Priceline Hotel: Help with a Manhattan hotel 9/2-9/8

[yoohoo]

Hi there,

I've been trying to bid on a hotel in Manhattan for less than $130 (as less as possible, obviously). I really don't mind where it is in Manhattan or the star level, I'm just leery about bidding on hotels in Queens/Brooklyn since I'll have no idea if they're in close proximity to the subway or in sketchy areas until it's booked. I feel like I've tried every zone and every price from $80 up... am I missing something? Is my bid just too low for the time of year? Priceline keeps showing other people's alleged winning bids and many of them are lower than mine :( Thanks in advance for any help!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please start by reading your messages and clicking 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.

[yoohoo]

Okay, did that. :) Any thoughts? Thanks again!

[thereuare]

$130 is not likely enough for these dates... what star level is it that you've been bidding?

Is staying in NJ and commuting via bus to Manhattan acceptable?

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

[yoohoo]

Thanks for your response.

I'd rather not stay in NJ due to the difficulty getting there late at night from NYC - a friend who lives there told me that it's pretty difficult and costly ($10/person each way). Any thoughts on that? I did find a Travelocity deal for a 3.5 star for $80/night and I was so tempted! Since I'm struggling with airbnb/hotels in the city, I might still consider it.

I'd be totally willing to stay in Brooklyn or Queens so long as it's close to a useful subway line and doesn't take too long to get into the city.

[thereuare]

I'd rather not stay in NJ due to the difficulty getting there late at night from NYC - a friend who lives there told me that it's pretty difficult and costly ($10/person each way). Any thoughts on that?

I'd disagree, and i'm assuming you might have not have clarified that we were talking about the Jersey City-Hoboken-Weehawken zones (or your friend was referring to taking a taxi from Manhattan) How late will you be arriving back from NYC. Typically the bus stops running at 1:30am... after that hour you would need to take the PATH train to Hoboken and then a taxi to the Sheraton.

Bus Fare: $3.45 each way

Taxi from Hoboken: $10 total for up to four passengers (i'm guessing this amount... it's $5 anywhere in Hoboken, and the Sheraton is just over the Hoboken border... if they wanted more than $10 i'd take the taxi to the Hoboken border and walk the extra 100 yards ;) )

I'd be totally willing to stay in Brooklyn or Queens so long as it's close to a useful subway line and doesn't take too long to get into the city.

You've just nailed the problem... the zone(s) are geographically large and as you get outside of the city the subway stations become more spread out, so there is no way to ensure that you'll be within close proximity to a subway station (and the further east in the zone you end up the more commute time it will take). As well, above you reference coming back to the city very late at nite... i wouldn't recommend taking the subway to Brooklyn/Queens after 11pm or so.

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

[mtbscott]

Don't want to start a storm here, but on some travel forums, Queens (especially the LIC neighborhood), and Brooklyn are usually touted as alternatives to Manhattan much more than New Jersey for the simple fact they are still IN NYC. I have stayed often in LIC and once in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn and the subways were still safe and crowded way past 11PM.

That said, in general I think the routine prices in the outer boroughs are reasonable enough that using PRICELINE isn't as useful as it is in Manhattan. If you do include Brooklyn and Queens in your PRICELINE bids, I would make double sure you peruse the known hotels that might take your bid. There's a huge difference in close in Queens and Brooklyn, versus the much less desirable airport area hotels.

[thereuare]

...Brooklyn are usually touted as alternatives to Manhattan much more than New Jersey for the simple fact they are still IN NYC.

I know, and NJ is often discounted as a viable option because it is in a different state, but it shouldn't be as the Weehawken-Jersey City-Hoboken zone is actually closer to Manhattan than many points in the Queens/Brooklyn zones.

As well, all the known hotels in the Weehawken-Jersey City-Hoboken zone are in clean neighborhoods vs. the industrial-ness of LIC, which as i've said before on the board just feels 'dirty' to me.

I have stayed often in LIC and once in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn and the subways were still safe and crowded way past 11PM.

You can ride almost any subway and odds favor that nothing bad will happen, but for somebody who may stand out as a tourist, it's just not worth it and ruining a vacation... especially when traveling outside of Manhattan where some of the lines can get a bit rougher as you get further outside of the city.

Overall i prefer the Weehawken-Jersey City-Hoboken experience, but:

1) it may not be everyone's choice

2) not worth crossing the island if arriving from JFK or LGA for a short trip (for a longer trip, yes, it is worth it, imo)... and definitely is worth it if arriving via Newark

My .02

[flyingcupcake]

Sorry I have to add my two cents now. I'm understand that out-of-towners might think it's "dangerous" to ride the subways past 11pm to Brooklyn or Queens (it's not), but I'm confused as to why people would think riding the bus or the PATH late at night would be safer or faster. There are parts of Manhattan and New Jersey that are sketchier than Queens and Brooklyn.

