Priceline Hotel: Advice - NYC 3-Nights around $500?

[Twocifer]

First off... what a great site! I've never used "Name Your Own Price" on Priceline, but having read through these posts for over an hour, I'm getting more confident to do so. However, I'm still new at this, and also have never visited NYC.

Visiting near the end of September for leisure for 3-nights (9/22 - 9/25). Would love to stay in the TS, MTW, MTE, and ESB areas (in that order). Also open to MSG. Close proximity (5-10 mins) to subway is preferable. Heard good things about SoHo, UWS, and UES, but I have a feeling those areas are a bit further out than we want to be.

Budget-wise, I'd love to be under $500... but I know realistically, with it being September, that might be a pipe dream. I concede that a $200/night is probably around my max.

I saw a post below where someone got a room at the Fairfield Inn (Mariott) for $87. I know that was a 2* but that would be perfect for us... both in location and price. We don't plan on spending much time in our room... we just need a bed big enough (we're tall) and a private bathroom (almost booked a 2* hotel at $158/night off of Hotels.com... found out it was a shared bathroom... no way!!).

So, I'm not opposed to trying to get a 4* at $200/night, but a 2* comparable to the Fairfield Inn at $100 - $150/night would be stellar! A decent 3* - 3.5* is acceptable as well. Would I have to modify thereuare's bidding strategy that he's posted (with the re-bid steps)? Should I just start with 4* or should I start with 2* (hoping to land the Fairfield)?

Hopefully I don't sound too naive... had a bit of a reality check when I realized that our lodging was going to cost almost twice as much than our flights out of tiny-midwestern-regional airport (which is always more expensive than flying out of Chicago, St. Louis, or Indianapolis). Any help will greatly be appreciated.

Two

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Based upon current prices I think your budget is going to be tough at any of star level and prices above... but we can give it a try.

However, a few items to cover first...

When bidding less than 4* in the MTE zone there are a few hotels which are a bit further than a 5-10 minute walk to the subway (as one example, see the location of the Millenium UN which is about a 15 minute walk to the subway... would this be acceptable?)

The 'problem' with bidding for a 2* Fairfield Inn is that while this 2* property may be acceptable and meet your needs, there may be other 2* properties which do not, and with PRICELINE you can't choose which type you will get :)

Which airport do you fly in/out of and what time to you arrive/depart?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Let us know the above and we'll take it from there.