Priceline Hotel: 4* MTW 3/14 - 3/19

[beautiful]

I think I see how this works...

I'd like your input about bidding on a 4* hotel in Midtown West 3/14 - 3/19/06. It's just my daughter (age 19) and me, we'll be seeing several broadway shows, but visiting other parts of the city.

From other posts, looks like starting price should be about $110, but I haven't seen one with the exact dates.

Also, I'm not sure about where else to stay if Midtown West is not available. Would Midtown East or Central Park South be preferable considering activities I've mentioned and safety?

I have about 5 weeks before the date, so would you recommend that I keep trying for a low (less than $140) price or keeping going up?

Thanks for your help. It appears that many people have benefitted from your services.

[thereuare]

For most visitors, MTE, MTW, and UM/CPS are all satisfactory. You can read my write-up on NYC PRICELINE ZONE DESCRIPTIONS to see if these other areas work for you as well.

Assuming they do... woudl you want the lowest price among the three zones or would you want to pay more for a hotel in the MTW zone? What is your maximum bid?

Let us know the above, and/or ask additional questions, and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow based upon your own dates of travel.

[beautiful]

Yes, I think for this, our first trip, we want to be in the midst of it all. So Midtown West would be my preference. I'll try up to $145 (if you think that's reasonable), then maybe go up or expand to MTE or CPS later if it doesn't look good.

Just curious, what is your favorite hotel and/or area in NYC and why?

[thereuare]

My favorite part of the cit is the Village as i like the music scene, i can see street performers in Washington Square Park, it's not pretentious, and most of the restaurants are generally reasonably priced (along with some cheap finds... especially if you venture to nearby Chinatown). This is not to suggest however, that i would choose a hotel here, as there are not many in this area, and the hotels that are here don't typically offer the best value (nor are they as nice as the midtown hotels). If choosing a hotel location i prefer MTE as i know a lot of place in the area that i like to hang out at for dinner or a drink.

However, i don't feel so strongly about MTE that i would bid is solely... i look for the best value and therefore would be bidding all three zones (as i recommend others do the same... trying for the cheapest 4* available) since NYC is so compact and transportation is readily available, cheap, and accessible to all three of these zones.

As far as your own bidding, if you only want to bid MTW, you have two re-bid zones avialable when bidding 4* in NYC. 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* MTW...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $130, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Selelct 4* MTW and re-bid zone2

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $145.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[beautiful]

On second attempt I'm up to $155 for 4* MTW, MTE, UES, UWS with no success. Can add CPS or wait 72 hours. What do you suggest I do - go up after 72 hours or possibly start low again after 72 hours?

thanks for your help.

[thereuare]

What is your <new> maximum bid?

Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option?

[beautiful]

I guess the weeknights stay is causing the price to be higher. Still, wouldn't you think I should be able to get a lower price than the average price for the whole stay at the same hotel?

I don't know how to answer your maximum bid question, since money isn't too, too great of a problem, I've just always held the view that the less money I spend here, the more I can spend (or the less guilty I feel about spending) money somewhere else (and who wants to spend $300+ a night at a hotel when we're to see the sights, not the hotel). Make sense? I was hoping you could give me some idea of how much I should HAVE TO spend.

I guess we can use Hotwire for that info? I'm new to this, but it looks like Hotwire has set prices for a "mystery" hotel, and you accept that price and sometimes can figure out the hotel first. And the other party who, a few days ago, saw what he believed to be the Barclay at about $171 for the same weekend I'll be there and he was able to get it on priceline for $142.

And hotwire prices/deals seem to change daily? Yes?

So should I check out hotwire for prices first?

I'd rather spend a bit more and not have to change hotels.

thanks.

[thereuare]

Based upon your previously rejected bids, this is how i would bid today. This will also re-set your 72 hour clock to the time of your last bid today (so if you're rejected all your zones will be insynch for when eligilble to re-bid).

Select 4* UM/CPS...

Bid $120, if rejected add MTW...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* UM/CPS and MTE...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $155, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE, MTW, and UM/CPS...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $170.

I also believe that you could likely benefit from splitting your bid. If you read the link about SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID, you'll see that usually priceline doesn't average price the stay, your bid must be high enough to win each nite of your stay on its own. If the above figures are worthwhile for you to remain at one hotel during your complete stay i would start with the above and then we can take it from there, although see this PRICELINE thread where the user was rejected for a subset of your dates up to $160.

[beautiful]

This didn't work. i'll try again next week. Should I just start at say $150 from the beginning or would you suggest something else?

We have appoinments sceduled for Friday monring, which would be the day we'dd have to switch hotels, if required; that is why it would be very inconvenient to split the hotels. I understand that I'll end up paying a weekday price for the whole stay, but even a higher weekday price on priceline should be lower than what I have see elsewhere.

Hotwire has a 4 star in midtown central for $228, which states that is $12 of of the normal $240 price. Searching Expedia, traveloicty, Hotels.com, etc., I've never seen a $240 4* hotel at this time. Amenities are restaurant, business center, fitness center and high speed internet access. Do you know what this is and is this a good deal? Trip advisor customer reviews only give it a 3 which I generally find to not be good.

I guess if I were to be luxurious at a discounted price, EasyClickTravel.com has the marriott marquis for $247. This is about $100 off of the Expedia rate. Actually, EasyClickTravel has the Drake Swissotel for $223; Hudson and Mellinium, which they say are both 4*, at $208 and $237...

