billbarnes353 Posted May 14, 2014 Report Posted May 14, 2014 I am trying to bid for the best hotel in either 4 or 4.5 star in Times Square for 8/27-8/31. I am not sure the best way to do that. I put a bid of $199 in the other day for 4.5 star and it was rejected. I looked on this board to see if there are any rates posted of won bids during that time period but it didn't have any. I am not sure how to determine the best price for 4.5 star. I am also willing to do 4 star if the price is substantially less. Any help is hugely appreciated. Staying that long in times square is pricey! Thanks in advance!
thereuare Posted May 14, 2014 Report Posted May 14, 2014 Welcome to BetterBidding! I'd start with this thread regarding Hotels near Times Square, as it is usually not necessarily to stay directly in Times Square in order to be conveniently and well located. There is only one 'known' 4.5* hotel reported to the board in this zone, the InterContinetnal Times Square which is selling for $315/nite for your dates... if you want to stick with 4.5* and above, and only Times Square, given the rate fo this comparable property, how high would you be willing to bid before you consider lowering your star rating and/or including other zones? For comparison purposes of staying in nearby zones that are generally considered convenient, i'm seeing what i believe to be the following on HOTWIRE: The Row NYC (if you want a 4* in NYC) for $190/nite St. Giles - The Tuscany (ESB zone and good reviews) for $217/nite TRYP Times Square South (MSG zone) for $179/nite Omni Berkshire Place (MTE property with good reviews) for $217/nite Let us know your thoughts/questions and how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
billbarnes353 Posted May 14, 2014 Author Report Posted May 14, 2014 are you mentioning HOTWIRE because you think it offers better deals in NYC for my purposes?
AaronJB Posted May 14, 2014 Report Posted May 14, 2014 Those are nice deals for those properties if any of those specific hotels is of interest (vs bidding where you don't know which you may get), but the post I believe was to show that other areas are more reasonable than TS. Additionally, I'd much rather recommnend MTE or ESB (convenient and yet, less expensive and crowded/hectic) instead of TS. Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.
billbarnes353 Posted May 14, 2014 Author Report Posted May 14, 2014 Thanks for the advice. This is what I am thinking now.... I am open to both TS and MTW. I will do either a 4* or 4.5* in either area. (Is there a chance that a 4* might not be a really nice hotel?) My order of preference is: TS and then MTW, but if I can save $20+/night for a comperable or better hotel then I would do MTW. Now my question is.... how do I approach this and what should my starting bid be?
AaronJB Posted May 14, 2014 Report Posted May 14, 2014 You can see the hotels that have been reported to the board here: Priceline Hotel List New York. Please read the note at the top of the list. The pro with bidding is that it is cheaper than PRICELINE Express or HOTWIRE, often at least slightly-to-moderately. The trade-off is that you have to be willing to stay at ANY of the hotels at that star rating in that zone. If you would rather pay a bit more for a greater chance of something you might like, HOTWIRE or PRICELINE Express are better options. Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.
thereuare Posted May 14, 2014 Report Posted May 14, 2014 The point of the hotels i listed above were to give you some deals at some very nice hotels that were within your price point. My advice would still be to expand beyond the immediate Times Square area (yes, include it in your bidding, but don't focus your main attention there as you will likely spend far less time in this area then you think), but it's your trip and you know your needs best, so if you only want to bid TS and MTW then that is what we will suggest a strategy for. So that we don't suggest a strategy that goes higher then you're willing to pay, what is your maximum bid for this stay? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
thereuare Posted May 15, 2014 Report Posted May 15, 2014 My guess is that the following will be too low, but with time on your side i would start with the following: When bidding 4* in NYC you have ONE re-bid zone. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding. Select 4* TS... Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTW... Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* TS and MTW... Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $160 Any questions feel free to ask. If rejected don't get discouraged (as i said, i suspect this will be too low), just post back and we'll revise to try again in 24 hours. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
billbarnes353 Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Posted May 15, 2014 Thanks for all of the advice. I got to $160 and was still denied. Do I just keep going up by $5 increments until it is accepted? It could take a couple of days, but the trip isn't for 3 months. Is there any better day of the week/time where you can get better pricing? (I doubt it but thought it would be worth asking)
AaronJB Posted May 15, 2014 Report Posted May 15, 2014 Unfortunately, there is no "best time" - it really comes down to whether or not hotels decide to offer discounted inventory for your date/s and how traffic levels are coming in. The best bet is to be persistent and create a "ceiling" that you bid up to and if, over time, bids are not accepted at the ceiling, you can decide to bid higher or make other adjustments (zone, star rating, etc.) You can also use our new ratedrop.com service to get alerts when Price.line Express, Hot.wire or regular rate listings come down in price. Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.
billbarnes353 Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Posted May 15, 2014 I will try the RateDrop website in conjunction with rebidding to see what works best. Thanks!
thereuare Posted May 15, 2014 Report Posted May 15, 2014 The next round of bidding, 24 hours after your last bid, i would try: Select 4* TS... Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $170, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICE.LINE... Select 4* MTW... Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $170, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICE.LINE... Select 4* TS and MTW... Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $180 Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. (and not the links in any emails that priceline may send letting you know that you're eligible to bid again) Good luck and keep us updated on your progress. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
billbarnes353 Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Posted May 15, 2014 I have one other question. I received an email from priceline with a 5% off coupon if I book from priceline express in the next 24 hours. Is 5% off priceline express about the same savings as you can get bidding or would I stand to do better still with bidding?
billbarnes353 Posted May 16, 2014 Author Report Posted May 16, 2014 There is a priceline express deal for 4* in times Square for $222. It is guest favorite with 8.0 rating with exercise room, food, pets and a printer. Any way for me to know which hotel this is?
AaronJB Posted May 16, 2014 Report Posted May 16, 2014 The Doubletree Guest Suites, Westin, Hilton TS and Renaissance could all be possibilities. You can probably do a little better via bidding, but there's no way to know how much. Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.
billbarnes353 Posted May 16, 2014 Author Report Posted May 16, 2014 I ended up doing the 5% off priceline express and got the Omni Berkshire Place for $199/night. Considering the "normal" price on hotwire for the Omni is $389/night during my travel time, I feel like I got a pretty good deal. Thanks for all of the help!
yellowdog Posted May 16, 2014 Report Posted May 16, 2014 Thank you for sharing your result with the board. Can you please add a reply to this thread with the amenities that PRICELINE EXPRESS associated with this property and showed before your purchase. Enjoy your stay. Please use the board's PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your purchases and searches Yellowdog.
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