TomTom84 Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Hi, First of all thank you very much for hosting this fantastic website which helped me a lot to get acquainted with HOTWIRE and PRICELINE. For our upcoming trip to NYC from 22/06 - 1/07 I am looking to score a good deal on ideally a 5* hotel. As this will be our first trip to NY, we are not fixed on certain neighborhoods but would prefer to stay in Manhattan to be not too far away from the tourist attractions. Budget is USD 200 (excl. taxes and fees) per night, however, not completely fixed if there was a really good deal available. Very good reviews and a good access to the underground network are important for us. Is it feasible to be successful with the stated budget? How much discount compared to Priceline Express is achieveable? Today I placed bids up to USD 200 on 5* Times Square which I understand should be either The Chatwal or The Knickerbrocker but was unsuccessful. Another alternative could be Soho (How likely is this Smyth as I couldn't find it on the regulat Priceline search)? If my strategy does not work out, I would also consider 4.5* hotels and looked at ESB (Archer NY?) and Lower East Side (Indigo?). Is this feasible? Looking forward to your advice and any recommendations that you may have. I will be booking via. BiddingHelper.com. Many thanks, Tom Link to comment
thereuare Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 I'm very familiar with NYC so you've come to the right place. When bidding on PRICELINE you need to be willing to accept a hotel anywhere within the shaded boundaries of the zone... you can pick one that has good access to the subway (unless the zone is so geographically small or so populated that the entire zone has easy access to the subway) or target a hotel with best reviews in the zone. If you'd like to know a little more about the hotel you will ultimately end up with (reviews, amenities, etc) or have a guess as to what you may end up with, then you will need to use PRICELINE EXPRESS or HOTWIRE. In NYC there is typically a very big jump in prices between 4* hotels and 4.5*/5* hotels. Looking at rates for your dates, a 5* is not likely going to be possible within $200/nite, but one may be had for $25-$30 more per nite... or a 4.5* for about $200 +/- another $10-$15/nite. Here is some of what i think i'm seeing and you can let us know your thoughts and we'll take it from there: Nomo Soho for $218/nite Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York for $235/nite Omni Berkshire Place for $238/nite The Benjamin for $243/nite Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC for $243/nite Smyth Hotel for $232/nite Any of the above of interest at these prices? Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Let us know your thoughts and we'll take it from there. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
TomTom84 Posted April 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Thank you for the detailed explanation. I am aware of the fact that Priceline provides higher uncertainty than Hotwire and Priceline Express but willing to accept that risk. That is one of the reasons only looking at 4.5* or 5* properties as the number of hotels is limited and there are hardly any that I would not be to content with. I also do not mind to be located anywhere in the highlighted area on the map. For your background, I booked a hotel (Top 30 rated Tripadvisor Hotel @USD 220 per nite incl. taxes and fees) with a refundable rate as a back-up in option I will not be successful. Of the hotel list developed by you, none of the hotels suits me at the stated price. I probably would prefer to look at Priceline offers. Looking forward to your suggestions how to proceed with regards to the bidding. How can I develop a complete list of hotels that fall in a certain * bracket? I understand that the regular Priceline booking search does not provide a complete list. Link to comment
thereuare Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 You can use our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com to see hotels in a given area filtered by star rating, but like any other list, it can't be considered 100% complete (as no one list can include every possible hotel in a given area). What is your back-up hotel? If you're looking to start by bidding on PRICELINE, did you want to start at the 5* level and bid both the Times Square and the Soho zones... any other zones acceptable? Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
TomTom84 Posted April 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Your sister site is indeed very useful for an initial screening. I have no objections against any areas as long as we styay south of 80th and I was not able to find any 5* hotel that I would not be very happy with at a certain price tag. I was able to find various hotels in the price range USD 2,700 - 2,900 (incl. taxes and fees) which would be equivalent to USD 240+ on Priceline. From your experience, would you say that it will be one of those hotels if I manage to be successful at all? Given that the number of potential hotels increases significantly, I prefer to stick to 5* hotels only when bidding. Could you advice on a strategy? For your refence, I booked the Lex NYC as a back-up. Link to comment
thereuare Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 4 hours ago, thereuare said: If you're looking to start by bidding on PRICELINE, did you want to start at the 5* level and bid both the Times Square and the Soho zones... any other zones acceptable? ??? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
