Priceline Hotel: From the middle East with love

[Corleone]

i found this site about a week ago, been surfing it since then and today i decided to register. before i began i would like to thank all of you for the great support you are providing for each other. i do have a couple of questions and i would like some help/advice/comments about them.

- im coming to NY on the 9th of Oct. will spend about 4 nights in there so 9 - 13 and i would like to get 5* - 4* hotel in Time Square area for 2 adults in 1 room/suite with breakfast if possible but not necessarily and including Tax. dates are subject to -/+ 1-2 day due to flights booking but remains a 4 nights stay in NY. i did a quick search and i found that an average night cost would be around $350-$400 :) , i just wana spend my money wisely.

- how much do you think should be a reasonable price for the provided dates!!

- a lot of people talks about how " you can't chose the hotel " in addition to some other stuff but seriously, how can you go wrong when you chose the area and the stars rating of the hotel? is there something i haven't paid attention to? i feel like im missing something.

my price range is $200 - $250 daily, would be good to get something below that !!

thankx.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please start by reading your messages.

- im coming to NY on the 9th of Oct. will spend about 4 nights in there so 9 - 13 and i would like to get 5* - 4* hotel in Time Square...

Give this thread a read: Hotels Near Times Square

i did a quick search and i found that an average night cost would be around $350-$400 :) , i just wana spend my money wisely...

- how much do you think should be a reasonable price for the provided dates!!

Difficult to stay as your dates are not yet firm, but generally speaking rates in NYC are a little less expensive on the weekends rather than midweek, and if at all possible (again, there are exceptions), if you can include Friday, Saturday and Sunday nites in your dates you'll do better then if staying Mon-Thur nites (and note that the dates you propose are Sunday-Thursday... 3 out of 4 'more' expensive nites, on average). As well, i would encourage you to expand beyond just the Times Square zone, as per the previous link, but ultimately it's your trip so you have to decide which zone(s) work best for you or if you feel you need to be in Times Square.

- a lot of people talks about how " you can't chose the hotel " in addition to some other stuff but seriously, how can you go wrong when you chose the area and the stars rating of the hotel?

Some people are very flexible and others are more rigid... some people expect a lot while others expect less... some are willing to deal with a room which is overdo for a painting and/or scuffed furniture when they're paying half price while others 'complain' that it was no where near a 4* hotel because the room may have been outdated or not to their liking. Neither is 'right or wrong', but it's just what you expect from your hotel stay. I've had many PRICELINE wins where, for the rate i paid, i gave a glowing review... but if i was paying 3x more (rack rates) i would have had a more negative impression. With the previous comments noted, ratings are subjective and one man's treasure my be another man's trash, and at times there can be hotels in a given zone which you at least 'need to be aware' of... some hotels may have extremely small rooms (again, fine for some, not fine for others... for each person to decide based upon their own needs) or be more/less convenient to subways/mass transit.

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

[Corleone]

well, you confused me!!

although i have said that i will arrive in the 9th and will stay for 4 nights, until the 13 of October. i still can make some arrangements so that i arrive on the 8th or the 10th of October which means + or - 1 day. for me its confirmed but im being flexible in case that will result in a good hotel pricing.

regarding the hotel status, i will be less demanding and probably have less expectation from a hotel on the side of a highway or a campsite lodge but when it comes to a 4* to 5* hotel, in the middle of NY and either in or around Times Square then i would expect what would be considered as the norm.

regarding the location, i have to say that this is my first visit to NY so i don't know the city yet, and if i can't get a good hotel in TS then as close as possible. bottom line is i don't want to take a cap every time i walk out of the hotel, i want to get by easily.

as i have said im willing to do $200 to $270 a night. this is not cheap, otherwise what are we doing in here !?

thankx

[thereuare]

...i will arrive in the 9th and will stay for 4 nights, until the 13 of October. i still can make some arrangements so that i arrive on the 8th or the 10th of October which means + or - 1 day.

If you arrive a day earlier/later will you still depart on Oct 13th... or will you then depart a day earlier/later too? (keeping the trip at 4 nites)

...if i can't get a good hotel in TS then as close as possible. bottom line is i don't want to take a cap every time i walk out of the hotel, i want to get by easily.

