Priceline Hotel: 4* Newark - Meadowlands (Jersey City) Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson

[bagolady]

Hello!! I've been a 'lurker' on this board for some time now and have been using your PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links for my searches. I've been learning so much but am *almost* ready to try on PL but first would like your suggestions.

Firstly, I'm not picky about where I'm staying once it's conveniently located near a subway stop. This is the first hotel I would be staying in when I get to the city and I'll have my luggage so a 5 min walk is ok but much longer than that would be a problem.

From earlier posts I read about your notes on MTE that some hotels can be up to a 15 minute walk to the subway. hmmm if there are still a lot of hotels that are well placed I would take my chances!

I'm hoping for a range 80-110 max, 2.5*-3.5* This may be unrealistic but would still like to try.

From reading previous posts re:accessibility, proximity to attractions, I decided on these areas (which could also change if advice says otherwise). In no particular order:

1.Downtown Financial Area (only because hotels seem to be cheaper there)

2.chelsea Area

3.Empire Building

4.Midtown East

5. Midtown West

6. Madison Square Garden

7. Times Square

8.SOHO (cheaper hotels)

again, these areas are subject to change if you say *** area is good/no good because subways are easy/hard to find or area is unsafe etc

Priority is least expensive hotel not higher star.

do you need any other information?

thank you so much for your help and suggestions!!

[thereuare]

Welcome (officially) to BetterBidding!

Little bit of conflicting information above so please cliarfy:

Firstly, I'm not picky about where I'm staying once it's conveniently located near a subway stop. This is the first hotel I would be staying in when I get to the city and I'll have my luggage so a 5 min walk is ok but much longer than that would be a problem.

VS.

From earlier posts I read about your notes on MTE that some hotels can be up to a 15 minute walk to the subway. hmmm if there are still a lot of hotels that are well placed I would take my chances!

So it appears that price prevails and if you end up with a hotel greater than a 5 minute walk to the subway then you'll manage? If it's a great deal on the hotel wouldn't it be worth spending $5-10 for a taxi from the subway to your hotel upon arrival as even with the taxi fare would still likely be better than you would get elsewhere.

I'm hoping for a range 80-110 max, 2.5*-3.5* This may be unrealistic but would still like to try.

VS.

Priority is least expensive hotel not higher star.

If budget is the primary objective is the goal, then there wouldn't a range of star ratings, the goal would be the least expensive 2.5* or better for this stay... OR are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel and would first like to try for a 3.5* up to your limit, if rejected try for a 3* up to your limit, if rejected try for a 2.5* up to your limit?

With all of the above noted, i think your biggest obstacle is going to be your budget, as $110 is often not enough for this time of year. Therefore, i'd suggest trying all acceptable zones at the minimum star rating you choose, and while the hotel you receive may or may not be perfect for your plans, for the price you'll figure out how to work around it (ie- a short cab ride here or there either at nite or when arriving/departing with luggage)

Furthermore, we typically recommend sticking with 3* or above in NYC as the quality can vary so greatly at lesser rated hotels... you could receive a diamond in the rough OR you could receive something a little rough around the edges. For a one nite stay not sure if you'd prefer to take your chances in hopes of saving money (as i can deal with almost anything for one nite OR go with something a bit safer and 3* or higher rated.

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

Let us know your thoughts and how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

PS- how are you arriving into town... bus, plane or train? If plane, which airport... if train, which station?

[bagolady]

Hi thank you for the welcome and for your response!

1. distance from subway - You made a good point about the taxi. I suppose it doesn't matter if it's a 15 min walk away, I'll manage!

2. price vs rating - Well I guess I was willing to go to 2.5* since your priceline hotel list (though I know it's not to be relied on 100%) did have some decent hotels mixed in there and I was willing to take a chance. Also I noticed sometimes 3* hotels can be gotten at the same price, so that's why I put a range. I guess the question for me is how MUCH worse are 2.5*s. For one night I'm willing to rough it but if you're talking bed bugs and gunshots at night, I'm not so sure! lol. We intend to be out and about for the whole day, not lounging around at the hotel, so it's really just a place to sleep at night.

Oh I may be willing to go up... but not significantly more, to $130.

3. transport into town - I'm getting into JFK around 3pm and taking the train into town. Still have not yet researched stations etc!

Thanks again!

