Priceline Hotel: Hotel in New York in MTW or MTE Aug 17 - Aug 24

[twinsrus]

This is my first time trying to get a hotel through priceline and not having any luck. I've tried to bid for 3 days starting at $120 all the way up to $160 for MTW and up to $141 for MTE, tried to split the dates up to 3 days, 4 days, 5 days and 6 days. I've used the strategy of of multiple bids up to 7 free rezone bids. I've tried to bid throgh the suggested priceline line and I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong??? I only want to pay up to $165, I'm going to be up there August 17th - August 24th, should I be breaking the days up?? is 7 consecutive days too long?? any strategies would be very much appreciated. Should I be bidding more, how much should I be going up too??

Thank you,

TK

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Based upon current rates, for this complete stay i think you'll need to be in the $ area.

If SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID is an option, i think you have a chance at a 4* for 8/17-8/21 which i would try first, if that is rejected you could also try for 8/17-8/20... then for the remaining nites you'll likely need to bid higher, lower your star rating, or expand to other zones outside of midtown.

If you're willing to stay in the UWS zone i think you may have a chance at a 4* hotel there within your current bidding limit of $165 (if not then just a few dollars more would likely do it)

Lastly, while it may not necessarily help, is there a reason you're also not including TS, CPS and/or ESB in your bidding... these are usually just as convenient and centrally located for the average user, and while it may not help, giving more hotels the opportunity to accept your bid certainly couldn't hurt.

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 take it from there.

[twinsrus]

Thank you for your reply, My wife and I will be moving our daughter into Columbia Law school, and we've never been to New York, I don't care where we stay I just want it to be safe since we will be coming back late in the evening. I'm not stuck on a 4 star I just want it to be fairly close to Columbia for the few days we will be going there. After my daughter is moved in then my wife and I will be doing some site seeing in NYC so I would like it close to local transit too. Any stratagies you have on the correct way of bidding would be very helpful. Thank you.

[thereuare]

Will your daughter be staying at Columbia for the duration of this trip or do you need triple occupancy for any part of this stay?

Is there a reason why you didn't include UWS in your bidding as that would get you closer to Columbia than MTE (she's on the Upper West Side, correct?)... even Chelsea, MSG and TS would be a bit more convenient than MTE.

Let us know regarding the double/triple occupancy above as at the moment this will be the most deciding factor of your options, we'll take it from there.

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

[twinsrus]

my daughter will be staying in her apartment and we will only need double occupancy. I get in late on Friday and we plan to move her in over the weekend, then on Monday we would like to do a little site seeing. We are not stuck on a 4 we just want something that is in a safe area just in case we get back late. We could stay close to her on Friday - Monday and then go to another hotel that would be close to local transportation to do some site seeing but still be close enough to go see her.

Thank you,

TK

[thereuare]

If SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID is an option i think 8/17-8/20 and then 8/20-8/24 is a good split as rates are typically a little less Friday-Monday than they are during the mid-week.

For Fri-Mon i think you have a good chance at landing the Empire Hotel in the UWS side which would likely be a convenient location to your daughter on the UWS (please confirm that she is indeed on the UWS). However, for the balance of your stay you'll likely need to lower your star rating and/or increase your budget, but it seems like your plans may be a bit more flexible (and open) for those dates since there would be a little less of a need to be in close proximity to your daughter's apartment.

Let us know your thoughts and we'll take it from there.

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

[twinsrus]

Yes my daughter is on West 119th street and I think that is in the UWS area. Plus I'm not stuck on being in a 4 star just as long as it is safe. Thank you for your help. TK

[thereuare]

Assuming SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID is acceptable, what is your goal for the 8/17-8/20 leg of your stay?

What are the most important factors (and how would you rank them): price, star rating, proximity to Columbia... anything else important to you for this leg of your stay?

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

[twinsrus]

for the 8/17 - 8/20 part of the trip the most important part would be to be close to columbia (West 119th street) then to be in a safe area and Star Rating, and for the second part of the trip would be to be in a Safe area, close to the sites and star rating, 3 1/2 stars would be fine. We've never been to New York so anything you would reccommend would be appreciated. Thank you TK

[twinsrus]

I wanted to see if you have any bidding technics you can offer, I would like to have a 3 star or higher. Thank you

Price, close to columbia, Star Rating

[twinsrus]

I'm staying with my daughter for the first 3 days and now I need August 20 - August 24, what area do you reccommend for me to bid on a 3 - 3 1/2 star. I want to be in a central area to be able to get to locations with double occupancies and is safe. I don't want CPS. Could you give me bidding technics for a 3 1/2 star and if that doesn't work technics for a 3 star along with any area you reccomend to stay at, looking to pay $160.

Hotwire has a Chelsa hotel for $156, could you help identify this hotel (8/20-8/24 3 1/2 stars for $156 Chelsa/Madison Square Garden Hotel it doesn't show you an area map. Reccomended by 90% of hot wire customer reviews, smoke free rooms, fitness center, business center, free internet, when you click on ammenities see all High Speed internet comes up. Do you have an idea on what this hotel is??

Thank you

TK

[thereuare]

Here are my thoughts for 8/20-8/24...

Best 'bang for your buck' will likely be in the MTE zone where i think you can get a 4* hotel for ~$145-$165 (the Helmsley New York is undergoing constructions/renovations at the moment and this would be one of the possible, and at this time likely, outcomes in this zone... just make sure that you're OK with a hotel that has some construction taking place)

A 4* in the UWS zone (likely/possible Empire hotel) can be had for ~$160-$180... this would give you a decent location and proximity to your daughter, as well as a good value relative to the other offers/options.

A 3* hotel can possibly be had in the Chelsea/MSG zone for ~$135-$155... this is on the west side so relatively subway access to your daughter, but although cheaper than the hotels i've outlined above, it's not that much cheaper and a full star rating lower in quality, so may be cheaper but possibly not as good of a value.

Taking into consideration all of the above... your thoughts?

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