Priceline Hotel: Best option for 4 women with slightly different travel dates?

[cocolexy]

Hi everyone,

I have used Priceline a few times over the past year after a tip from a fellow travel addict, and have just discovered this fabulous forum. I was hoping you might be able to help with some advice on an upcoming trip to New York.

I am traveling to New York from Australia with my sister from 26th Sep-2nd Oct. Two of my good friends (who don't know each other) are flying in from Europe to meet us there and will join us from 27th Sep-2nd Oct. Given my two friends don't know each other, I'd prefer to find accommodation which doesn't involve a sofa bed (nothing like being cosy with a stranger!), but wasn't sure if there was any chance of obtaining a two bedroom suite via this route. I've had a look at Hotwire and there are hotels appearing for 4 people in 1 room, but I am assuming this option would involve a sofa bed. Would anyone be able to validate this for me?

Secondly, if we end up booking two hotel rooms is there any way of booking them separately given my friends arrive a day later and still guaranteeing we end up in the same hotel? Otherwise I was thinking we might just be better off booking two rooms for five nights and leaving one empty for a night?

I would love to keep the budget under $100 a night, and if there's any chance of getting a 4* hotel somewhere in Manhattan it would be great. Given all the above, would you have any recommendations as to whether Hotwire or Priceline is the better bet?

Thanks so much for your help, and I look forward to being a regular forum contributor (and using the links on here to book!).

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

...there are hotels appearing for 4 people in 1 room, but I am assuming this option would involve a sofa bed. Would anyone be able to validate this for me?

There is no way to know... all that is guaranteed is that the room will accommodate the number of guests you include in your search. This could be 2 beds, or it could be one bed + sofabed, one bed + rollaway, etc. Sometimes HOTWIRE will show a 'Bed Option' which will enable you to pay a little more to secure the room configuration you would like, but this feature does not appear for most hotels (and in fact is far and few between)

Secondly, if we end up booking two hotel rooms is there any way of booking them separately given my friends arrive a day later and still guaranteeing we end up in the same hotel? Otherwise I was thinking we might just be better off booking two rooms for five nights and leaving one empty for a night?

You would need to book two rooms for 5 nites, then hope to 'fill-in' the additional room for the extra nite. HOTWIRE does allow you to try to add a nite at the same hotel and you can try that if you're pleased with the hotel you receive for the 5 nite purchase, but no assurance you'll be able to add the additional nite for one room. PRICELINE offers a similar feature, but you can only add nites for the same number of rooms you booked on the original reservation (whereas HOTWIRE allows you to add additional nite for just one room even if your original reservation was for multiple rooms), so if you use PRICELINE for the 5 nite stay this probably is not an option for the additional nites.

I would love to keep the budget under $100 a night, and if there's any chance of getting a 4* hotel somewhere in Manhattan it would be great.

Do you mean $100/room or $100/person per nite?

Let us know regarding the budget and we'll comment further.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board for your bidding, searches and travel purchases.

[cocolexy]

Thanks so much for your help so far, that's really great info.

And I realised today that I think I hadn't specified what the $100 meant! Sorry, I meant $100 per person per night. My bad!

[thereuare]

If you're looking for two rooms (keeping in mind that you may still receive a room with only one bed) i think you're looking at a 3*/3.5* for about $100 per person (although likely before fees and taxes)... if looking for one room for all four people you can get a 4* hotel for less than $100/pp 'all-in'.

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

Please click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links before replying.

Thanks.