Priceline Hotel: 3/4* in Manhattan

[poolwizzza]

Hi there,

I'm new to PL and would like to spend a romantic we in NYC. As I've never been there, I'd like some help. I'm looking for a double room, 2 adults, from 22nd Oct to 24th, close to attractions. I don't really know what budget I should be expecting, as prices vary widely, from $100 to $600+, sometimes for same hotels... I have around $150 budget per night, which is flexible (in both directions! ).

Can you advise on a strategy with PL? perhaps starting with 4* ?

Thanks,

Pool.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You mentioned a weekend in NYC but the dates above are actually Sat-Mon... is that correct?

If so, i think a 4* hotel is going to be a very tough win at $150... our strategies try lower bids first and gradually work up, so what is your true upper limit for a 4*?

Sunday nites in NYC are the cheapest of all, so i think you may have success for that solo nite at only slightly more than your budget, is SPLITTING YOUR BID an option?... although that still leaves the 'problem' of Saturday nite which is going to be much more difficult (and likely much higher in price!)

Let us know your thoughts and we'll advise how to best proceed.

[poolwizzza]

The dates are correct indeed. I prefer not to split, to avoid the hassle of changing location during such a short stay (also coming from UK).

Budget is flexible, I'm looking at max $200 per night (excl taxes).

If splitting necessary to reach this, I might consider it, but realistically, would really prefer not to.

Is late Oct a peak period? i've seen some 4* go for much less than $150.

Thanks to advise a strategy. I've checked out the tricks of the game, and think I can deal with the rebidding etc.

[thereuare]

At the 4* level you have two re-bid zones... at the 3* level you have one.

To try for a 4*, this is how i woudl proceed:

Select 4* MTE...

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

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTW...

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

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* UM/CPS...

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

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE and MTW...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $185, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE and UM/CPS...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $185, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS...

Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $200.

If the above fails, i'm not clear as to whether you'd like to try for a 3* or consider splitting the bid for a 4*... although i can understand your aprehension about splitting a bid for a two nite stay.

Ask any questions that you may have and try the above... if it fails then let us know what route you'd like to take to proceed (split or lower star rating).

Good Luck.

[poolwizzza]

Thanks for that. I've tried all the options and got nothing... Could you advise me a strategy for 3*? Thanks so much!!!

Also, in your experience, how much would you think be needed to get a 4* those nights?

Finally, were I to split the nights, would it come as cheaper per night on average?

Thanks so much for your help! I'll definitively talk about your site to friends and use it again for next trips to US.

Pool.

[poolwizzza]

In addition to my previous response, I've checked out some of the 3* hotels available to PL, and have found Hudson Hotel, Park Central, Sheraton, Roosevelt Hotel (and also Clarion 5th Ave and Melrose hotel). Are they others that you know of? The first 4 listed seem quite nice. Clarion and Melrose don't have good reviews on tripadvisor.com ...

Thanks

[thereuare]

All 'known and reported' hotels are in our hotel list for this area... but new hotels are added all the time (and some are removed, while others are upgraded and some are downgraded) so there is no guarantee that you will get something that appears in the current lists (although the odds favor it).

For 3* you only have one re-bid zone:

Select 3* MTE...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* MTW...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* UM/CPS...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* MTE and MTW...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* MTE and UM/CPS...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS...

Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $200.

If the above fails we can then discuss if you'd like to wait it out, bid higher, or consider splitting your stay.

[poolwizzza]

So you'd suggest keeping the prices, even for 3 star hotels?

[poolwizzza]

Hi,

I've tried it again, up to $200, and nothing came up... This brings new questions...

1. How much do you think would get me a 4*, and how much a 3*?

2. How would splitting up work? What would you suggest, and would this cost more/less? This would mean changing hotels between noon and 3pm roughly... Not great in NY, when visiting sights, wouldn't you say?

I don't really want to go down below 3*... Are there other options than PL?

Thanks for your useful help.

Pool.

[thereuare]

What airport do you fly into?

[poolwizzza]

jfk

[thereuare]

I'd guess that you're looking at $240-$275 for a 3* or 4*.

If you split i think you can get close to $200 for Sunday nite... Saturday is probalby close to $275-$300 (as a guess). Or maybe "Downtown" is an option for Saturday nite? (not a great location, but you'll still be in the city and can take the subway to midtown)

You can also try EasyClickTravel and QUIKBOOK, but when i looked the other day when this thread first started i didn't see anything that stood out as 'interesting'.

I just took another look at you can get the Beekman Tower thru QUIKBOOK for $269/nite for a Studio Suite. Another user just returned from there and hated it, but we're also had many users who really enjoyed the property.... here are additional comments.

What do you think?

[poolwizzza]

That's way over budget. Thanks though. I think I might wait the 72hours, and see what happens then. Maybe try a 2.5* hotel. What should I expect to pay for that category, and what's the type of hotel you get?

I'll keep checking on EasyClickTravel adn QuikBook too.

Still not keen on splitting... prefer to pay more or get less than split. Thanks.

[Blueskies]

Poolwizza,

If you can't get anything on Priceline you may want to consider an apartment. Check Craigslist - http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/vac/

If its a hotel you want try http://www.applecorehotels.com. They have different properties but you would need to check out reviews to see they were ok.

Other option of course would be New Jersey. Have you considered that option?

I note that Michelangelo is on Expedia for 122 UK pounds for the Sunday night but only a junior suite available for Saturday night. Flatotel also available on Expedia.UK

[poolwizzza]

In the end, I went for the Helmsley NY, from ebookers, for $235. It was the best deal I could find for a decent hotel.

Thanks for your help all the same, I hope to use PL succesfully in future.

Pool.