Hotwire Hotel: Did Hotwire change the amenities?

[bestenborstel]

Hello.

I started to observe the market for a possible NYC hotel from 15.8-19.5. Last year I could identify with the list here provided the Hot.wire deals.

Now it seems a bit more tricky. Could it be that the names of the amenities have slightly changed?

Thank you.

BB.

[thereuare]

...a possible NYC hotel from 15.8-19.5.

I'm not sure what dates the above refers to, can you please use the US format mm/dd/yy OR type the full dates 'May 15 - May 18' (as an example)

There have been very minor changes in amenity names, certainly not enough to cause any major confusion... can you give an example of the amenities that you think may have changed.

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

[bestenborstel]

Argh, I apologise. I meant August 15 - August 19 2014.

Yesterday I looked up some hotels, I was not able to identify them because of the amenities not being listed in this combination.

Thereuare, to follow you request, I will need to check again and then I will write them down for you. This will take a while and I will come back and report. Thank you.

[thereuare]

Feel free to post the complete amenity set of any hotel(s) that you're interested in and we'll take a look at the offer.

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

[bestenborstel]

I found for 15.8-18.8 4.5 star for 147USD/night. Amenities:

FULL AMENITIES: Pet friendly, Fitness Center, Restaurant(s), Business Center, Self service laundry, Internet access, Accessible for the deaf, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Wheelchair accessible, Accessible bathroom

 

Would you agree this is the Waldorf Astoria? But ok, this is an easy guess.

 

Financial District - Wall Street, 139$ /night. 

FULL AMENITIES: Fitness Center, Restaurant(s), Business Center, Internet access, Wheelchair accessible

Doubletree?

 

Empire State Building 142$/night, 3star

FULL AMENITIES: Pet friendly, Smoke Free Rooms, Self service laundry, Internet access, Accessible for the blind, Accessible for the deaf, In-room accessibility, Wheelchair accessible, Accessible bathroom, Roll-in shower

I have no clue.

 

Thank you.

[thereuare]

Best guess for each (for newly revised dates of Aug 15-18):

I found for 15.8-18.8 4.5 star for 147USD/night.

--> i'm assuming this is in the MTE zone? If so, my guess would be the Omni Berkshire Place.

 

Financial District - Wall Street, 139$ /night. 

--> Doubletree Financial District

 

Empire State Building 142$/night, 3star

--> the NH Jolly Madison Towers Hotel would be my guess for this one

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

Let us know what you decide and how it goes or if we can be of further help.

[bestenborstel]

Dear thereuare,

I apologise. I made a mistake with the dates last time and I was completely wrong with my guesses. I am angry with me I missed out the Omni. 

Could you help me again, please?

Period: 15-19th August, NYC

3.5* with Free Internet, Full Kitchen, Smoke Free Rooms, Air condition

found via better bidding as hot rate condo (?) in the MSG HK area.. Price: 161$.

I have no clue.

[thereuare]

I believe there are more amenities then what you have posted above as HOTWIRE has a new interface that does not show the complete set of amenities unless you click thru a few extra links.

If you repeat your search using our BiddingHelper.com tool... use the HOTWIRE EASY VIEW tab and then click the GREEN BUTTON next to this listing, do you see more amenities then what you have listed above? This is what i'm seeing when searching for your dates:

Free Internet

Kitchen

Smoke Free

A/C

Hi-Speed Internet

This property has not yet been reported to the board and i don't have any additional insight as to which one this may be... i assume it is likely a new property recently added to the HOTWIRE system. The 5.0/5.0 TA review rating is excellent, but keep in mind that may be from just a few number of reviews.

Would you prefer to take a change on an unknown property with great user reviews OR would you prefer a property not as well reviewed but a better guess as to what you may be getting beforehand? Do you need a Kitchenette for this stay or was this simply included in the Condo above and you were more attracted to this due to the price, location, or the TA rating?

