Priceline Hotel: Please help: 11 Nights in NYC

[nelga]

Hi there,

I'm making the agonising decision about priceline vs. regular rates. I have a big trip planned for NYC - Taking my girlfriend out of the country for the first time (Australia), so the pressures on not to get a bad hotel.

I'll probably opt for 4*, but was wondering if I could please get some help with what I might get. I'll be booking from August 11 to August 22.

For tourists / things to see & do, is Times Square the best district to opt for? Or are the chances of getting a better hotel in another nearby district better?

I was hoping to start bidding at 140? and then work my way up... Really would like to keep it below 180 (200 tops).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

A number of thoughts:

1. Regular rate, there's unfortunately not much in the way of options, although there are some 4*/3.5* options just above your budget level around $235-250+

2. Times Square is probably the most popular area, but it is also the most expensive and crowded/hectic. MTE and other nearby Midtown zones are a reasonable trek from Times Square and often cheaper and less busy.

3. When bidding on PRICELINE, you have to be willing to accept any hotels within the specifics of your bid. For example, if you select "4* Times Square", you have to be willing to accept ANY of the 4*'s in that zone. With HOTWIRE, you can make an educated guess as to which hotels may be showing based upon the information given, but HOTWIRE is often at least moderately more expensive. When searching on HOTWIRE for these dates, are there any listings of interest?

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

[thereuare]

I'm making the agonising decision about priceline vs. regular rates.

Have you found anything at 'regular rates' which meets your criteria?

I'll probably opt for 4*, but was wondering if I could please get some help with what I might get. I'll be booking from August 11 to August 22.

You can see the Priceline Hotel List for hotels reported to the board in each zone and star levels.

For tourists / things to see & do, is Times Square the best district to opt for? Or are the chances of getting a better hotel in another nearby district better?

Within your budget you're likely going to need to include other zones to improve your chances. At the 4* level, MTE, MTW, TS, CPS and ESB all typically work well for the average user and are centrally located.

I was hoping to start bidding at 140? and then work my way up... Really would like to keep it below 180 (200 tops).

Let us know once you decide you're ready to commit to bidding, and the zone(s) you're willing to accept, and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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