Priceline Hotel: Help Needed NYC Oct 16-19

[cerlaurie]

We are planning to go to NYC Oct 16-19 and also have not had any luck with Priceline. We started bidding at $150 for 4* MTW which was rejected then added, I think, UWS (no 4* hotels = rebid) and was still rejected. Then we increased to $165 and were still rejected. Tried again 3 days later and was rejected again. We were hesitant to add MTE because there had been alot of bad reviews regarding the Grand Hyatt which seems to be the hotel that is usually won in that zone. We booked the Westin Times Square through Mastercard (3 nights for the price of 2) but are going to try Priceline again closer to our dates. Please keep us posted if you have any luck.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

When was the last time you bid this?

A user has reported a win in this zone for Oct. 17th-20th which you can read HERE.

[cerlaurie]

Last time we bid was last Friday. Even though there were a couple of favorable reviews of the Hilton, I have read alot of bad reviews about the Hilton in connection with Priceline. I guess if we got the room for $100 it might not be so bad. However, we already have the Westin for $199. Not sure how high we should bid when we try again. Does it seem like the Hilton is what comes up the most for 4* hotels in MTW? Thanks for your assistance.

[thereuare]

A few thoughts....

I've said this elsewhere on the board, but my cousin stayed at the Hyatt (MTE) and thought it was pretty good... and she's somebody that does indeed care about the hotels she stays at. My thoughts on hotel reviews is that you need to take them with a grain of salt as everyone has different expectations. I've stayed at hotels via Priceline that i've LOVED given the price i paid, yet if i had been staying there at full price, i would have felt differently and thought the hotel was a big rip off!

I would have no problem staying at any Priceline rated 4* hotel in MTE or MTW as i feel that at about $100/nite they all represent excellent value (but my own requirements are for a clean room and 'nice' surroundings... i seldom utilize room service, bellhops, etc). Consider the alternative of what else you can get for that price point in NYC and hallway carpets that may have a stain or two don't seem like that big of a deal. (may not necessarily apply to your instance given the Westin deal you're able to get)

Bottom line is that i think you're trying to pinpoint or exclude specific hotels which isn't advisable when using Priceline... and even less advisable when it's a hard-to-get timeframe (which your post and others indicate that this timeframe has been).

If i'm reading your post correctly, your Westin deal is costing you $135/nite ($199/nite, but buy 2 get 3rd free) which is a pretty good deal. Given the unknown of Priceline and that you seem concerned about certain hotels in the area, you may be best to stick with what you've got. Is $40/nite worth it to you to potentially be unhappy? (this is NOT a rhetorical question, but one in which only you can answer.... would you rather spend $135/nite and know that you've secured the Westin OR spend $95/nite and possibly get the Hilton or some other hotel, knowing that you may or may not like it based upon the experiences of others?)

I would think about the above $135 vs. $95 argument and if you decide you want to move forward with Priceline let me know and i'll supply a strategy.

PS- just to clarify as inflection and tone don't come across in the written word (except other places on the 'net where it's known that the tone is harsh), don't read my above statements with any negativity whatsoever. I'm simply trying to point out the pros/cons of each option so that you can make an informed decision that you'll ultimately be happiest with; and to comment that if you're getting a $135/nite deal at the Westin, it may not be worth the 'risk' of using Priceline

[cerlaurie]

thereuare, thanks for your reply. We are actually paying $199 per night at the Westin (originally $299). We would like to give Priceline another shot. However, we have already bid up to $165 and have been rejected. Not sure when we should bid again, where we should start our bid and what are maximum should be. This is our first trip to NYC and first time trying out Priceline. Your assistance is appreciated.

[thereuare]

This is what i would try....

Oct 16-19 (your dates i believe)

4* MTW bid $95, if rejected

add re-bid zone and bid $101

If the above is rejected, i would think that the nite of the 16th might be the 'problem' nite, since the other user was able to successfully bid for the nites of Oct 17-19 at $95. Therefore i would then try the following...

Oct 17-19

4* MTW bid $95, if rejected

add re-bid zone and bid $101

If successful with this second option, you could then book conventionally (thru hotel's website, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc) for the nite of Oct 16th at whatever hotel you won (you could also try Priceline's "add a nite to my stay" feature, but i'm doubtful you'll be successful using it).

The only problem i can see is if this 17th-19th option is successful and the hotel you win doesn't have any availability for the 16th. My guess is that the winning hotel would be the same as the other user (Hilton NY and Towers) and i just checked and there is availability for that nite (although it's more expensive than the other 2 nites, which is another reason why the 16th may be the nite that is causing the rejection).

So if successful with the second option above, you'd get the 17-19th at ~$100/nite (or $200 total). You could then pay up to $400/nite for the 16th and still come out the same as the Westin (and chances are you'll be able to book the 17th for MUCH less than $400/nite... anything under that amount is money saved in your own pocket to spend in the Big Apple)

Hope this all makes sense to you, but feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding any of the above.