Priceline Hotel: Help for Hotel in New Jersey for NYC - 10/11 - 10/14

[tinyandi]

My fiance and I are traveling to NYC October 11, 2012 through October 14, 2012. We have a car with us and would like to stay as close as possible to NYC for as cheap as possible. Last year, we stayed in Rahway for $60 a night, but then had to pay nearly $60 in roundtrip tickets for New Jersey Transit. Our goal this year is to stay closer in to limit the cost of New Jersey Transit while still keeping our hotel costs low (this includes parking costs).

Can anyone make any suggestions on how we should bid for hotels on Priceline and Hotwire? Ideally, I would like to keep our total costs (hotel, public transportation, parking) down to $80 a night. Your help is mighty appreciated.

I think some ideal places might be Seacaucus, NJ/Meadlowlands area.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

The waterfront area of Jersey City is the best zone for commuting into Manhattan, but even without parking the hotels there are likely beyond your budget.

The Secaucus-North Bergen and Meadowlands-Rutherford zones would likely be best as the hotels there (all that i'm familiar with) don't charge for parking and many (but not all) are near bus stops to take into the city. Even if you land a hotel not near the bus, you could drive to the Park N Ride and take the bus from there. HOWEVER, you'll still likely be pushing your budget:

Bus Fare: ~$3.25/each one way = $13 RT for two people

This leaves $67 all-in which equates to about a $55 bid price, which while possible, is probably at the low end of the expected range of winning bids for this time of year unless you're looking for a 2.5* or under property. A bid price of $55-$65 is probably a bit more realistic. What star rating are you seeking?

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.