Priceline Hotel: NYC November 8-14, 2011

[JD Pottle]

I'm visiting the Big Apple from November 8-14. We don't get in to Newark (EWR) until 10PM so we thought we may be better off spending the first night at an airport hotel, heading in to Manhattan on our second day. Not sure if this is a good idea, so adivce would be lovely. Also, we would love to stay in the heart of the 'tourist district'. Which areas should I look at bidding on and what should I expect to pay for a 3* or 4*? Thanks

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Just how late do you arrive? What is your expected nightly budget for this trip? Are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5* vs. a 3* OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. (and please click this PRICELINE link before replying)

Thank.s

[JD Pottle]

Just how late do you arrive? Our flight gets in to EWR at 10PM on Nov. 8

What is your expected nightly budget for this trip? We'd like to stay under $200 per night

Are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5* vs. a 3* OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay? We'd love to find a 4* for under $200 but will take a 3.5* if that saves us substantially. Probably avoid 3* if possible

Thanks!!

[thereuare]

We don't get in to Newark (EWR) until 10PM so we thought we may be better off spending the first night at an airport hotel, heading in to Manhattan on our second day. Not sure if this is a good idea, so adivce would be lovely.

It is a way to save some money, but it is less convenient, and you almost always lose half a day of your trip. Upon arrival you'll need to catch the shuttle from airport to hotel, check-in, unpack some of your clothes/toiletries, then reverse the entire process the next day vs. making it to NYC the nite of your arrival, getting settled in, and waking up the next morning ready to start your day and exploring the city. The latter is obviously more preferable, but it comes down to a trade-off between budget ($100+ savings) and convenience, how you value your vacation time, and how 'heavy' you travel (easier to do with one overnite bag then a week's worth of clothes).

I'm guessing that a 4* will likely be a bit out of your budget (a 4* would likely be in the high-$200's) whereas a 3.5* may be about $200 (or a few dollars over). Do you want to try for a 4* first to at least exhaust that option?

At the 4* level MTE, MTW, CPS, TS and ESB are all typically considered centrally located. Downtown is often (not always) a little less expensive and is certainly do-able, but if most of your activities are in midtown it is less convenient, as it is about a 20-25 minute subway ride. The convenience of Hells Kitchen, Chelsea and UWS are variable depending upon where in the zone the hotel you receive is located.

Let us know your thoughts on the zone information as well as if you want to bid for your complete stay in NYC or spend one nite at the airport first, and we'll take it from there.

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