[thereuare]

I guess the question for me is how MUCH worse are 2.5*s.

It all depends which 3* you receive or which 2.5* you receive... you may actually find some of the better 2.5* properties better than some of the worst 3* properties. However, since you're buying an 'opaque' property, you don't know which one you'll get or if it will be near the top of its star category or near the bottom of its star category, which is why we typically recommend sticking with the higher rated properties in NYC where there can be so much variation from one hotel to the next.

Ultimately, it's your call as you know your risk tolerance and just how much you can 'put up with' should you go for the lower rated hotels and get something near the bottom of the quality range within the lower star rating.

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

Let us know what you decide and we'll take it from there.

[bagolady]

I understand those possibilities. I'll try my luck at the 2.5* and if that doesn't work out we can figure out a plan B I suppose.

[thereuare]

Using the zones you stated above that were acceptable:

1.Downtown Financial Area (only because hotels seem to be cheaper there)

2.chelsea Area

3.Empire Building

4.Midtown East

5. Midtown West

6. Madison Square Garden

7. Times Square

8.SOHO (cheaper hotels)

... you can bid as follows:

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and MSG and TS and Soho...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and Chelsea and ESB and MTE...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and MSG and TS and Soho...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and MSG and ESB and MTE...

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and Chelsea and TS and Soho...

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and TS and MTE...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and MSG and ESB and Soho...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and Soho...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and MSG and TS and MTE...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and MSG and ESB and MTE...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and TS and Soho...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and MSG and TS and MTE...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and Chelsea and ESB and Soho...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and TS and Soho...

Bid $105, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* MTW and MSG and ESB and MTE...

Bid $105, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and MTW and MSG...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and TS and Soho...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and TS and MSG...

Bid $115, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and MTW and Soho...

Bid $115, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and MTW and Soho...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and TS and MSG...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and MTW and Soho and TS...

Bid $125, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and MTW and Soho and MSG...

Bid $125, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2.5* DT and Chelsea and ESB and MTE and MTW and Soho and TS and MSG...

Bid $130

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[bagolady]

Thank you!

I'm going to try this, but can you also give me a break down for what to do if I wanted to bid for a 3* too?

thanks

edit

ok have been trying no luck so far (no surprise i guess!) But good to get a hang of the system. It's also really early to book so I'm going to keep trying in the weeks to come. I wanted to try for the 3* as am worried that (when I do bid higher) I may pay more for a 2.5* given that I'm seeing hotwire properties at 3.5* for $118 a night.

[thereuare]

... can you also give me a break down for what to do if I wanted to bid for a 3* too?

Since we didn't use any re-bid zones above, you can simply do the same but change the star rating to 3*.

NOTE that the star rating you select on PRICELINE is the minimum star rating you're willing to accept, so when you make the bids above, PRICELINE is checking the bid price for not only 2.5* properties, but also for 3*, 3.5*, 4*, etc. properties. Therefore (at the time bid) if the amounts were not enough for a 2.5* property, then they were also not enough for a 3* property, since PRICELINE checked for higher rated hotels in addition to the 2.5* selected.

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

Keep us update on your progress and let us know if we can be of further help.

[bagolady]

ok thanks! will keep you updated

[bagolady]

On hotwire, they're listing a 4* property with Fitness Center, Business Center, Laundry Facilities (self-service) and High-speed internet access for $113 Downtown Soho-Financial District.

same dates (may 25-26)

could this be Club Quarters WTC?

[AaronJB]

This would be a possible match for the Club Quarters World Trade or World Center.

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

[bagolady]

Hello, so just as an update I've increased my bids to up to $160 in the above areas and even tried up to $120 in Hoboken and up to $110 in Brooklyn and Long Island City, but still nothing. I've also been trying the above manhattan areas (excepting downtown) for june 16-17. I booked Club Quarters Wall street at $119/night for the 5/25-5/26, and radisson lexington for the 6/16-6/17 at $159 as cancellable bookings.

But I'm wondering, could my lack of luck be because of the time of the week I'm staying? I'm wondering because I've seen bids at much lower for both times of the month, but all for 2 or more nights. In other words, I'm thinking that if I were bidding a weekend instead of Friday night or Saturday night alone, maybe I would have been more successful by now....

