Priceline Hotel: Help with bidding for NYC May 1-6

[jem]

Hi there - we are trying to use PRICELINE to get a hotel in NYC from May 1-6th. I've used some of the advice in the forum already about the re-bidding process without success so far. I am hoping you can give me a strategy for bidding. I have a business event to attend in the Flatiron district (14th Ave and 4th street basically), but my daughter and her dad want to sight-see while I'm in my meetings, so assuming I can get to my event easily each day (close subway access), I'd love to be located in a central place so they can walk to see the sights. I've seen the recent Priceline Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins and see that many people have gotten 4* or 3.5* for $145 and under and I would love to stay below that if possible. Can you give me advice about how to bid and the amounts for my best chance of getting my bid accepted? I think I need to start with a clean slate!

Thank you!

[thereuare]

Please start by reading your messages.

Flatiron district (14th Ave and 4th street basically)

If your meeting is in the Flatiron District I don't think this is the correct address... can you confirm the location you want to be near?

... my daughter and her dad want to sight-see while I'm in my meetings...

Will you be three people and only bidding for one room? PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy, after that it's at the discretion of the hotel, and you could receive a room with only one bed. While you can call the hotel you win and request a room with two beds, the hotel may not be able, or willing, to honor your request. Given NYC rooms are typically small, there is a high percentage of rooms which only have one bed and little or no room for a rollaway. As well, rooms with two beds are sometimes considered an upgrade, so the risk of using PRICELINE for more than double occupancy is much higher in NYC vs. other parts of the country. Is this a risk you're willing to accept?

If not, HOTWIRE may still be an option as they allow you to search for up to quad occupancy and ensure sleeping accommodations for everyone you include in your search (although this usually means two beds, the second 'bed' could be a sofabed, rollaway, etc)

I've seen the recent Priceline Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins and see that many people have gotten 4* or 3.5* for $145 and under and I would love to stay below that if possible.

Which zones, star levels, and bids have you already tried and been rejected?

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

[jem]

The event is at the Union Square Ballroom at 27 Union Square West - but I'd rather be in a place where we can walk to see the sights - I can take the subway to my event.

We are willing to accept the risk of only getting one bed.

We actually used the advice you gave to someone else in this forum about re-bidding in NYC - the one where you outlined the zones and "free" zones for rebidding. We followed that pretty closely, except that I varied the amounts we bid (going up in $1 and $2 dollar increments) - See below for specifics

4* MTW, MTE, CPS, ESB, TS, and Chelsea- started at $105 and worked my way to $135 by closing out the browser and using your links as suggested and each time adding the free rezone areas:

Brooklyn, Long Island City, Coney Island, Queensborough Bridge, MSG and Upper West Side.

[thereuare]

HOTWIRE currently has a 3.5* in the MTC zone for $126/nite with Fitness, Restaurant and Internet icons... i'm guessing the Club Quarters or Manhattan Centre Hotel. Would this work for your plans?

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

[jem]

HOTWIRE currently has a 3.5* in the MTC zone for $126/nite with Fitness, Restaurant and Internet icons... i'm guessing the Club Quarters or Manhattan Centre Hotel. Would this work for your plans?

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

Hi there - so sorry for the long delay! I wasn't able to get that deal in Hotwire (it wasn't there when I went to look for it).

I have been studying the forum here carefully and am not sure what to do next. Here is what I have done most recently:

4* MTE, MTW, ESB $165

+ Brooklyn $170

+ Coney Island $175

+ Long Island City $180

+ MSG $185

+ Queensborough $190

+ Upper East Side $210 (jumped up a bit to see if that would get accepted)

All rejected. I've seen hotels in those areas on the calendar of wins for less. I know this is based on demand at the time I bid, so demand must be up now. Should I plan to go higher?

I'd be grateful for your recommendations! Thank you!

[jem]

I was just on Hotwire and found a 4* in Chelsea/MSG for $244/night. The amenities are business center and high-speed internet. Would this likely be the Wyndam Fashion 26 or is there a new 4* hotel in that zone for Hotwire?

[jem]

I was just on Hotwire and found a 4* in Chelsea/MSG for $244/night. The amenities are business center and high-speed internet. Would this likely be the Wyndam Fashion 26 or is there a new 4* hotel in that zone for Hotwire?

[jem]

I just saw another post about this same hotel - sounds like it is NOT the Fashion 26? Has anyone purchased rooms at this mystery hotel yet?

[cousintim]

The Fashion 26 no longer exists. It is now the Hilton Fashion District. The hotel cited is certainly not it.

[AaronJB]

Please keep all posts for this stay within this thread. Unfortunately, this HOTWIRE listing has not yet been ID'd/reported to the board.

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

[thereuare]

Do you need a 4* hotel for this stay... would you take a highly rated 3.5*?

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

[jem]

We would definitely take a highly rated 3.5* - we just want close proximity to the subway, great central location, comfortable beds and a quiet experience while sleeping. We'd love something as clean and updated as possible, but we really won't be spending that much time in the room.

[thereuare]

At the 3.5* level HOTWIRE has:

3.5* Chelsea-MSG Zone

Fitness, Restaurant, Business, Internet

85% recommended / 4.0 Tripadvisor Rating

Price: $198/nite

3.5* Midtown Central

Fitness, Restaurant, Internet

95% recommended / 4.0 Tripadvisor Rating

Price: $216/nite

The Chelsea propertymatches previous reportes for the Doubletree Chelsea so that would be my best guess for this one, although i'll add that we don't see this property too often and these amenities are common for NYC, so you should also be prepared for the possibility for something different, although i only add this comment since we don't see this Doubletree won too often.

The MTC property matches both the Club Quarters and the Manhattan Centre hotel so either of these would be my best guess for this one. I'd slightly favor this one being the Manhattan Centre property, but you should be prepared for either (or always a chance some other property given the limited, and common, amenities showing... but seems 'safe' given the TA rating and recommendation percent by previous users)

Do either of these work for your needs?

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

[jem]

Thanks for the info - I have been watching HOTWIRE (via the links from this site) constantly for three days and don't see those deals. Am I missing something?

Also, I'm not totally jazzed about the possibility of the Doubletree because some of the reviews I have read are less than stellar for recent stays. But if you can help me find those deals, I may go for the MTC deal. If not, what strategy would you recommend on Priceline? Thanks for all your advice and assistance!

[thereuare]

I see both of the above on a current HOTWIRE search... if you don't see them, to confirm you're searching for 1room/2adults/0children for 5/1-5/6?

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

[jem]

Just to follow up, we never had any luck getting a room via bidding (a first!) despite repeated efforts. So we ended up reserving a room directly with the Hilton Fashion District for $240ish a night (which was less than we were bidding on Priceline). They were having a deal due to a grand reopening of the hotel.

[thereuare]

Thank you for closing this thread with your decision.

For the future, please note from our Support Page that we are an affiliate of the Hilton as well as most other major hotel chains and online booking agencies, please check for and use the links in the Support Page for your future hotel direct purchases.

Thanks. Hope you enjoyed your stay.