Priceline Hotel: 4* New York City (Midtown West) Sheraton New York Hotel And Towers

[princesultan]

Hello everyone,

Cool little forum you have over here.

I've never used priceline but I'm wondering what I can get away with in terms of nightly hotel prices for this coming Friday June 1, for 2 nights and checking out June 3rd. I'm not too sure on the area, not too picky either. I have a meeting Sunday morning in the meat packing district and Saturday I'd like to do a bit of sightseeing, so uptown may be a bit too far for me for the meeting I have Sunday morning. Perhaps midtown area? Soho? Doesn't have to be directly next to the meat packing district...

Also looking for something 3.5 stars and up.

What sort of bids should I place? Any insight or suggestions are welcomed.

P.S. I know very little about NYC.

Edit: Would like to get something below 150/night if possible.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding... we're glad you found us!

To begin, if you haven't yet, please start by reading your messages.

Few questions regarding this stay...

If you can get a 4* hotel within your $150 budget would you like that OR is your goal the least expensive 3.5* or better for this stay? There are some 'known' hotels in the city with notoriously small rooms (~140 sq. ft.)... would these be acceptable or do you need to avoid any zone with a 'known' hotel with these qualities? Would a hotel up to a 15 minute walk t the subway be acceptable? Would anything within a $10-$15 taxi ride of the meat packing district be acceptable (or would you need to be closer than this?)

Let us know the above and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[princesultan]

i already read my messages and i will click on the links to purchase when ready.

if i can get something much cheaper at 3.5* (maybe 120/night?) then maybe i'd do that. something that's extremely small is not that desirable (i'll be with another person). 15 min walk to a subway is fine. 10-15$ taxi ride to meatpacking district is also fine.

thanks!

[thereuare]

I don't think that a 3.5* will be that much cheaper than a 4* (maybe $10-$15)... so would you prefer to go for a 4* property?

However, one other question since you mentioned traveling with another person... do you need two beds per room OR is 'double occupancy' sufficient? If you prefer two beds, is this a must have or a want?

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

[princesultan]

1 bed is preferable, it's my fiancee, lol.

4* property is preferable, but again, it's not a must.

[thereuare]

You mentioned "a meeting" in the Meat Packing District so i thought the trip may have been business related, which is why i asked about the two bed scenario.

Within a $10-$15 taxi fare can put you most places in the city at the 4* level. At the 4* level (the zone recommendations would be slightly different at the 3.5* or under level) my recommendations would be the following zones:

CPS, Chelsea, ESB, MTE, MTW, TS

If these are acceptable i'd begin as follows (if not acceptable just post back and we'll revise accordingly):

When bidding 4* 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, Chelsea, TS...

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

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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

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

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

Select 4* CPS, MTW, ESB...

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

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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

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

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

Select 4* MTE, Chelsea, ESB...

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

Select 4* CPS, MTW, TS...

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

Select 4* CPS, Chelsea, ESB, MTE, MTW, TS...

Bid $133, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $138, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $143, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $148, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150

Any questions feel free to ask (especially regarding re-bidding if you're new to the concept)

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[princesultan]

wow, very informative. i heard TS can get kinda crazy, which i why i was kinda shying away from there. true?

i've never used priceline before, but i did read your thread about re-bidding.

so basically, the 1st step in the process, "Select 4* MTE, Chelsea, TS...", how exactly do i do this? i add MTE 1st, then i bid 100, if it gets re-jected, then i add Chelsea?

[princesultan]

and just a follow up question, what different zone would i add to start the re-bidding?

[poley]

Not sure if it helps but I just booked Marriott Marquis in Times Square area 4* for same dates for $175 a night. Not sure how small the rooms are though but the last minute rate on the Marriott website is 2x the price

[thereuare]

princesultan,

i heard TS can get kinda crazy, which i why i was kinda shying away from there. true?

It depends upon your personality and what you look for from a hotel. I'm not such a fan of the zone as it's very touristy, but as far as congestion it's not as bad as it used to be now that some of the streets are closed off and act as a pedestrian walkway, so it alleviates some of the people on the sidewalks (although it can still get quite crowded... it is, afterall, Times Square). With this noted i would have no problem staying here if it offered the best deal... but more often then not we hear users say "I only want to stay in Times Square" and with this we often encourage them to consider other areas, in addition to Times Square, as with NYC being so compact and the zones being so close together, there is no reason to only consider the Times Square zone.

i've never used priceline before, but i did read your thread about re-bidding.

If you've read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and are still confused, try this:

1) Use the PRICELINE search box on the upper right of this page, enter 'New York City, NY' and your dates, and click "GO".

2) List each zone that is offered in this region.

