Priceline Hotel: Looking for inexpensive options at an expensive time

[daffyd]

Flights were booked a while back and apparently New York accommodation prices don't want to cooperate!

Arrive in Newark (after about 24 hours in transit) on the evening of December 7 and am looking for options for 2 or three nights, to acclimatize myself to the timezone and spend a little time in Manhattan. I'll be back in the city staying around midtown the following week so it doesn't need to be convenient to everywhere, just somewhere :) Probably prefer 2 nights - my only concern is if I want to spend the day in Manhattan on the Friday before visiting friends further afield for the weekend then I probably won't want to go back to Brooklyn to pick up my luggage (Has anyone used Schwartz Travel's luggage storage near Penn station, or similar services before?)

Prefer to pay less than around $120 per night before taxes. My best conventional option at the moment is The Jane, which is less private than 3*+ bookings I'd make on priceline/hotwire, with its shared bathrooms. Even hotwire isn't showing anything below $226 per night in the usual midtown-ish areas for 3*+. Jersey City 4* showing around $200 on HOTWIRE so don't expect any joy there either.

I've been perfectly happy with Jersey City, UES, LES, UWS on previous stays in the city and am comfortable with the subway system. Never thought of Brooklyn before but I see HOTWIRE has a 4* in Brooklyn with Restaurant, Fitness, Internet amenities for $127 p.n. I would guess this is the Sheraton, which isn't far from the subway. Am I right in thinking that it would be 15 - 20 minutes to midtown, less to downtown? This (or bidding a little less on PRICELINE through the board's link) could be a decent compromise but I'd appreciate any other ideas.

Thanks,

David

[daffyd]

Just to make sure (expecting no risk of success :) ), I've bid up to $120 for 3* in

Central Park South

Chelsea Area

Downtown - SoHo - Financial District

Empire State Building Area

Madison Square Garden - Convention Area

Midtown East

Midtown West

Times Square - Theatre District

Upper East Side

Upper West Side

and 4* in Jersey City

[thereuare]

From the Sheraton Brooklyn you're probably looking closer to 30 minutes to midtown.

Given your rejections above, what are your current thoughts?

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

[daffyd]

I'm inclined to try Brooklyn. since I will have just arrived after a long flight, it's likely I'll spend more time in my room and appreciate quiet and privacy more than I ordinarily would. so the Jane or the pod would probably not be in my best interest. It seems unlikely Manhattan prices will drop to my preferred level at that time of year. And Brooklyn be as good or better from a public transport perspective than most nj options at my price point, right?

Given this and others' past bids, in the absence of any magical new options, plan to try 4* Brooklyn from $90-$120.

Appreciate any magical new options :) Failing that, wish me luck!

Regards,

David

[thereuare]

I agree, i would be surprised to see hotels at the star ratings you're bdding in Manhattan or the Hoboken to come down to the $120 area for your dates.

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

Let us know how the Brooklyn bidding goes or if we can be of further help.

[daffyd]

Thanks for the advice.

Bid $90

Rebid $95 (well, added an area - if I won in MTE I didn't really mind :) )

Rebid $99

Rebid $105

Rebid $110

Success...

Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel, as we'd all expect.

Seems like a good deal for the NY area on these dates to me.

I booked using the PRICELINE link on the board.

Am I best off taking the airtrain into manhattan (penn station) and a cab to the hotel from there? The train into the city seems pretty quick but I'm not sure I'd want to subway then walk from the station in brooklyn at 10pm-ish after 24 hours in transit!

Regards,

David

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success... glad to see you received the hotel you were hoping for.

I would probably just take a taxi from the airport... your total cost (airtrain + taxi) vs (taxi direct) shouldn't be too much difference.

The hotel's website lists the fare as:

JFK --> Hotel $45

Penn Station --> $25 (then add) $12 for airtrain = $37

For less then $10 i'd save the time and hassle, especially after a long flight.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.