[thereuare]

Hello, so just as an update I've increased my bids to up to $160 in the above areas and even tried up to $120 in Hoboken and up to $110 in Brooklyn and Long Island City, but still nothing. I've also been trying the above manhattan areas (excepting downtown) for june 16-17. I booked Club Quarters Wall street at $119/night for the 5/25-5/26, and radisson lexington for the 6/16-6/17 at $159 as cancellable bookings.

Please only discuss one stay per thread as otherwise it becomes too difficult to kee straight what star rating, zones, and prices have been tried for each set of dates. Please keep all posts and information for 5/25-5/26 in this thread, and feel free to start a NEW TOPIC for your 6/16-6/17 stay. I'm assuming these are two separate trips and that you're visiting the city one nite each month, and not that one trip will replace the other, correct?

But I'm wondering, could my lack of luck be because of the time of the week I'm staying?

Rates are date specific and May is high season in NYC so rates for this particular nite are likely higher than when you're seeing others win for less.

I will add that HOTWIRE has a 3* hotel in Chelsea for $158/nite (less than you've already bid) with Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business. This matches previous reports for both the Holiday Inn Chelsea and the Hilton Garden Inn Chelsea, so either of these would be my best guess for this one. The Holiday Inn is 3* rated by PRICELINE but the Hilton Garden Inn Chelsea is 2.5* rated, although the reviews are excellent (4.5/5.0 TA rating) so may still be worth it and better than the average 3* you might get on PRICELINE... although i do think the Holiday Inn Sixth Ave would be the more likely outcome of the two.

Any interest in this HOTWIRE property for 5/25-5/26?

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

Thanks.

[bagolady]

Hi thanks for your response!

You're right, I was considering two separate trips -- not that one should replace the other. But I will stick to just the May 25-26 trip in this thread.

Right now I booked Club Quarters wall street at $119 from the hotel website and for now am happy to keep that unless I get something better for less than $130 in an area more central to manhattan, or nicer (for example will go up to $130 in Hoboken for a 4*). But seeing that those outcomes are unlikely for this time of year as you say, then I may end up sticking to my original hotel booking. It just seems weird that I can't manage to score a deal on priceline for lower than I booked on the hotel website (maybe actually booked up I guess). In that case, the Chelsea suggestion you made would be too high.

Thanks for helping me out and offering all this advice, I really appreciate it. I will continue to update you on any outcome...

[thereuare]

It just seems weird that I can't manage to score a deal on priceline for lower than I booked on the hotel website...

I'm assuming you didn't book the Club Quarters today as the current rate for your dates is $219/nite. If you booked this awhile back, perhaps it was possible that you could have gotten a better deal on PRICELINE / HOTWIRE at that time, but if 'regular' hotel rates have gone up, then it stands to reason that the minimum bid required for a win has likely gone up as well.

HOTWIRE also has a 3.5* MTE property at $144/nite if you're willing to pay a little more than your back-up for a more central location.

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

Keep us updated and let us know if we can be of further help.

[bagolady]

GREAT NEWS!

You may have to move this thread because I finally won a hotel in Jersey City on priceline for this night!!! (May 25-26)

My first bid of $100 was accepted for the Hyatt Regency Jersey City 4*!

What do you think? I've been bidding for weeks up to $140 and today my first bid of $100 was accepted... making me wonder if I should have bid less!!

Ah well.

I'm checking tripadvisor for reviews and so far looks good.

THANK YOU so much for your help! (which also included your help in other people's posts since I read a lot of your advice to others before bidding)

[bagolady]

Had been trying for Jersey City (and Downtown Manhattan) for weeks up to $150 for a 4* in Jersey City with no luck. Tried even yesterday no win. Today, first bid of $100 won. Also have option to extend stay for same price.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

An excellent deal for this property at this time of year.

This hotel sits on a pier and all the rooms have views of Manhattan. As well, the entrance to the PATH train is literally steps from the hotel entrance. The area immediately around the hotel does get pretty quiet on the weekend (you'll see it much busier on Friday evening than at any time of day on Saturday if you stick around) but of course the city is just 10 minutes away via PATH or you can head to Hoboken which has plenty of nightlife on the weekends.

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.

[bagolady]

Thank you for your tips!!! I'm very excited about this win! (my first priceline bidding experience) Reviews seem great!

Will be sure to use this board and post my wins in the future :)