Priceline Hotel: Bidding Advice Newark (Jersey City) - 22 August - 28 August

[ttianshifu]

Hi everyone,

we will be visiting NYC for the first time, so I wanted to get your advice how to bid for a 4* hotel in Jersey City. I heard that there are only three 4* hotels in the game. We do not have a car and want to visit the standard places for a first visit.

I'd like to start with a 4* strategy up to $110.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[thereuare]

Please click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links, then reply to this thread and we'll have a look at and comment on your post above.

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

Thanks.

[ttianshifu]

Hi,

I have clicked on both links as requested.

Have there been changes on the Jersey city area? Are the 4* hotels still the same so that we can reach Hoboken station easily from each of them?

[thereuare]

There were two many towns in the previous zone... Jersey City and Hoboken.

I'm not sure if you need to specifically near the Hoboken train station or if you're simply concerned with commuting into Manhattan, but the Jersey City hotels were close to the Newport or Exchange St PATH stations, whereas the Hoboken hotel was near the Hoboken PATH station.

The boundaries have recently changed (the zone was expended a bit further to the north) to include Weehawken, for which the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor comes into play. This property provides easy access into Manhattan via bus... but traveling by bus is not as much of an 'experience' as taking the train (although the property does have a great experience of commuting by ferry, but it's very expensive at ~$8/pp each way)

HOWEVER, at the moment the Sheraton is 3.5* rated by PRICELINE, so you can avoid it if you choose to do so my only bidding the 4* level in this zone.

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

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

[ttianshifu]

Our main target is to commute to manhattan quickly and cheap of course.

So I would like to start with 4* in this area, up to 110$, hoping for the W hotel, but i think there are only two other 4* hotels left.

Thanks for further tips

[thereuare]

When bidding 4* in Jersey City you have 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 $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, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110

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.

[ttianshifu]

Bidded up to 130 today for 4* in Hoboken - unfortunately not successful, although the "normal" rates at Priceline already start at 169.

Any further tips?

[ttianshifu]

Hi everyone,

we will be visiting NYC for the first time, so I wanted to get your advice how to bid for a 4* hotel in NYC. We do not have a car and want to visit the standard places for a first visit.

I'd like to start with a 4* strategy up to $130.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for this stay in this same thread. If you ultimately use HOTWIRE or book something in NYC, the thread will be moved to that section of the board at that time (automatically if you use the EDIT TO REPORT WIN butt on the lower right corner of the page)

The 'typcial' zones for the average visitor bidding 4* in NYC are: MTE, MTW, TS, CPS and ESB. While i don't think $130 will be enough for a 4* hotel in these zones, if you want to give it a go you can begin as follows:

At the 4* level in NYC you have SEVEN 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* MTE, MTW, TS, CPS and ES...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $118, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $123, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $128, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130

Any questions feel free to ask.

...although the "normal" rates at Priceline already start at 169.

What hotel is priced at $169 for these dates?

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

[ttianshifu]

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

The "Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson"

[ttianshifu]

Hi,

thanks for the tip, what about the two following zones?

- Chelsea Area

- Madison Square Garden

Are they not recommendable?

Thanks again

[thereuare]

MSG has not 4* hotels so that's not an eligible zone when bidding 4*.

Chelsea is ok, but it goes a bit far west that there are one or two hotels that may be a little far from the subway (not as bad as the 3.5* hotels in the MTE zones though). With this noted, Chelsea has become a very 'hot' area with a lively night nite, so it may be a good choice for the young partying crowd, less so for those who are a little older and more subdued.

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

Let us know how we can assist further.

[droch]

Attention Priceline has changes the Zones on Name Your own Price. The Jersey City Hoboken now includes Weehawken and the Sheraton as a 4 star in the same zone as the Hilton the W and the Weston but I would not consider this in the same league.

It is really out of the way and you can catch the light rail to Hoboken Station/PATH to NYC or a Ferry but it will keep me from using priceline until it is changed.

This is important to note because the Sheraton was a 3.5* before and was giving out winning bids.

Did you ever find a hotel for the date range you had listed?

[ttianshifu]

Dear droch,

thanks a lot for the notification, I just recognized it myself as well when I was bidding yesterday again (which seems to become a daily routing already).

Unfortunately I have not been successful yet in Jersey City and in NYC with a max. of 130$ for 4*.

Should I go to 3 or 3.5* to be successful or do you think the nearer my travel dates come, the better my chances are? Would it make sense to split the stay?

I have also another question. Is the Lincoln Hotel really so bad from its location? The recommendations on Tripadvisor are really positive about it.

