Priceline Hotel: New York City, 6/9/11-6/13/11

[samuellaw178]

Hi,

I am a student (which means budget!haha :) ) and my girlfriend is going to come visit me in US in the summer. :) I plan to stay with her in NYC for visiting a few days after our landing in JFK. So, I am trying to get a not-so-shabby hotel with a budget of around $300 (less would be better!) from June 9th till June 13th.

This is my first time ever using the priceline.com bidding system. I've done some searching and reading around and still ain't sure how to get a decent room within budget. So, my questions are:

i) Is $300 reasonable price for 4 nights in a 3* hotel? This translates to about $60 per night (excluding taxes) if that helps. If not, what is the reasonable price that I am expecting to pay?The system says the average price is ~$219

ii) Would 2/2.5 star hotel be day-and-night difference with a 3 star hotel? I just needed place to stay with not too cheap-ish looking room.

iv) Would it be advisable to get a cheaper rate by staying in the neighbourhood (Brooklyn etc)? I am from Pennsylvania so ain't really familiar with NYC.

v) Is the chance of getting my bid accepted higher when it's closer to the date?I've tried $62 for 3* hotel but had been unsuccessful. Should I lower the requirement to a 2/2.5 star hotel?

My preference:

i) A personal room for 2 (not shared dorms etc..)

ii) Close to NYC or subway (we have no car)

iii) Within budget (around $300)

iv) Decent room to stay for 4 nights (hopefully will get a nice overall experience and impression of NYC)

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

I don't think you're in the right ballpark... at the moment, for a 3* hotel in NYC this time of year, you're likely looking at least $100+, perhaps substantially more.

We don't typically recommend less then 3* in NYC as the quality of hotels, especially at the lower star ratings, can vary substantially. While there might be some 3*hotel which meet your needs, there may be others which do not, and with PRICELINE / HOTWIRE you can't choose which type you will get.

Staying outside the city is an option, but 1) your budget is still probably on the low end of the generally accepted range and 2) you lose much of the 'vibe' of NYC which it part of what makes it such a special place. It's certainly do-able, but as it's your first time in Manhattan, you should try to stay directly in Manhattan if at all possible.

As far as if prices will be lower closer to your travel dates, see the 'Bid Early or Close to Check-in' link in our PRICELINE FAQ, but realize that prices could go even higher then they currently are while you continue to hope that they come down, and that coming down to the $60 area is not very likely.

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

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

[Romelle]

You might consider staying that first night in a JFK hotel. While it varies, sometimes they can be pretty reasonable. There is inexpensive city bus downtown, and it would give you a bit of tour on the way.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/117820198.html is a nice article on the youth hostels in NYC. Some of them are really not too bad and you might meet some interesting people at them. Maybe a night or two in one of those and then blow the saved money on a night or two in a more expensive downtown actual hotel?

Romelle