That being said, you're going to have a long commute (like at least 1.5 hours, longer if late at night) to Manhattan for any of the zones for JFK, LGA, Elmhurst, and Flushing Whitestone. Flushing is off the 7 line, and is a populated safe area with amazing Chinese food, but if you don't get a hotel right off the subway stop, you'll have a long bus commute to the subway. The subway is SAFE to ride late at night but no one wants to ride the subway for 3 hours back to Queens at 3am.

I personally think the LIC area in Queens is just fine. Yes, it's got that dirty industrial neighborhood thing, but it's got a bunch of subway stops, it's close to Manhattan, and will get you to Grand Central in 10 minutes.

If you go the Jersey City/Hoboken route, the PATH train is an extra $2 and will take you to subway stations from 9th Street to 34th Street in the city. Just make sure your hotel is near a PATH train.

[flyingcupcake]

Also adding more advice for the known Priceline Brooklyn locations.

NYC Airports (Brooklyn)

4* Sheraton Brooklyn (previously 3.5*) REVIEW --downtown, near lotsa subways

3.5* Marriott Brooklyn Bridge -- yup, def near subways

3* Aloft Brooklyn -- near subways, downtown

2.5* Best Western Plus Prospect Park Hotel -- ok this one is a little farther south, but it's near a subway

2.5* Condor Hotel Brooklyn -- in Bed Stuy, it's near walking distance of a subway. A little sketch of a neighborhood

2.5* Holiday Inn Express Brooklyn Downtown (279 Butler St) Comfort Inn Brooklyn Bridge REVIEW -- def near subywas

2.5* Holiday Inn Express (625 Union St) REVIEW -- nice location in Park Slope, Brooklyn, right off Union st subway

2* La Quinta Inn Brooklyn Downtown -- a little south in sunset park, but near subway

1* Days Inn (previously 2*) REVIEW -- a little south in sunset park, but near subway

1* Howard Johnson Brooklyn (previously 2*) REVIEW -- a little south in sunset park, but right off a subway

All are near subways. Downtown Brooklyn isn't the prettiest neighborhood, but you'll be fine. There's tons of subways and you'll be in Manhattan within 30 minutes or less. The hotels that are a little South are in Sunset Park, which isn't a bad neighborhood. It's just not Times Square. You're definitely near subways, will be in Manhattan in about an hour.

[thereuare]

There are parts of Manhattan and New Jersey that are sketchier than Queens and Brooklyn.

True, but we're specifically talking about the PRICELINE Jersey City - Hoboken - Weehawken zone, which geographically is a small area, a quick ride to/from Manhattan, and not sketchy (other parts of Jersey City are... but they're not included in the boundaries of this PRICELINE zone)

[flyingcupcake]

True, but we're specifically talking about the PRICELINE Jersey City - Hoboken - Weehawken zone, which geographically is a small area, a quick ride to/from Manhattan, and not sketchy (other parts of Jersey City are... but they're not included in the boundaries of this PRICELINE zone)

Hey, I didn't say it wasn't. I'm just vouching for Brooklyn and Queens since they were brought up first by the OP and folks are saying it's a dangerous and a huge zone. As someone who's lived in both Brooklyn and Queens, I figured I could shed some light on what the various zones meant if the OP wanted to save money AND stick near a subway. Basically, I wouldn't bid in any of the Queens zones (they are near subways, but it's a LONG ride to midtown), but the known Brooklyn locations look OK if you get a good deal.

And I agree that zone in NJ is fine in terms of safety, but the locations in the Brooklyn zone are definitely near the subway and more convenient than taking the bus from NJ. Some locations are better than others, but you'll get to Manhattan easily. I know that the zones can seem large to out-of-towners, which is why I tried to break it down in my replies.

But we can debate NJ vs. Brooklyn/Queens to the death -- I think they're both fine depending on what you're looking for. If it's a NJ hotel next to the PATH station, it'll also be convenient. My point was that Brooklyn and Queens are not super scary and dangerous if that's what's holding you back. We outer-borough residents aren't all thugs out to get tourists. Really.

Anyway, best of luck to the OP on whatever you decide.

