these zones.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

dahammer gives good advice...

Book a back-up (ie- refundable) reservation at the HAMPTON INN (please use this link to do so).

The above actually comes to $110 after taxes are taken into consideration, so the Crowne Plaza thru HOTWIRE not only gives them a nicer hotel (based upon star quality) but is a few dollars less (although not the sub-$70 "all-in" you're looking for). You can also save an extra $10/nite if you are a new HOTWIRE customer by using the code GIFTCARD06 at check-out, making this an even better deal.

You can figure out your best rate on hotwire and then if you're parent's are convinced to give it a try we can suggest a strategy to try to beat it by using priceline (but your $40 bid for a 3* hotel is not realistic).