Priceline Hotel: 4* NYC (MTS) 70 Park Avenue Hotel

[UKChris]

Hello again - I'm now starting my attempts to get an hotel in NYC for November 3 to 10 this year (2005). This is a 7 night stay. Ideally I'd like a 4* hotel, and I don't want to split my bid.

I've submitted 1 bid via Priceline for GBP50 (around US$90) as a starter and got the (useless ?) warning about my bid being unlikely to be accepted. This was for the Upper Midtown Area.

I've not submitted any further bids - I want to stay in Manhattan but other than that the area itself is not too much of an issue.

I have a firm booking which is refundable so there isn't any sort of panic here (and, of course, I have plenty of time before the trip over).

Suggestions as to my next bid ?

[thenewbie]

It looks like it will be difficult (i.e. expensive) to win a 7 night stay for those dates. What is the rate for your current reservation?

[thereuare]

... and where?

[UKChris]

My current booking is for Hotel 41 which is on Times Square. I have a rate of US$ 229 per night (which is about GBP120).

It does seem to be an expensive time of year - I had assumed that the start of November would be relatively cheap, but I'm finding out it's not !

Hotel 41 is a boutique-style hotel.

[thereuare]

I'd be patient with this one as i suspect rates somehwhere will come down... however, your unwillingness to split your bid i don't think is helping matters at all. All you need is one nite of higher rates (likely on a 7 nite stay) at a hotel and that hotel no longer becomes a possibility to accept your bid.

[UKChris]

OK - I'll keep you posted as to how I get on.

So far today I've bid in successive areas at US$190-US$230 and been unsuccessful. This is for 4* hotels (or higher of course).

I'll try again in a fortnight and see how things go - as you say, rates may come down.

[dahammer]

what's a fortnight?? :) Splitting your bid might save you a few quid :)

[UKChris]

Hello again

I've been bidding on and off since my original post and I've secured a 4* hotel - 70 Park Avenue Hotel (which is part of the Kimpton Group).

I've got this for my 7 nights for US$230 (November 3-10).

My bid prior to this was US$220 and that was rejected. Previously, these prices were rejected out of hand for the same areas, so prices may be coming down a little. List price for the same room via the hotels website was about US$390, so a bargain.

Hope this information is helpful to someone.

[thereuare]

Thank you for adding this new hotel to our lists.

This is in the MTS zone, correct?

Do you recall your highest bid that was rejected in this zone during this bidding cycle? (or was $230 your first bid which included the MTS zone)

Thanks for posting and enjoy your stay.

[UKChris]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Yes, this hotel is in the MidTown South zone on Priceline.

Unfortunately this was my first bid that included the MTS section this time around so not sure if the hotel could, potentially, have been gotten for a little less.