Priceline Hotel: 4* Newark - Meadowlands (Jersey City) Westin Jersey City Newport

[Maeva]

How much should I expect to pay for a 4* in Jersey City (I'm hoping to get the Westin, since I've stayed there several times and like it) for the 26-27 of november? Would it be less expensive to stay the 25-26 (friday/saturday instead of saturday/sunday)?

I paid $80 in May for this hotel, so I'm wondering if I could possibly expect the same price this time... I'm open to paying a little more, of course.

[Maeva]

We could also go on Dec. 9-10-11 and stay 2 nights, but I'm thinking December will be more expensive?

[thereuare]

Rates are actually somewhat higher for these dates (all of them) then i had thought they might be... 11/25-11/27 i think should be 'ok' given the holiday weekend (no business travelers, many in town for the parade have already gone home).

What is your target budget for this trip, as i actually think you may be better off trying for Manhattan for these dates, if that is of any interest to you.

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

[Maeva]

I got a 3* for $81 on Priceline but entered the wrong dates, eeek!! I was able to cancel (not sure why, I was really lucky I guess) given I book another trip within a year for the 'correct' dates.

I paid $81 for the Westin in May so I guess you're right about rates being higher! :(

As for Manhattan, since we are driving from Montreal, wouldn't it be a hassle to park the car and everything? I guess I could take a look and see if anything works for us, thanks for suggesting it!! As for budget, I'd like to keep it under $110-120/night.

[thereuare]

I assume you 'won' the Westin for May 2012? If so, can you please post this win as a NEW TOPIC so that others who may be looking for a hotel in this area for May can benefit from this information (it may actually prompt somebody to lock in rates now since that is a great deal for that time of year).

Jersey City is a great option for when rates there are substantially lower then in NYC... which i don't think is going to be the case for these dates... NYC may be only marginally higher.

Depending how you feel about the 'hassle to park the car and everything' (not sure what everything is) i would suggest trying for a 4* hotel in Jersey City up to $135 or so... if that is rejected then perhaps try a 4* hotel in NYC for up to $150. If that is rejected then weigh your options from there. Of course this assumes your budget is flexible and you'd rather increase the price as opposed to lower the star rating.

As far as parking in the city, there are options... you can park at the Port Authority upon immediately entering the city thru the Lincoln Tunnel and never have to see your car again until you're ready to leave (i think ~$30 per 24 hours). Parking in Jersey City costs money too, but there is free parking on the street (if you're comfortable parking on the street overnite) from 6pm Friday until 7am Monday. If you really wanted to stay directly in NYC and don't have much luggage, you could always park on the street in Jersey City, take the PATH to your hotel, and not return to Jersey City until you're ready to start traveling back home.

Let us know your thoughts and what you'd like to try first 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.

[Maeva]

Oops, I won the Westin in May 2011. I believe my win has been posted.

I didn't know about parking at Port Authority! I'll see with my mother if that's an option. Actually, the 'everything' is her being stressed of driving in NYC :lol: Once we got lost in the Bronx, and the other time in Queens and she didn't like it very much... :P

I tried to bid $92 on 4* in Jersey City, and still no luck. I added 3* 1/2 (since there are none) and increased to $100 and the bid was rejected. I might try again tomorrow with $110 and see if it works.

Total budget would be $120/night, plus fees.

I might also lower my bid, and bid on a 3*. I got the Courtyard when I bidded by 'mistake' and the reviews seem quite good, so I guess I'd be okay with getting this one, as opposed to paying $150 to stay in a 4* in Jersey City or NYC.

I'll keep you updated if/when I have a winning bid!

[thereuare]

Oops, I won the Westin in May 2011. I believe my win has been posted.

I misunderstood, from your post it sounded as if you tried bidding for this stay and mistakenly chose a date in May, didn't realize that was a previous purchase.

I didn't know about parking at Port Authority!

Depending where you are driving in from, you could also leave the car at a Park N Ride and take the train the last 25-50 miles or so into Manhattan... then reverse on the way home.

I tried to bid $92 on 4* in Jersey City, and still no luck. I added 3* 1/2 (since there are none) and increased to $100 and the bid was rejected. I might try again tomorrow with $110 and see if it works.

I'm not surprised those bids were rejected, but i'd warn against choosing 3.5* to bid again. While i know this area very well and can't think of any 3.5* properties i the zone, you never know when PRICELINE may upgrade a property to the 3.5* level OR add a new property. A better option to bid again would be to use re-bid zones, which at the 4* level in this area, you have SIX of them. If you're not familiar with re-bidding see this thread, Priceline Re-Bidding Explained, and feel free to ask any questions that you may have.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

[Maeva]

I misunderstood, from your post it sounded as if you tried bidding for this stay and mistakenly chose a date in May, didn't realize that was a previous purchase.