3) Next to each zone list the highest star rating offered in the zone. The way to determine the highest star rating offered in the zone is by selecting the first zone i the list, then scrolling down to see the highest star rating selectable (ie- not greyed out). NEXT UNcheck the selected zone, place a checkmark in the next zone, and repeat the process for each zone in the region. Each time you take note of the highest star rating in the zone, make sure that only ONE zone is selected above.

4) post your findings and we'll take it from there

If you don't follow the above just post back and we'll break it down further.

so basically, the 1st step in the process, "Select 4* MTE, Chelsea, TS...", how exactly do i do this? i add MTE 1st, then i bid 100, if it gets re-jected, then i add Chelsea?

No, in this example you would be including MTE and Chelsea and TS (and any others on that line of the bidding strategy) as your first bid... then add re-bid zones (which you've identified and confirmed above) one-by-one.

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

poley,

Not sure if it helps but I just booked Marriott Marquis in Times Square area 4* for same dates for $175 a night.

Thanks for the post.

Can you please add your win to the board as a NEW TOPIC so that others will be aware of your trip when searching the topic titles on the board and in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins and Priceline Maps.

Thank you.

[princesultan]

2 questions:

1 - why am i choosing 3 zones at once (ex: start with zones MTE, Chelsea & TS) as opposed to starting with 1 zone at first?

2 - let's say i start with your step 1 and choose MTE, Chelsea & TS and my 1st bid is rejected, can you give me an example of a re-bid zone to add?

thanks.

[thereuare]

1 - why am i choosing 3 zones at once (ex: start with zones MTE, Chelsea & TS) as opposed to starting with 1 zone at first?

Using the first cycle of bids you're bidding MTE, Chelsea and TS from $100-$120. While the numbers in this example may not be realistic of true rates, assuming there is a 4* hotel available in the TS zone for $100 and a 4* hotel in the MTE zone for $120... if you only start with MTE you'll win the 4* at $120 and never have a chance to win the TS hotel at $100.

...can you give me an example of a re-bid zone to add?

While re-bidding may be the hardest concept of PRICELINE bidding to understand, i think we've done a pretty good job over the years of learning where others have difficulty and have been successful in teaching others by breaking it down one step at a time and 'walking thur the steps' to make it easily understandable. If you're still confused about re-bidding please follow these suggested steps and report your findings, we'll use that information to explain further (or if you're still confused state so in your reply and we'll break it down further):

1) Use the PRICELINE search box on the upper right of this page, enter 'New York City, NY' and your dates, and click "GO".

2) List each zone that is offered in this region.

3) Next to each zone list the highest star rating offered in the zone. The way to determine the highest star rating offered in the zone is by selecting the first zone i the list, then scrolling down to see the highest star rating selectable (ie- not greyed out). NEXT UNcheck the selected zone, place a checkmark in the next zone, and repeat the process for each zone in the region. Each time you take note of the highest star rating in the zone, make sure that only ONE zone is selected above.

4) post your findings and we'll take it from there

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

[princesultan]

ok, i understand. but just to be clear, you never gave me a re-bid zone, i'll have to find them myself? i think only the Bronx would qualify as a re-bid zone since there are no 4* hotels there, correct?

[princesultan]

Can anyone help me identify this hotel?

90% recommended by Hotwire users

4/5 rating on trip advisor

4-star Hotel in Downtown - SoHo - Financial District

This Hotel features the following amenities:

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

Business Center

Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

Laundry Facilities (self-service)

<amenity names only please... not descriptions>

High-Speed Internet Access

Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.

Free Internet

<amenity names only please... not descriptions>

*** I will click on your link to buy if this is a good hotel.

Thanks!!!

[AaronJB]

Please keep all posts regarding this stay within this thread. My guess for the HOTWIRE listing would be the Club Quarters World Trade or the World Center Hotel.

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

[princesultan]

ok, i understand. but just to be clear, you never gave me a re-bid zone, i'll have to find them myself? i think only the Bronx would qualify as a re-bid zone since there are no 4* hotels there, correct?

can someone confirm this? thank you!

[AaronJB]

can someone confirm this? thank you!

Please use the PRICELINE zone list - the first screen with the list of zones - to determine re-bid zones. Do not use the list of PRICELINE properties on Betterbidding.

On the PRICELINE list of zones, you can select one zone at a time and see what star ratings are available in that zone. The Bronx is a different region - you are looking for zones that do not have 4* within the same region.

There are several 4* re-bid zones within the New York City region. Please list them (and it's recommended to re-check each time, as the information can change at any time) and we would be happy to confirm.

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

[princesultan]

done! just won the sheraton in midtown west for 123/night. how did i do? is it a decent place? i used your PRICELINE link to buy.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Definitely a VERY nice win for this well-located property during the busy Summer period - Expedia's lowest rate is $254.15 per night (on sale).

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

Enjoy your stay.