Priceline Hotel: need help for bidding 9/17-9/19. advice needed badly

[burgerkine]

i'm going to the city wit my gf on 17-19.

date is flexible.

my budget is $120 a night, and i want a room at least 3*

preferrably MTE, but i dont mind going to CPS, MTW, ESB, MSG, or TimeSquare are.

please give me some advice!

Oh btw $120 not counting tax.

upto $160/night is my limit

[burgerkine]

I'm planning on going to the city wit my girl on 17,18,19.

i was thinking about $120/night + tax as my limit

but i think i was being unreasonable.

i raised my limit to about $150/night + tax. $190 total/night.

the hotel has to be 3* or above, and it needs to be in one of these zones : MTE, MTW, TS, ESB, MSG, CPS.

PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE :)

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

Please keep all posts regarding this stay within this thread. September (and October/November/1st half of Dec) are an extremely expensive time in NYC. What have you bid for/up to so far?

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[thereuare]

Assuming you have already bid up to $150... i think you're going to have to bid even higher for a 3* hotel in one of these zones. Based upon current prices, the +/- ~$200 ballpark is probably more realistic for a hotel in one of the zones you mentioned. What is the best rate you're able to find at an acceptable hotel thru conventional booking channels?

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

[burgerkine]

NO i havent raised my bid upto 150 yet.

i've only went upto 100 cuz i still hav some time, and i wanted to hear advices.

and 190 or 200 TOTAL is my max.

any strategy to win this bid?

and would it cheaper to go on 10th-12th of september?

[thereuare]

The dates of 9/10-9/12 appear to be a little better, hardly an 'easy win', but i think you stand a better chance for these dates vs. 9/17-9/19.

Also, note that since you're bidding MTE at less then 4*, the Millenium UN is a possible outcome... while a 'fine' hotel which typicaly gets good reviews, it's about a 15 minute walk to the subway, which is fine for some but not fine for others. As well, note in the CPS you could also land the Hudson, which has notoriously small rooms. Just making sure that you're fine with the possibility of either of these before including these zones in your bidding strategy.

Are you able to bid now for this alternate set of dates? Are you willing to bid up to your limit at this point in time?

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

[burgerkine]

well i'm still looking how price changes,,,

i'll probably bid upto my limit at the last minute.

oh and i added chelsea area as part of my zones.

Would that make the price any lower?

[thereuare]

well i'm still looking how price changes,,,

i'll probably bid upto my limit at the last minute.

If you think you'll do better by waiting then by all means do so, but i don't recommend it for this time of year. Rates for this time of year are typically higher then your maximum bid, so that if you were successful now (and i think you have a chance at being successful), the likelihood of rates moving higher from here would be greater then them heading lower, imo.

oh and i added chelsea area as part of my zones.

Would that make the price any lower?

Any time you add a zone which is acceptable it can only help your cause as you give more hotels the ability to accept your bid, but as per my comments above i think your maximum bid is already at the low end of the expected range, and if you are successful i would guess it's near your maximum bid (but of course we would star lower)

Let us know once you're ready to begin bidding up to/close to your maximum and we'll see current rates at that time and suggest a strategy to follow.

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

[burgerkine]

wat do you think about bidding on the day before my trip?

wat i think is that if hotels have empty rooms at the very last minute,

they will try to sell them in a row prices.

am i wrong...?

[thereuare]

The above is your view point, the hotel's is likely different, and more along the lines of: This guest needs a hotel room and hasn't booked yet, just how much shopping around are they doing this last minute??

More in depth and analytical then the statement above, how much incremental business will the hotel actually get by lowering rates the last day... very little i would imagine, as most guests would likely already have their plans in place. As well, while this is the only hotel nite(s) you're likely focused on for the next few months, the hotel is looking at rates throughout the next year (or more)... they're more concerned about adjusting rates for the next few months, where increasing/decreasing will actually effect demand, revenue, and their bottomline... then hoping to get the last minute straggler or two in the door at a rock bottom rate.

2-3 weeks out the hotel already has a very good guestimate of how many empty rooms they're likely to have a on a given nite, and have already adjusted their rates accordingly. (some exceptions may apply :) )

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

[burgerkine]

okay here i am with a new plan.

i havent bid on hotels at all.

i'm watching prices of other hotels that ppl got.

now i want to book a hotel from 2.5* to 4*.

my maximum budget is 200/night overall.. which means 170/night not including tax&fees.

I'm interested in Chealsea area, Midtown East, Central Park South, Midtown West, Empire State Building area, Madison Square Garden.

Basically all the midtown area.

And yes i dont mind if it is millenium UN, or Hudson.

Please teach me all the steps of bidding process.

oh my plan is quite reasonable right?

Thank you

[AaronJB]

If people are getting hotels for different dates than your own, then it doesn't reflect what it may take to win a hotel for your dates - rates can vary significantly from day-to-day, especially in a city like NYC.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[burgerkine]

well okay i get that. but is my price reasonable for my dates?

[thereuare]

well okay i get that. but is my price reasonable for my dates?

Reasonable?... YES

Assured of a win at this price??... absolutely NOT

Your price is reasonable in the sense that it is not outlandishly low, but rates are high enough for these dates that it would not surprise me at all if it took more than a $170 bid to be successful.

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

[burgerkine]

ohhh. okay.

can u give me a guideline that i can follow on when i'm bidding?

[thereuare]

Are you ready to start bidding now with a maximum bid of ~$170/nite?

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

[burgerkine]

yesss i am. I'm willing to bid on from now on..

Wish u can give me a step by step strategy i can follow. :)

[thereuare]

Which set of dates did you decide upon, 9/10-9/12 or 9/17-9/19.

Also, are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel? Did you want to try for a 3* (or 3.5* first if appropriate once i know your dates and check rates) OR is your goal the least expensive 2.5* or better for this stay?

Let us know the above and we'll be able to suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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