Hotwire Hotel: 3* NYC (Chelsea-MSG) Holiday Inn Express Madison Square Garden

[oceanb]

Good day,

I am visiting NYC on 16-19 Sep and I got very less experience on bidding on PRICELINE. I want to stay anywhere at manhattan where public transport is easily access. I willing to pay up to $180 - $200 on 3* to 4*.

Please help.

[Verbat]

I won a 4* hotel thru priceline in midtown east for $135 this coming weekend, i'm sure that for your dates you can have the same or even better price.

[thereuare]

...i'm sure that for your dates you can have the same or even better price.

I don't think so... rates for the OP's dates are higher then for your weekend.

oceanb,

Are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel or are you looking for the least expensive 3* or better for this stay? Is a 15 minute walk to the subway considered 'close enough'? If you look at the PRICELINE map/zones, UES and UWS go pretty far north and may not be as convenient as other midtown locations, are these areas acceptable? What about Downtown (which similarly is a bit 'out of the way' but still do-able for the right price, imo)

Let us know exactly which zone(s) you're willing to accept, by PRICELINE name, as well as the info regarding bidding higher for a higher rated hotel vs. least expensive 3* or better and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[oceanb]

I guess $200 will be max but i am open to any suggestion. And also, why is my date more expensive?

[Verbat]

I'm not sure what OP's mean but he has the same days as i do + her has a sunday that i didnt.

Just by checking websites like Expedia / Orbitz/Kayak you can see that those days you can book nice hotels for a little less than $300 so i am almost sure that by using PRICELINE you can get great prices like i did.

[oceanb]

I tried but no luck. I bid $150 for MTE on 3.5* still failed.

[thereuare]

I'm not sure what OP's mean but he has the same days as i do + her has a sunday that i didnt.

Your dates are 9/9/10-9/11/10 whereas the this thread is for 9/16-9/19 (one week later)

OP = original poster (ie- thread starter)

oceanb,

Are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel or are you looking for the least expensive 3* or better for this stay? Is a 15 minute walk to the subway considered 'close enough'? If you look at the PRICELINE map/zones, UES and UWS go pretty far north and may not be as convenient as other midtown locations, are these areas acceptable? What about Downtown (which similarly is a bit 'out of the way' but still do-able for the right price, imo)

Let us know exactly which zone(s) you're willing to accept, by PRICELINE name, as well as the info regarding bidding higher for a higher rated hotel vs. least expensive 3* or better and we'll advise accordingly.

???

[oceanb]

that's something i don't understand. why is one week making so much different? so does it mean that i should wait until this weekend then start booking?

[thereuare]

Rates are date specific based upon supply/demand... there could be a conference in the city, a wedding party at the hotel, or any other number of reasons why rates go up/down from one day to the next... but it all comes down to supply/demand.

If you'd like help with this stay please let us the know the information asked in the quote box of my previous post above.

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

[oceanb]

I guess $200 will be max but i am open to any suggestion. And also, why is my date more expensive? and yes, i am looking for at least 3*. 15minute walking is ok.

if it take less than an hour for public transport to reach downtown, i also don't mind to stay out of manhanttan

[Verbat]

thereuare - correct me if i'm wrong but the closer to your date that you make the bidding the bigger your chance to get a better price? Simply because if the hotel has empty rooms on those days in few days then they have less chance of booking it and you will get a better price comparing to if they still have a week or more to book the rooms in a normal rate?!

oceanb - check your dates on the internet and see if they really have some kind of a convention or something else big in NY, if not i would wait until the same week of traveling and then make the bid.

What i do is start with 4* hotels first up to my $$ limit and then go back and try 3.5*. I'm sure you will be able to find something for $200.

[oceanb]

i am just afraid end up no place to stay. lol

[AaronJB]

thereuare - correct me if i'm wrong but the closer to your date that you make the bidding the bigger your chance to get a better price? Simply because if the hotel has empty rooms on those days in few days then they have less chance of booking it and you will get a better price comparing to if they still have a week or more to book the rooms in a normal rate?!

Not necessarily. If properties are busy, prices could continue to head higher or stay high if hotels are expecting walk-ins. NYC is quite expensive during the majority of Fall and early Winter, with only a few patches of slower periods. Rates vary significantly by dates, and mid-late September (and then through most of the remainder of the year) is more expensive than early Sept.

[thereuare]

I guess $200 will be max but i am open to any suggestion. And also, why is my date more expensive?

There are so many things happening in NYC at any given time it's often hard to determine exactly why one set of dates are more expensive then another, and it's really not important why rates are higher (your dates aren't that high for this time of year), but rather that you take note of how strong/weak demand is for your particular dates, which is reflected in hotel direct rates.

if it take less than an hour for public transport to reach downtown, i also don't mind to stay out of manhanttan

You're really opening this up and you need to determine what you're looking for from this stay... you might be able to get something in Manhattan for $200 or less, which would likely be the most convenient and provide the best experience, giving you flexibility to come/go as you please and return the room during the day to freshen up, rest, drop of bags, etc... whereas you could stay outside of Manhattan for ~$100/nite but commute to the city and for the most part stay there for the day as well as lose a lot of flexibility and some of the 'buzz' that makes NYC what it is.

Have you been to NYC before? (and if so do you travel here frequently) Which airport do you fly in to? Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option?

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

[oceanb]

Splitting definitely not an option to me. I have not been to NYC. I will be landing at LaGuardia Airport. I don't get what you mean by this "you might be able to get something in Manhattan for $200 or less". how?

[thereuare]

I don't get what you mean by this "you might be able to get something in Manhattan for $200 or less". how?

So far you have only bid the 3.5* level up to $150, correct? Well perhaps there is a hotel at the 3* level (which your topic title suggests you're willing to accept) at $200 or less... you don't know until you try. :)

As well, if SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID was an option, for the last 2 nites of your stay you could get what is believed to be the Embassy Suites Downtown for $188/nite... then for the first nite a 4* MTC property for $205/nite... bringing your average room rate to under $200/nite.

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

[oceanb]

thanks for your help, i manage to book a hotel through HOTWIRE. Manage to get 3* Holiday Inn Express New York City Madison Square Garden at $137 per night.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Looks like a very nice deal for this time of year for this property which typically gets very good reviews.

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the amenities shown before your purchase... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[oceanb]

Amenities

-Complimentary Breakfast

-Fitness Center

-Business Center

-High-speed Internet Access

[AaronJB]

Thank you for the follow-up.