TomTom84 Posted April 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Sorry if I wasn't clear, the following areas would be acceptable (unless you would not recommend any of those): Upper West Side Central Park South Upper East Side Midtown East Times Square ESB Lower East Side Chelsea Union Square SoHo Downtown - Wallstreet Link to comment
thereuare Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 See my comments above (NOTE: when i say 'OK' it means there are not caveats to mention... a perfectly good/acceptable/desirable zone) Upper West Side - not the most convenient for the typical tourist Central Park South - good at the 4.5* and 5* levels Upper East Side- not the most convenient for the typical tourist Midtown East - OK Times Square - OK ESB - OK Lower East Side - slightly less convenient than midtown but this area has been going thru a renaissance of late and is now 'hip' with lots of restaurants, boutiques, bars, etc. opening up... reminds me of Chelsea 10 years ago Chelsea - OK (some hotels can be up to a 10 minute walk to the subway but this is a 'happening' area right now with lots of restaurants, cafes, boutiques, etc... not to mention the highline) Union Square - OK SoHo - not my 'thing' but others like it Downtown - Wallstreet - is less convenient than staying in midtown but is do-able at the right price Please confirm the zone(s) you'd like to bid (or ask any additional questions) and we'll go from there. Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
TomTom84 Posted April 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Great, let's aim for the following areas in this case: Central Park South - Westhouse appears to be most likely result which apparently charges a residents fee of USD 40 per person per nite. If true, CPS to be deleted from list Midtown East Times Square ESB Lower East Side Chelsea Union Square Link to comment
thereuare Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 The Lower East Side does not offer 5* bidding so we will remove that from the list as well, leaving the following zones you would like to bid on: MTE TS ESB Chelsea Union Square When bidding 5* in NYC you have TWENTY re-bid zones. 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 5* MTE, TS, ESB, Chelsea, Union Square... Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $158, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $163, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $168, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $173, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $178, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $183, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $188, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $193, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $198, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $200 I think your chances of success for the zones above are somewhat low. Adding Soho would improve your chances although still far from a 'sure thing' (i'd put your chances at maybe 50/50 if including Soho)... so if the above is rejected you may want to try again while also including the Soho zone if that area is still acceptable. Any questions (especially confirming your re-bid zones if you're new to the subject or unsure) feel free to ask. Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate 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 Link to comment
TomTom84 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 No success despite having my highest bids at USD 230 for the zones mentioned above (excl. Soho) and USD 220 (incl. Soho). Does it make any sense to wait and try again closer to my actual travel dates? Do you have any other advice? Link to comment
thereuare Posted April 29, 2016 Report Share Posted April 29, 2016 Have you only bid at the 5* level or also included 4.5* as well? As noted above, there is often a big price jump between 4* hotels and 4.5*/5* hotels in NYC... i didn't think your chances of success were very high. How about this 4.5* Soho hotel (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $218/nite with: Pets Allowed Restaurant Free Internet Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities ... best guess would be the Nomo Soho Does this work for your needs, as it's even a few dollars less than you have already bid above for a 4.5* hotel in this zone? Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Let us know your thoughts on the offer above. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
TomTom84 Posted May 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2016 Given that there was a recent price drop on PRICELINE EXPRESS for 4.5* hotel with amenities that highly indicated towards the Hotel Indigo Lower East Side (e.g. pool, 9/10 guest rating, gym, free wifi), I decided to try to underbid the stated price of USD 184. Bidding strategy was successful, paying my set maximum bidding price. Very happy with the hotel and price achieved. I used your reference PRICELINE link for the booking, thanks a lot for your help. Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 25, 2016 Report Share Posted May 25, 2016 Congratulations on your success! Glad to see you received a nice deal for this trip and that you're happy with the results... this property certainly gets great reviews. A short walk from this hotel, and worth a stop for a 'throwback in time' is: Ecomony Candy 108 Rivington Also nearby: Kossar's Bialey's 367 Grand Ave --> if you can get them when they're just out of the oven it's worth grabbing an extra one A few storefronts from Kossar's is Donut Plant (and alternate option for breakfast 'on the run' if Kossar's doesn't have anything that just came out of the oven) Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your purchase. Enjoy your stay. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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