Thanks a lot for your support again.

[thereuare]

droch,

Thanks for the info... the zone changes was noted a few weeks ago, but the star rating change of the Sheraton is a new development.

Please use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board each time you access the respective sites.

Thanks.

ttianshifu,

Should I go to 3 or 3.5* to be successful or do you think the nearer my travel dates come, the better my chances are? Would it make sense to split the stay?

There is no telling if rates will come down... or move higher, between now and your stay. See the related 'Bid Early or Close to Check-in' link in our PRICELINE FAQ. Whether SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID or lowering your star rating is the better option depends upon your budget and how much of an inconvenience you view changing hotels... some people do it to save $5/nite... others wouldn't do it for $50/nite.

Is the Lincoln Hotel really so bad from its location?

It's gotten better recently as a new walkway has opened that easily connects this hotel to Hoboken... so the bars and restaurants of 'uptown' Hoboken are now more easily accessible, which makes this a better choice then it was 2-3 months ago. The downside of this property is that you commute to Manhattan by bus... it removes the 'cool' factor that Jersey City/Hoboken have of taking the train under the Hudson River (most people have bus service in their home town, but few have train service, which makes the mode of transportation a bit more 'special' and adds to the vacation experience, imo). As well, although it's a very short trip distance-wise, traffic into the Lincoln Tunnel is very unpredictable, and you could get caught in bad traffic for the short trip.

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

[droch]

I would stick to my guns but also be aware that the Sheraton is out of the way and the Bus is a horrible option especially since the recent GWB bridge and cross bronx construction. The Tunnels are backed up at all hours and with longer back ups so it then makes it that you need the Path to the city. PRICELINE does have the Hyatt at 165 but the Hyatt also has the rate at about the same. It is more than the 130 a night but you get the points and you get to determine where your staying and its the optimum spot. I only live 4 blocks from there and the area is great.

[ttianshifu]

Thanks for your feedback

I just recognized that the Lincoln is not in the "Jersey City" area, where I bid since months, it is attached to Secauscas, which I only used as re-bid-zone so far. Now I need to be careful with taking my rebids. So for Jersey City still only three 4* hotels, Hyatt, W, Westin.

*edit*: I wanted to bid just a few minutes ago and the only area with 4* hotels is still "Jersey City" so I assume that the lincoln is in there.

I have another question.

Can you recommend areas for 3.5* or 3* hotels in the Jersey City or most common NYC areas?

[thereuare]

I'm not sure i entirely understand your last post, but bottomline is this:

The Weehawken area, where the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor is located, is now part of PRICELINE's Jersey City zone. As well, the Sheraton is currently rated 4* by PRICELINE, therefore making this a possible outcome when bidding 4* in the Jersey City area.

As with any stay, your options will be limited by your budget... what is your current maximum bid for this trip?

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

[ttianshifu]

Initially, my maximum bidding was 120-130 USD per night, but I think i need to raise this to a minimum of 140 or 150 USD.

Therefore I checked some 3.5* and 3* hotels, but they are not cheaper than the 4*.

Best regards

[thereuare]

...I think i need to raise this to a minimum of 140 or 150 USD.

And given the zone/star rating changes... are you still looking at the Jersey City zone OR are you now looking at Manhattan?

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

[ttianshifu]

I am bidding in both zones, Jersey City and Manhattan.

I have received Bidding Alerts from Priceline for both regions for 130$ in the last days.

[thereuare]

The bid alerts from PRICELINE are not date specific and therefore could be for wins that have little or nothing to do with your August trip.

Since you can't bid on both Hoboken-Jersey City and Manhattan at the same time, what is it that you want to try for first/next? (and let us know zone(s), star rating, and maximum bid)

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

[ttianshifu]

What I do at the moment, I go to NYC and bid for the desired areas (the ones you mentioned) up to 130$ and then I go to Jersey City and also bid up to 130$ for 4* hotels.

[thereuare]

To confirm...

You're bidding 4* in both Manhattan and Jersey City? When was the last time you bid? Above you mentioned possibly raising your bid to $140-150... at what point do you want to try that? If you're willing to stay Downtown Manhattan you might be able to win a 4* in that zone for $130 or under.

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

[ttianshifu]

Yes, I bid yesterday the last time, as I mentioned, I it mor or less a daily routine. I will raise my bids when it comes closer to our stay.

With "Downtown" I assume you mean the Downtown - Financial District area? How is the connection to the subway there? How long does it take us to the normal "toury" places?