Priceline Hotel: help priceline bidding 4* TS

[gander1980]

Hi Folks, Im looking to bid on a 4* hotel in Times Square sept15-20

what it be reasonable to bid 215/night?

also what 3.5* could I expect in this area?

would prices go down in the coming weeks?

thanks!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

At current rates a bid of $215 might be possible but... but not likely too much lower than this.

Is Times Square the only zone you're willing to accept, as other nearby zones can often offer a better value... and with most midtown zones being so condensed and adjacent to one another, you really don't give up much in terms of convenience (as well, if you're a first time visitor to the city, i often mention that you will spend far less time in Times Square then you think). See our thoughts in this Hotels Near Times Square thread.

As far as timing your bid, nobody can say if rates will come down, or move higher, between now and your stay (this may be especially true with the economy so uncertain right now who knows what business travel will be like in 2-3 months) but this is typically the start of peak season in NYC... for more on this subject see the related 'Bid Early or Close to Check-in' link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

After reading the content at the links above let us know your questions and/or thoughts on how you'd like to proceed, and we will advise accordingly.

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

[gander1980]

that is great info thanks so much!

any suggestions on what areas I could also be looking at?

I would be looking to do the typical 'first NYC visit' stuff, so good location and a good hotel thats not going to break the bank :)

[AaronJB]

I'll agree that Times Square is not an area I'd recommend - the area is often the most crowded and expensive (and as noted above, you will likely spend less time in this area than you may think.)

Personally, I'd much rather recommend the Midtown East area or the Empire State Building area. The issue with MTE at the 3.5* level is that some properties in the zone are far E in MTE and not as conveniently located.

Additionally, it becomes a question of how much time that you are going to spend in the room - if you are going to spend most of your time out, a 3.5* may be more than satisfactory.

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

[thereuare]

For the average user at the 4* level i think that MTE, MTW, CPS, ESB, MSG, and TS are all centrally located (i wouldn't necessarily avoid Times Square, but i wouldn't go out of my way to target it either... if that is where the best deal is i would take it). Depending upon your style you may also want to include Chelsea (a 'hot' area right now with lots of bars, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, etc)

At the 3.5* i would remove CPS from the list above (due to the small rooms at the Hudson) and possibly also not include MTE due to the distance from the subway (it's do-able, but not ideal... less of an issue if you're the type that leaves the hotel in the morning and doesn't return home until the end of the day... more of an issue if you like to return to the hotel 2-3 times throughout the day to sit down, freshen up, drop off bags, etc)

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'll take it from there.

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