Priceline Hotel: Need help bidding for 5/7-5/12

[melliemel]

I am a first time visitor to NY and looking to stay near Times sqaure from 5/7-5/12/11. I would prefer to keep my budget under 175/night. I am open to staying in MTW/MTE/TS/CPS hoping to stay above 3.5*, but 3* would be acceptable. It is just me and my boyfriend, so we dont need a ton of space, but I am a little leary of rooms described as really small by NY standards. I understand its a big city and space will be small, so unless our luggage wont fit in the room I should be ok. I am also ok with up to 15 minute walk to subway as long as the area is safe.

So far I have been bidding the past few days but havent had any success with $175 for 4* MTW/TS. I also tried up to $140 for 3.5* in MTW/TS. is this unrealistic for the dates? Also does 5 nights make it harder to win a bid? Any help is appreciated.

[thereuare]

This is an expensive time of year in NYC, but i think you should be able to get something within your budget. However, few questions before advising further...

You mention that MTW/MTE/TS/CPS are all acceptable but thus far have only bid MTW and TS... is this correct? If so, how come?

While i do think you'll be able to get something in midtown within your budget, i think the best 'bang for your buck' at the moment is going to be in Downtown. While downtown is a little 'off' from being centrally located, it's certainly do-able, especially for the right price. At the moment i think you can get something there for $115 or less, if you're willing to give up a little convenience in exchange for the savings.

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

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

[melliemel]

I have put in some bids in MTE and CPS as well, but no luck so far.

MTE 4* - 125

MTE 3.5* - 130

CPS 4* - 135

We didnt want to stay in downtown, since we thought there wouldnt be much going on there at night. would it be hard to get back to this area from midtown late at night?

[thereuare]

would it be hard to get back to this area from midtown late at night?

Depends what you consider to be 'hard' and how you define 'late at nite'...

Nothing within Manhattan is really that hard... it just may cost some money :) For example, subways are ~$2.25 per ride (unlimited metrocards are available) and i recommend users take the subways as they're usually the quickest way to travel. However, for those not local to the area, it's probably best not to take them after 10pm/11pm or so... chances are very high there will be no problems, but you're on vacation, so don't go looking for trouble either. Depending upon where you are in midtown, taxi back to Downtown can run ~$15-$25 (but remember you're savings nearly $60/nite on the room by staying downtown).

Also, i think you can bid better then you just did above, as your most recent bidding risks an overbid at the 3.5* level in the MTE zone (see If You Lower Your Star Rating then Lower Your Bid Price) so i'd first think about exactly what it is you want from this stay, get a systematic strategy, and implement it... i think you have better options then the last bids you made above.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your bidding.

[melliemel]

Yeah, I also thought that I could probably do better, but i started lowballing on sunday, and each day have worked my way up to the bids I listed above. The bidding process is causing some anxiety :-) and now each time i bid, i started to expect not to win. Which is why I reached out for an opinion on the dates and what to bid. the idea was to use priceline to score a good deal, but the process is starting to take up more time than I thought it would. I have used priceline a few times before with success but this time is not as easy.

[thereuare]

I'm certain we can help and make the process a bit easier and less anxious for you, but i think part of the problem is that you really haven't figured out what what you want from this stay... zones and star ratings keep changing. I'd recommend taking one step backwards so you can take 3-4 steps forward.

Based upon what i'm currently seeing, Downtown is going to offer the best bang for your buck, with HOTWIRE offering a 3.5* propery for $113/nite. If you feel this is not convenient enough for you...

At the 4* level you may be able to get something near the top end of your range, and MTE, MTW, CPS, TS and ESB all typically work well for the average user.

I don't think a 3.5* will save you much money over a 4*, maybe $10-$15/nite, so it's up to you whether you would want to first try for the higher rated hotel at a few dollars more than a 3.5* might cost... or the $10/$15 savings is more worthwhile to you. At the 3.5* level popular zones are: MTW, TS and MSG. MTE if you're ok with a potential 15 minute walk to the subway... CPS if you're ok with the very small rooms at the Hudson Hotel. ESB is fine too although we don't see many 3.5* wins in this zone.

Some of the 3* properties begin to get less favorable reviews based upon room size, comfort, etc. but if you really just have basic needs, might work for your needs, if not a place you're looking forward to returning to at the end of a long day. A 3* might be had for the $135-$145 in one of the midtown zones.

Based upon the above what are your thoughts?

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