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

[bestenborstel]

Dear thereuare,
I have used the betterbidding - tool and I copied the amenities directly from them. I don't know what when wrong. Sorry.

To answer your question:
Ideally, I would like to have a 3.5-4 star hotel in MSG, Midtown East, Midtown West maybe, TSTD maybe,Empire State Building area maybe. 
Ideal price would be around 130$/night because there will be substantial amount of tax & fees added. Do you think this will be possible?

Does unknown property with great user reviews mean there is a larger chance it is a more worse hotel, please? What is your experience with unknown properties so far here on the board?
No, I don't need a kitchenette.

Do you think priceline would be better?

[thereuare]

PRICELINE is usually a little cheaper than HOTWIRE, but the trade-off is that there is then no ability to take a guess (or know the amenities) of the hotel you will receive... you need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone at the star rating (or higher) that you bid.

So it comes down to what is more important for this stay... having a guess as to the property beforehand OR the lowest possible price?

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

[bestenborstel]

For the moment I am inclined to try it out with PRICELINE, it seems way cheaper as you aid. I have to think about the areas and check a bit what area would be nice. I liked MSG really. I will read about bidding and try to present a strategy.

Am I allowed to continue here, please? I am also more inclined to look now for a room from 14.8-18.8.2014. Sorry, personal circumstances.

 

How is the following possible, btw? I used the BiddingHelper.com. Dates  14.8-18.8.2014, Priceline.Express Deals.

Madison Square Garden - Convention Area

Pets Allowed

Restaurant

Fitness Center

Business Center

$ 177

Madison Square Garden - Convention Area Rated 8.0 out of 10 (or higher)

Restaurant

Fitness Center

Business Center

$ 180

 

3.5* are better than 4* in the same area or why is a 4* cheaper than 3.5?

Do you have a guess why a 4* is cheaper? Could the 3* be the Four Points, please?

[thereuare]

For the moment I am inclined to try it out with PRICELINE, it seems way cheaper as you aid.

No, it's not way cheaper, it's usually only slightly less expensive. In fact, using the PRICELINE EXPRESS rates you've quoted above, the HOTWIRE hotels are actually cheaper for your dates... in the MSG zone HOTWIRE's 4* is $166/nite and their 3.5* is $174/nite. However, more specifically we were referring to bidding on PRICELINE's 'Name Your Own Price'... not their PRICELINE EXPRESS deals section.

Even thru traditional booking channels you can find some 3.5* hotels that may be cheaper than a 4* hotel. Each hotel sets rates based upon their own occupancy levels, and the following example provides an easy to understand situation where a lower star rating hotel could be cheaper than a higher rated hotel:

4* Hotel A

regular rate for a given nite: $300

Total Number of Rooms: 100

3.5* Hotel B

regular rate for a given nite: $200

Total Number of Rooms: 100

The 3.5* Hotel B has a wedding booked for a given nite (with lots of out of town guests staying over for the nite), two business meetings (with attendees staying the nite), and is the official conference hotel for a large convention in town... they have 90 of their 100 rooms booked. As they are at 90% occupancy, they decide to offer a small 10% discount to the opaque suppliers and sell rooms for $190/nite.

The 4* Hotel A has no meetings/events booked for the same nite and is not included in the 'official hotel list' for the convention in town, they only have 40 of their 100 rooms booked, so they are more aggressive in discounting this nite in an attempt to fill their rooms, and offer the opaque suppliers a 50% discount on their regular rate, making their hotel $150/nite.

RESULT: The 4* hotel is priced at $150/nite and the 3.5* hotel at $190.

I have to think about the areas and check a bit what area would be nice...

Once you confirm your zones (and dates if still not confirmed) let us know the star rating and zones you decide, along with your maximum bid, and we will suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[bestenborstel]

Dear Thereuare,

thank you. I thought Hotwire and Priceline star rating are not comparable? Or am I am wrong here again?