As per the link about there are other areas outside of Times Square which are centrally located and convenient (and hopefully you'll take the subway a bit too :) )... the question is if you're sold on Times Square and want to try that first up to your limit... or if you want to include all zones which would likely meet your needs, in hopes of a lower price then if you had just bid Times Square by itself.

Let us know and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[Corleone]

i have bought the tickets today. this is it " MJ ", this is really it. i will arrive at the 8th of October, around 7 a.m and i have dedicated 4 nights for NY.

regarding the other " Zones ", well, this is my first visit to NY as i have mentioned before, although i don't like to be in a concrete jungle, i find myself forced to do so in NY, so that i don't regret it later. i just want to stay somewhere close to the most attraction points where i could go from A to B in a reasonable walking time. i also heard that taxis and public transportation are not cheap.

if this is not my first time, i might think about the other zones but as for my first time, Time Square is irresistible.

[thereuare]

i just want to stay somewhere close to the most attraction points where i could go from A to B in a reasonable walking time.

You're not going to be able to walk everywhere and to make the most of your trip you should plan on riding the subway (during the daytime and early evening)... at nite take the bus or a cab. The subway is the quickest and most economical way to get around the city.

i also heard that taxis and public transportation are not cheap.

Taxis do add up, but for occasional use they're really not too bad if not going too far. However, mass transit is one of the best deals in the city... ~$2.10/ride or $29 gets you unlimited subway and bus fare for a week.

If your maximum bid amount is $250-$270 and you only want a 4* in Times Square, i would bid as follows:

At the 4* level in NYC you have FIVE re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

(NOTE: 're-bid zone1' is not the same as priceline's Zone1, 're-bid zone2' is not the same as priceline's Zone2, etc, etc)

Select 4* Times Square...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $190, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Times Square and re-bid zone4...

Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $200, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $205, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $210, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Times Square and re-bid zone5...

Bid $215, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $220, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $225, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $230, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Times Square and re-bid zone4 and re-bid zone5...

Bid $235, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $240, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $245, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $250

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please remember to use the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[drjbo3]

If I may jump in here....Don't think that Times Square is the only ideal location. Personally, as someone who lives in the suburbs on NYC I would rather be near Central Park....or if I wanted to be funky the SoHo region. If you use the HOTWIRE site and eliminate the airport locations, you really won't be too far away from public transportation and MANY MANY attractions. Each one of the neighborhoods listed will have museums, restaurants, etc in close proximity. Our NYC metro is the fastest and cheapest way to get around town, and is as safe as any other major city, although I agree with Thereuare, take a cab at night. Taxis are pretty reasonable if you are only going a short distance and are real feet savers after a long day of sight-seeing.

NYC is unlike other cities like Paris, Rome and London, where you can be stuck not centrally located and no where near the metro. Look at the MAP selection on Hotwire and you will see there are subway stops usually within two blocks of anywhere on the Hotwire selections.

Also remember that although you think $250 is a LOT to spend on a hotel...for NYC this is a bargain. Most hotels are much more expensive. In NYC everything is at a premium...including space. A hotel room is likely to be pretty small...even at a high end hotel.

I suggest you use TripAdvisor to explore the various areas on Manhattan to see where the attractions you want to see are located and then make your decision. If you read the hotel reviews you will see many out-of-towners complain about the size of the room. If you are smart, you won't be spending too much time in the room...and will be out exploring the city.

Hope you find something that suits you and enjoy your stay....

Oh...and also remember on HOTWIRE there are taxes and fees to add to your cost....expect about 15-17% on top of the rate that is quoted....you will see that before you agree to the reservation. Good luck!

