Priceline Hotel: 3.5* NYC (MTE) Hilton Manhattan East

[MCROttawa]

Hi folks - I am a new Priceline user and booking a hotel for the first time in NYC.

I am looking for a double occupancy room for myself and my 65 year old mother in NYC from May 19th to 22nd. Maximum budget is $200 but I was hoping more for about $150.

Prices are more expensive on that weekend than I was hoping for - on Hotwire I could get a 4* in Downtown-SoHo for $195. Can I beat this price on Priceline?

Just to get a feel for the system I tried one 4* bid of $120 for MTW, MTE, CPS, TS and ESB. Bid of $120 was rejected. I have read the re-bidding guidelines but nervous about how to go about changing star rating or area, etc.

Essentially we are flexible on area and star ratings as long as it is relatively central and clean and well-maintained. My mother is fit so 15 mins or so distance from subway should not be a problem. I am not keen on TS area as I have stayed there before. I have seen the posts about not using 3.5* in CPS area so as to avoid small rooms at Hudson. Should I stick with 4* and try other areas (and/or increase budget) or should I go down to 3.5* and exclude CPS (and maybe other areas too?).

Help please!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

PRICELINE is usually a little cheaper then HOTWIRE, but HOTWIRE gives you the ability to take a guess as to the property you may receive before your purchase as well as know the amenities the hotel offers, so it's a bit of a trade-off between price and having an idea of the hotel/amenities that you will receive. Which is best for a given stay depends upon your needs (and budget) for that particular stay

Also, the HOTWIRE hotel you mention is located Downtown, but you also mention wanting to be centrally located (and it appears your lowball $120 PRICELINE offer was only for midtown locations). Downtown is certainly do-able, especially for the right price, but it is somewhat less convenient then staying in Midtown (for the average user)... so again, it depends what is most important to you for this stay.

I have read the re-bidding guidelines but nervous about how to go about changing star rating or area, etc.

Have you identified your SIX re-bid zones at the 4* level... or your FOUR re-bid zones at the 3.5* level? If so, and you decide to move forward with PRICELINE, we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow. If you've read the Priceline Re-Bidding Explained thread and are confused as to which zones are your re-bid zones, just post back and we'll break it down further for you.

I am not keen on TS area as I have stayed there before.

... but you included this in your bidding above, do you want to include zone going forward?

Should I stick with 4* and try other areas (and/or increase budget) or should I go down to 3.5* and exclude CPS (and maybe other areas too?).

Again, really depends upon your needs for this stay and what you (and your mom) typically look for from your hotel stays.

Let us know your thoughts/comments 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.

[MCROttawa]

Thank you - I think I finally understand the re-bidding process a bit better. I identified the six 4* re-bid zones and the four 3.5* re-bid zones. I have made three more bids of $130, $140, and $150 for 4* hotels adding one of the six re-bid zones each time. I excluded TS this time around. All have been rejected but I understand this is still low-ball price for this time of year.

Before I move on, I've given it some more thought and think I would like to try to find something within the mid-town location. If I go down to 3.5*, should I only exclude CPS from my desired area?

I don't know NYC very well. If I decide to branch out beyond the mid-town locations (for either 3.5* or 4*) what are my next best areas to include in terms of convenient location?

Thanks!

[thereuare]

If I go down to 3.5*, should I only exclude CPS from my desired area?

How would you feel about a hotel which is a 15 minute walk to the subway? If that would not be acceptable then i would exclude MTE from the bidding.

As well, i'd look at the MSG zone as one to include at the 3.5* level.

If you let us know which zones are acceptable we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow... but i'll add that at current prices $150 is looking tough at the moment.

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

[MCROttawa]

I got the Hilton Manhattan East for $160.00 for the dates I require. Thanks for your assistance!

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Very nice deal for this recently renovated property.

Thank you for sharing your win and please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

Enjoy your stay.