Priceline Hotel: NYC - When to bid? 18/07 - 26/07

[leesauer]

Hi, I am going to New York from 18th July - 26th July and I want either a 4* or 3.5* in Midtown East, Midtown West, Times Square-Theatre District or SoHo, I was wondering how busy are those dates and how far in advance should I book the hotels?

Thanks

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

As far as when to bid, see the related 'Bid Early or Close to Arrival' in our PRICELINE FAQ.

Summer is usually slow season for NYC but sometimes an extended stay such as 8 consecutive nites can become an issue since the hotel much have deeply discounted inventory for the entire length of your stay. If even just one nite of your stay has no 'opaque' availability then that hotel is not able to accept your bid.

Let us know once you're ready to begin bidding and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[leesauer]

Thank you for your help :D so would it be recommended that I split my stay?

[Romelle]

The first question about splitting your bid is whether you are willing to chance getting different hotels for the different splits and having to move? Some people won't, and some think it an added adventure.

Regarding whether or not a split should be considered, some research can give you a good idea if it might be suggested.

The idea is to see if there is a day or days where the rates are unusually high. Lots of ways. You can look up the rack rates of a sample of specific hotels, or go into a general site like Expedia. My usual choice is to try the individual days in Hotwire, watching the star level I'm considering and at least a couple of the zones I'm considering.

And of course you can actually test it when bidding, by first bidding the whole span and then trying some shorter ranges at the same rate. You can even bid the different spans at a different star level.

New York City has a strong weekday/weekend rate pattern, with holidays and events further affecting it. If there aren't any major holidays and events, I'd guess your split might be Thu-Sat nights and then Sun-Thu, or 18/07-21/07 and 21/07-26/07.

Romelle

[AaronJB]

Additionally, what would be your desired budget per night for this stay?

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

[thereuare]

...so would it be recommended that I split my stay?

Depends upon your budget and how you feel about needing to change hotels mid-stay.

I'd certainly first try for the complete stay within your budget as there is no need to change hotels unless you want to (some people actually want to change hotels in order to stay in a different part of the city for a different perspective for part of their trip)... then if you're not successful within your budget we would then have a look at the individual dates to see if there is a major rate change over the course of your trip and then consider splitting accordingly.

What is your target budget? 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 trip?

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

[leesauer]

I've been trying to bid $90-$120 for a complete stay at Midtown East/West but have had no luck, should I just keep bidding for a complete stay until the date comes closer and i'm all out of luck, then split up the dates?

My target budget is around $90-$120 (not including tax) per night. I'm hoping i'll get a 4* around my target budget but if not I'm willing to pay that for a 3.5*. The most i'll pay for a 4* hotel is around $170 (including tax+fees).

[thereuare]

For a 4* hotel i would begin bidding now up to your target budget of $120 for the complete stay. I'm assuming this is too low but it's worth a shot.

From there, as you have 6+ months between now and your stay you can make a decision to:

1) continue trying for a 4* hotel for the complete stay until ~May/June at which point you can decide to raise your budget, lower your star rating, and/or SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID

2) try for your complete stay at a 3.5* hotel up to $120 (and once again decide what to do in the ~May/June timeframe)

3) try SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID for a 4* hotel

The choices 1-3 above depend upon your preferences for this trip... how much you want a 4* vs. a 3.5*, how you feel about changing hotels mid-trip, etc.

Also, at the 4* level are you not interested in ESB and/or CPS, as these are commonly bid at the 4* level as well and are generally considered convenient for the average visitor.

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 can suggest a strategy for you to follow.

[leesauer]

I'll probably continue with option 1. I'm not too fond of changing hotels half way, so ill just continue to try. I wouldn't minding bidding on ESB actually, so I might give that a try. Would you happen to know the average rate for this month ?

[thereuare]

If you go to our Priceline Maps you can select only the zone(s) you're interested in and then filter by the month of July... then next to each hotel you'll see the range of accepted bids for that property for July dates.

If you let us know your maximum bid for this trip, and the updated list of zones you're willing to accept, we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... and please click each of these links before replying.

Thanks.

[leesauer]

That link was heaps useful! thank you so much :D i'll keep you updated once I get my hotel :D

[AaronJB]

Thank you for keeping us updated on what you decide and let us know if you have additional questions.

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