Depending where you are driving in from, you could also leave the car at a Park N Ride and take the train the last 25-50 miles or so into Manhattan... then reverse on the way home.

I'm not surprised those bids were rejected, but i'd warn against choosing 3.5* to bid again. While i know this area very well and can't think of any 3.5* properties i the zone, you never know when PRICELINE may upgrade a property to the 3.5* level OR add a new property. A better option to bid again would be to use re-bid zones, which at the 4* level in this area, you have SIX of them. If you're not familiar with re-bidding see this thread, Priceline Re-Bidding Explained, and feel free to ask any questions that you may have.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

I am not familiar with re-bidding, so I'll check this thread out and let you know how the bidding goes today! Thank you so much!

[Maeva]

I am not familiar with re-bidding, so I'll check this thread out and let you know how the bidding goes today! Thank you so much!

We might (going to be confirmed today) also be able to try bidding for the 2-3-4 of December instead. Maybe we'll be luckier with those dates... ?

[thereuare]

The Dec 2-5 dates will most likely be worse than the November dates.

However, it appears rates have dropped since we first started this thread and HOTWIRE currently has a 4* hotel in the Jersey City zone for $105/nite with: Restaurant, Fitness, Smoke Free, Hi-Speed Internet, Business. This has previously been associated with the Westin so that would be my best guess for this one (although slight chance it could also be the Sheraton Suites in Weehawken)

The PRICELINE zone for this area doesn't currently include the Sheraton Suites, so i would bid on PRICELINE as follows using your SIX 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.

Select 4* Jersey City...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $105

Any questions feel free to ask. If the above is rejected, post back and we'll discuss the pros/cons of the Sheraton Suites in Weehawken.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Maeva]

Thank you so much!!

I'll try bidding as soon as I know which dates we will be going (should know tonight at the latest). Booking with Hotwire is not an option for this trip since I have to book via Priceline in order to get the full refund for my previous reservation (that I cancelled).

$105 is a great price for the Westin, hopefully I'll get something similar on Priceline!

[Maeva]

Basically, with Jersey City, I can add any zone in order to re-bid before 24 hours since only the area I am interested in has a 4* listed, correct?

I just tried $95 and was rejected. Added 3* 1/2 and increased bid to $101 and was rejected.

BTW, my dates have been confirmed and we are going Dec. 2nd to Dec. 4th.

[Maeva]

I used a bid I made yesterday (that only included a 4*):

Added 1 zone, bidded $105: rejected

Added a 2nd zone and bidded $110: rejected

Added a 3rd zone and bidded $115: rejected

I'm willing to go up to $120, but otherwise, New York (and my refund) will have to wait until May

Do you believe prices might go down during next week?

[AaronJB]

Unfortunately, there's no way to know if prices will come down, but hopefully prices will start to cool off a bit. 12/2-4 is definitely during what is traditionally prime shopping time. Someone did get a 4* for $135 for 12/4-5 in Midtown East; that's a different date so there's definitely no guarantee that the same inventory would be available for your dates, but a good sign.

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

[Maeva]

Thank you.

Bidded $120 and was rejected.

I'll try again today when it's been 24hours and start again at $110, in case prices drop... I might also try and see if I could go saturday-sunday-monday instead of fri-sat-sun, maybe it will make a difference?

[thereuare]

Your best bet is to try for the original Novembers dates you inquired above. For this region that is usually the slowest weekend of a very busy high season, and your new dates are typically one of the busiest weekends of the season. As well, $135-$140 is now the 'norm' for the Hoboken/Jersey City area and $120 and under is often only available during very slow periods of low occupancy.

You can/should try, but if you stick with the December dates i think your best chance at $120 or under is a last minute deal by a hotel which didn't book as many rooms as they had anticipated... if you can switch to 11/25-11/27 you could probably be successful at sub-$100 (or not much more)

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

[Maeva]

Whoo!

Got the Westin for $132/night, for the 2-3-4 of December! :D

Thanks for your help!

[Maeva]

Started at around $90 a few days ago... Finally got it for $132/night, which I believe is a good deal for that time of the year.

:D

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Very good result for this Westin property. Hope you are looking forward to your stay.

Thank you for sharing your win and please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

Enjoy your stay.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

An excellent deal for this busy time of year, and these dates in particular.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

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

Enjoy your stay.