[Corleone]

wow, first of all i would like to thank thereuare as well as drjbo3 for the great support you are providing.

the thing is that i have been brain washed when it comes to the location, i know that sometimes staying at the center means a noisy crowded atmosphere which i don't like.

i don't like queen beds, but what if i bed and they gave me a room with a queen bed?

as a precaution procedures, can i book a 1 night only and once they reveal the name and everything, can i add extra nights?

how would you evaluate the american hotels when it comes to the number of stars? i have been to so many countries and, i have found that what is considered to be a 5* hotel in some countries might not be categorized as 2* hotel in other countries. so what do you think about the american standards? i know vegas has the best hotels, while in LA it quite disappointing or is it just the photos? by the way this is my first visit to the USA.

thankx

[Romelle]

If you bid successfully on one night, you can only extend your bid one more night. The number of nights you bid on is the max you can extend. Also, if you bid on two nights, you can only extend before or after, not one night before and one night after.

As to evaluating the stars, consensus seems to be that a US hotel is maybe 1/2 star higher than a European one. That is to say, a 3 1/2* US one is maybe a 4* European one.

New York hotel rooms are notoriously small, by US standards. I'd guess you will be more likely to receive a queen bed than a king. And you might even receive a double. All you are guaranteed when bidding Priceline is a bed for two people. This can be two twins or a double or larger.

Romelle

[drjbo3]

Oh my! Did you want a smaller bed or a larger bed? If you are expecting a king bed in NYC on PRICELINE or HOTWIRE, you may be very disappointed. You are lucky to get a queen and in some hotels...a double is the norm. In NYC location is the principle driver of hotel price. Many very nice hotels offer very small rooms. In order to get the deep discounts that PRICELINE or HOTWIRE offer, you need to be able to live with what you get. Otherwise, you may be better off trying other sites that are not as deeply discounted, but offer the ability to specify your bed preference. Another option is to search hotels or hotel groups directly which may offer a discount.

BTW, Vegas does not have the nicest hotel...some are pretty average to downright sleazy. New does not always mean nice. ;-) If you are going to spend more time outside your room than in your room, plan accordingly. Do you really need an in hotel restaurant, room service, a business or fitness center???? Breakfast is nice but you will likely to grab a bagel with a schmear within a block of any location. ;-) Personally, for me a comfy bed and free internet is enough (um, coffee is nice too), and really hate to spend anymore than necessary on a room. When is the next time you will ever be in NYC? If you need to spend $50 more a night....that means adding another $200 to your stay. You could get a couple of tickets to a Broadway show for that....or 4 if you use TKTS. Only you can decide for yourself what you want to spend your $$$ on.

[Corleone]

As to evaluating the stars, consensus seems to be that a US hotel is maybe 1/2 star higher than a European one. That is to say, a 3 1/2* US one is maybe a 4* European one.

thank you for addressing that. at least i will be able to set my own compass from now. the thing is that i have been to France and Switzerland for example, they both are very beautiful countries but when it comes to hotels, it reminds me of a college student room or dormitory, which means it only has the basic stuff but, in general they are clean and expensive.

BTW, Vegas does not have the nicest hotel...some are pretty average to downright sleazy. New does not always mean nice. ;-) If you are going to spend more time outside your room than in your room, plan accordingly. Do you really need an in hotel restaurant, room service, a business or fitness center???? Breakfast is nice but you will likely to grab a bagel with a schmear within a block of any location. ;-) Personally, for me a comfy bed and free internet is enough (um, coffee is nice too), and really hate to spend anymore than necessary on a room. When is the next time you will ever be in NYC? If you need to spend $50 more a night....that means adding another $200 to your stay. You could get a couple of tickets to a Broadway show for that....or 4 if you use TKTS. Only you can decide for yourself what you want to spend your $$$ on.

man i could pay for some straight conversation like this. so thank you. i will think about it for a day or 2 before i take my final decision. on the 8th of October i will be in NY, time is ticking.

since you mentioned Vegas, what is your recommendations?

i thinking about the The Venetian and the Wynn? what do you think?

thank you all

[Romelle]

man i could pay for some straight conversation like this. so thank you.

If you do your bidding though the links here, that helps fund this site and makes the "straight conversation" possible. There also are more links under the Support/Travel tab above that do the same thing.

While I'm just a member, I've found it extremely useful for many years - so I'm hoping you also help keep it in business.

Romelle

PS - Regarding which hotel in Las Vegas, have you looked under the Hotel Review tab yet? More "straight conversation" from other members here.