Priceline Hotel: help needed on 3.5 -4* Manhattan Hotel

[pujianping]

Hi, I am planning to visit NYC from Sept 12-15 (3 nights). I am looking a booking a 3.5 star or higher room in any major areas around lower Manhattan (south of central park), my target is $150/night, my budget is slightly higher.

The Times Square area is definitely nice but other areas will also ok.

Any help with a strategy or suggestion would be appreciated,

Thanks for your help.

JP

[thereuare]

At the moment your budget may be tough for either a 3.5* or a 4*, but to supply an appropriate bidding strategy, are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5* OR is your goal the least expensive 3.5* or better for this stay?

Note that in NYC when bidding 3.5* and lower:

MTE - some 'known' hotels can be up to a 15 minute walk to the subway... is this acceptable?

CPS - has the Hudson Hotel, which while well located, has notoriously small rooms (~140 sq. ft.).. is this acceptable?

Let us know regarding which star rating you'd like to try first, and if bidding for 3.5* are both of the zones above acceptable... we'll then take it from there.

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

[pujianping]

Thanks for your reply.

I did notice the price seems to be quite steep during September, so I am willing to take a 3.5*, or even a decent 3* to fit in the budget.

I read on your forum regarding MTE and CPS, for sure I would like to avoid it.

Now, back to a question that probably been asked many many times, am I too early to bid? I understand it is a question with no answer, but like to hear from your expert opinion.

I had use your link to place my bid, but no luck yet. I have bid up to $150 for 4*, but nothing on the 3.5* yet.

Thanks again.

[thereuare]

...or even a decent 3* to fit in the budget.

With PRICELINE there is no way to target your preferred 3* hotels and/or avoid the 3* properties you don't want to receive... you need to be willing to accept any 3* hotel in the zone that you bid... or not bid that zone.

I read on your forum regarding MTE and CPS, for sure I would like to avoid it.

Exactly which zones have you already tried at the 4* level? Which zones, by PRICELINE name, are you willing to accept at the 3.5* level?

Now, back to a question that probably been asked many many times, am I too early to bid? I understand it is a question with no answer, but like to hear from your expert opinion.

For an indepth discussion on this subject see the related "Bid Early or Close to Check-in" link in our PRICELINE FAQ. Bottomline is that I think it will ultimately take more than $150/nite for these dates.

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

[pujianping]

I have not looked into 3* or 3.5* at this time. I guess that would be my start point next.

My previous bid includes all the 4* at lower Manhattan, just by adding the rebid zones, up to $150/night.

I will read the "Bid Early" as you suggested, and study a little more on the 3* hotels.

My target is to minimize the walking from hotel to sight-seeing locations, and possible close to time square so that I could walk around at night. I guess Time Square has the best location with highest price tag.

Thanks for your input, would appreciate any suggestions.

[thereuare]

Once you decide upon zones/star rating/budget and are ready to move forward let us know 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.

[pujianping]

Hi there, I found this hotel on hotwire but can not figure out which one it is. Could you help me identify it.

Date 9/12-9/15,

Central Park West Hotel,

2.5-star Hotel in Central Park West

This Hotel features the following amenities:

High-Speed Internet Access

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

Thank you for your help.

[pujianping]

Just want to add that it has not customer rating at this time and also said

$258 other sites*

$105.00 per room, per night

Checking against the list we have here, there are two candidate with known rating.

Marrakech and Excelsior, both have fair reviews, but the one on the hotwire does not have any review.

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread.

With just a solo Hi-Speed Internet amenity listed this could be just about anything so i don't have any insight for this one. However, i'll add that on my HOTWIRE search this property does show a 3.5/5.0 TA rating.

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

Let us know whatever you decide to do for this stay or if we can be of further help.

[pujianping]

thanks for your information, I thought I need to keep the post in the correct location, but will continue the same post from now on.

I am so glad that you notice the TA rating, which rule out the Marrakech. But still debating whether should go ahead to get it.

Based on another round of research on TA, there are only 3 hotels match the description: Park 79, Belnord and Comfort Inn.

Question here, does Hotwire sell the secrete hotel in regular price too? cause I can not find any of the above hotel in the regular price list.

thanks again.

[thereuare]

Some hotels participate in only the 'opaque' side of their service, some only in the 'retail' side, and some in both... so you may win a hotel that doesn't appear in the retail listings, and likewise you may see a retail hotel that never appears on the 'hidden' side of their service.

Also, note that the TA information shown by HOTWIRE is not update in real time, so it's possible that the rating shown by HOTWIRE does not match the current rating at TA (if the rating at TA has recently changed and HOTWIRE has not yet updated their system... which in the past they did about one every 2-3 weeks)

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

[pujianping]

Was it just me or the Hotwire price seems to jump 20% today.

[thereuare]

Not sure when you last looked... they did have a 24 hours sale two days ago, so it's possible rates have risen since then (if you didn't check yesterday) but it also may just be that demand for these specific dates has increased.

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

[pujianping]

The price went back down, woo, my guess is that they have a system update, there was about 3 hours of time that the price is way up. I almost thought there is a big event or sth. Thanks.

Could you help to identify this HOTWIRE property?

Hoboken - Jersey City - North Bergen area hotel, 4 star

Pool, smoke free, fitness, restaurant, business center, high speed internet, blind, path of travel, in room accessibility, accessible bathroom, handicapped parking.

9/12-9/13 shows $156, and 9/13-9/15 shows $107. Thanks for your help.

[thereuare]

The Sheraton Lincoln Harbor has previously been seen with this amenity set so that would be my best guess for this one.

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

Let us know how it goes or if we can be of further help.

[pujianping]

That was my guess too, just hesitate that whether I should wait for last minute deal. Thanks for your help. I will come back if there is any updates.

[AaronJB]

This is generally one of the busier times of year in Manhattan. If you wait until last minute, prices could come down, but they could also easily go the other way this time of year (although I think there's probably not much downside from these price points for September dates)

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

[pujianping]

Hi, we decide to stay at a local motel in Flushing NY for $80 per night, it is called "East Sea Inn". Thanks for all the help and support from the forum. Please close this post.

[thereuare]

Thanks for closing this thread with your decision.

Please check for and use the links in our Support Page whenever possible for your hotel direct/non-opaque purchases.

Thanks.