Thank you

 

[bestenborstel]

Since it is also not clear, am I allowed to ask here in my "thread" about Priceline.Express deals?

[thereuare]

I thought Hotwire and Priceline star rating are not comparable?

They're not... but i'm not sure what that has to do with any of the information above. The example i was providing has to do with two hotels, thru the same service, for the same dates... and how the one with the lower star rated 3.5* hotel could have higher demand, and therefore a higher price, than a higher rated 4* property.

 

 

Since it is also not clear, am I allowed to ask here in my "thread" about PRICELINE EXPRESS deals?

Yes, please keep all posts for this same stay in this same thread. Once you win a hotel, use the ADD 'REPLY and REPORT WIN' button on the lower right corner of this page to provide the details of your win... the entire thread will the be moved (if necessary) to the correct section of the board.

Are your dates now confirmed for Aug 14-18?

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

[bestenborstel]

Dear Thereuare,

yes, the dates for 14-18th August are now confirmed. 

I check every day with the bidding helper for a good deal, but could not find one so far that I really liked after identifying the hotel and cross-checking the trip advisor comments. (For example, the New Yorker has 4* but review a rather bad).

Today I found a backup for the moment for the Yotel for 158$ excl. tax. This is cheaper than via Hotwire btw and it was not for a standard cabin. 

I could cancel this for free until 13th August.

Thank you for ensuring me it is okay to keep everything in this thread, very kind of you. 

I am happy now to observe the situation since I believe prices could still go down. At least the pressure is a bit gone.

 

My comment about the different star rating refers to your sentence "In fact, using the PRICELINE EXPRESS rates you've quoted above, the HOTWIRE hotels are actually cheaper for your dates"

How would I be able to compare those deals directly or was this done by you knowing which hotels it would be exactly? Like in "the (corresponding ?) HOTWIRE hotels are actually cheaper.."

Nevertheless, we don't have to discuss this (I don't want to waste your time) since this is from the past. 

[AaronJB]

The issue with a negative review is that if you are going to limit the search to only hotels with all outstanding reviews, the HOTWIRE and PRICELINE Express search is going to be a difficult/very difficult one, especially in New York City. Keep in mind when you're looking at New York City that 4* properties can commonly run into the $300-400+ range during even a moderately busy period. When rates get high or very high,expectations understandably may not be met. If the same person paid half the price, would they offer the same review? If a review mentions serious issues, that is something to definitely read into and avoid, but if people are finding littler issues, like decor, that's something else.

 

Additionally, keep in mind that the listings offered on HOTWIRE or PRICELINE Express can change at any time. If you decide to wait on a hotel listing that would be satisfactory in the hopes that something better may come along, there is the chance you may suddenly be presented with lesser options for more.

 

"I am happy now to observe the situation since I believe prices could still go down. "

 

Do keep in mind that prices can very easily head in the wrong direction. if they do, they can do so suddenly.

 

""In fact, using the PRICELINE EXPRESS rates you've quoted above, the HOTWIRE hotels are actually cheaper for your dates""

 

Comparable offerings are cheaper. Both services are different and offer different inventory so a hotel that may be appearing on one service doesn't mean that the hotel will necessarily be what is offered on the other. 

 

PRICELINE bidding is the cheapest option. PRICELINE Express is more expensive, as is HOTWIRE. PRICELINE Express is generally a little cheaper than HOTWIRE, but there are times when it is not.

 

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

[thereuare]

I'm seeing The Lexington New York City for $142/nite if that is of any interest.

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

[bestenborstel]

Dear admin,

please close this thread. We have decided to stay with the yotel for a special price rate. If I compare an offer from todays Hot.wire page the difference is about 100$.  Okay, I could have saved this. Maybe next year I will gamble and wait until the last moment. August is anyway not the most visited period for NY.

I would still thank you for your support.

Best regards

B.

[thereuare]

Thank you for closing this thread with your decision.

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

Enjoy your time in NYC.