[yoohoo]

Wow! Thanks all for your advice and opinions. I didn't expect this to stir so much interest :)

re: lateness of the hour, my friend and I are fairly young and I expect there are a couple of nights we won't be leaving for our hotel until 1 or 2 am. Personally, I've spent quite a bit of time in NY and have traveled fairly extensively, and I feel fairly comfortable riding the subway late at night and don't think I stand out as a tourist (never been pickpocketed, knock on wood). So being in Brooklyn or Queens doesn't make me nervous.. the past few times I've been in NY I stayed with a friend in Astoria and felt totally comfortable. I like diverse and vibrant neighborhoods :)

So I guess I'm a little confused about the NJ suggestion - does that priceline zone include the Newark airport hotels? The friend who advised against NJ made it seem like it would be very difficult to get back and forth after midnight or that it would take a really long time. The NJ option is tempting for the value, as well as because my friend who's joining me from Argentina is flying into Newark. At this point we're looking at options around $120-130 in Brooklyn and Queens, and they're not thrilling (to say the list). Can someone explain the difference the bus and PATH to NJ to me - how long does it take?

And thanks for the info on the hotels in Brooklyn. It definitely made Brooklyn options seem more attractive. Now I'm confused..

[yoohoo]

And thanks for the info on the hotels in Brooklyn. It definitely made Brooklyn options seem more attractive. Now I'm confused..

As a followup to this, any ideas on successful bidding prices for the BK hotels? Assuming for a 2.5 or 2 star.

Edited to add that I found a hotel on hotwire in Brooklyn listed at $112, two stars. Business Center, High-Speed Internet Access, Free Parking, Free Internet. Any ideas on what it could be? I looked at the list here but it only has 2.5 stars, and no 2 stars. I'm guessing it's Sleep Inn, but not sure.

Thanks again!

[thereuare]

For the Brooklyn hotel, if you click the SHOW ME button (with the price in it) and then on the ensuing page click the 'See all' link at the end of the amenities, do you see more than that you've included above? The 2* hotel i'm seeing in this zone when searching HOTWIRE for your dates has NINE amenities (not just the four you've included above). If we're looking at the same property, this hotel also has a very low 55% recommendation from previous HOTWIRE guests.. is this something that would seem acceptable?

If you enter "Hoboken, NJ" into the BiddingHelper.com search box at the top of the page you'll be taken to the PRICELINE map for this region. The region name is Newark, NJ-Meadowlands, and within the region there are SEVEN zones... the only one here that you would be interested in would be the Jersey City - Hoboken - Weehawken zone. You can also get a feel for the hotels in this area by using or Priceline Maps and UNchecking all the zones in the region except for Hoboken-Jersey City.

NJ transit puts the trip from Weekhawken Lincoln Harbor at 15 minutes, but it could be shorter/longer depending upon traffic and what time of day you travel (for instance late at nite on the return trip from NY --> Lincoln Harbor, as there is no toll booth, they put the trip at 7 minutes). The PATH (once you're on the train) is about 15 minutes as well... you would likely only use this if/when you come home after the bus stops running (i believe the bus stops running at ~1:30am except Sundays when the last trip is at 12:30am. See this schedule: NJ Transit 158)

[flyingcupcake]

Glad to help! The subway is your friend if you want to do NYC cheaply. Taxis are expensive, plus you'll need to get lucky to find a cab driver who'll take you from the city to NJ, Brooklyn, or Queens. (They are SUPPOSED to, but they don't like to. So if you absolutely must take a cab out of Manhattan, get in FIRST before telling them where you're going, or they might drive off.)

NJ Transit is NJ's bus system. The PATH is NJ's train system -- their version of a subway. Whether one takes longer than the other to get to the city depends on where your hotel is. But the PATH is easier to use if you're from out of town. I'd stay away from NJ Transit buses or MTA buses if you're visiting. There's nothing wrong with the buses, but they are just confusing to navigate if you're only here for a few days. Also, as a visitor, it's going to be super easy to miss your bus stop especially late at night coming back tipsy from a bar/club/party. The train stops are super obvious though. Don't bother with the buses, trust me on this one.

Your friend who's advising you against NJ is doing you a favor because going home at 1am or 2am is considered EARLY in NYC. And the PATH train runs less late at night, though it's 24 hours like the NYC subway. But I don't see anything wrong with staying in a NICE hotel in a NICE neighborhood in NJ if you're saving money as long as you're near a PATH station -- the PATH train connects to subways at World Trade Center, 9th Street in the West Village, 23rd st/6th ave, 34th St Herald Square. It's cheap and easy to navigate. You can google the known hotels in that Priceline NJ zone and see if it's next to a PATH station.

Staying near a subway in BK or LIC or a PATH in NJ is the most affordable and simplest. You'll be able to stay out late, and spend your money on drinks instead of cabs. Best of luck!