I have a ways to go before I get to $200 on priceline. So in the big picture, should i keep trying or are these hotels a steal at these prices? OK, maybe not a steal, but a good deal. I've noticed that a lot of people take the hotwire price rather than get into the bidding game with Priceline. Because they'd rather take a sure thing at a bit of a higher price?

as always, thanks for your help.

[thereuare]

I'll try to explain this from a different angle:

Imagine a two nite stay where convention rates are as follows:

Nite1: $100

Nite2: $500

Average Nitely Rate: $300

When bidding the above two nite stay, usually a bid of $475 would be rejected, even though it is much higher than the average rate book conventionally.

In your specific case, at least one hotel i looked at was sold-out for one of the nites of your stay... essentially making the chances of receiving this hotel for your complete stay very slim.

Nowhere does it say you have to split your dates midweek and weekend.

[beautiful]

OK. I'll take your word for it - I just haven't see that big of a disparity between weeknight and weekend prices. And I presumed the reason for the split would be because of the disparity.

I'd like your suggestions on a split stay and also what to do if i just continued to look for one for the whole time.

Please, i don't understand your comment about one of the hotels i looked at was sold out for one of the nights of my stay. Are you talking about the specific ones from EasyClickTravel? i just looked at those prices this morning.

Were you able to determine the hotwire hotel for $228?

thanks - stay warm. It's gong to be cold tonight, even in Houston.

[thereuare]

Earlier in the week one of the hotels I (not you) looked at when researching the above was sold-out for one of your dates. This was directly from the hotel website, not from EasyClickTravel.

Best guess is the Hotwire hotel is either the Sheraton New York or the Helmsley Park Lane.

First decide if you want to split the bid or continue on without splittng the bid and we'll advise on whichever you decide.

[beautiful]

I'd like to continue without splitting the bid. Thank you.

[thereuare]

Do you reach a point where splitting would be an option (ie- if you could save $xx per nite it would be worth splitting) or would you sooner just take the Hotwire hotel at $228? (assuming it's still available, i haven't checked to see if it is or isn't)

The above will help determine the maximum bid we would recommend for the next round of bidding.

[beautiful]

The latter - I'd rather take the low $200's price, especially if I was reasonable sure of what hotel I would be getting.

The best I've seen is what is believed to be the Drake Swissotel for $223 from EasyClickTravel. Is EasyClickTravel an alternative to Hotwire that is just newer so not as widely known? I don't see EasyClickTravel threads...

I seen quite a few not very good reviews for the Sheraton - is that hotel likely to be one that would accept a priceline bid? To avoid that, I would have to not select the area that they are in - MTW I think. Although I just talked to someone yesterday who seemed to think the hotel was just fine...

[thereuare]

We don't have forums for EasyClickTravel as they're not necessary... we have our EASYCLICKTRAVEL REVERSE LOOKUP TOOL for their "Off the Record" offers.

Do note that EasyClickTravel offers must show "available" (as opposed to "on request") to be assured that they're currently bookable at the offered rate. There rates have limited availability and are cancellable (up until 72 hours before check-in date), so if you're considering booking the above and it's currently 'available', you should lock it in now... you can always cancel if you find a better deal elsewhere in the days ahead.

I think the Sheraton New York is just fine and haven't hear too many negative things about it.. this isn't to be confused with the Sheraton Manhattan which is lesser rated and across the street from the Sheraton New York.

Let us know what you want to do.

[beautiful]

thanks - i'm still interested in pursuing the MTE, MTW and CPS bidding on Priceline with no split.

and thanks for the refund info on EasyClickTravel. I will certainly check out/reserve the Drake Swissotel knowing this new information.

What happens when EasyClickTravel indicates "on request"?

[thereuare]

When a hotel is "on request" EasyClickTravel will contact the hotel to see if they can get any additional rooms at their pre-negotiated contract rate.

When will you be trying Priceline again? (i don't think you're currently in a 72 hour lock-out period)

[beautiful]

I'd like to go ahead and do it tonight, if you get a chance to advise. Otherwise, I'll do it tomorrow evening if you do it tomorrow.

So if I hit the Book It button on EasyClickTravel when it says "on request", or even if it says "Available", I pay now (if I get it), but cancel within 72 hours of the first night? Their terms and conditions don't say anything about a cancellation charge. If the rate is available for part of the stay but on request for the other, are they automatically going to book what is available?

thanks ever so much - again!

[thereuare]

EasyClickTravel will only book your complete stay... not partial dates. No cancellation charge if you cancel 72 hours before your check-in date.

What do you want to do about the zone(s)? Is MTW 'ok' or not? From what i can gather in re-reading this thread you've already bid up $170 for MTE, MTW, and UM/CPS, correct?

[beautiful]

MTW is still OK, and I liked the strategy you gave me before, I just don't know at this time how we should pursue the prices. MTE over MTW.

Two years ago at this same time by boss surprised his wife with a NYC trip - probably Sunday through Thursday or Friday, and paid about $140 at the Mellinium right off of Broadway (4* are the time). I mentioned this to a few business travelers I ran into in Chicago yesterday, and they said the days of those prices are gone, gone.

thanks again.

[thereuare]

We are in a different time period than a few years ago, but I bet those rates would still be good for a Jan/Feb NYC stay... rates go up once the end of winter draws near.

Since you're willing to pay up for the complete stay rather than split, i would try as follows:

Select 4* MTE...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $170, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTW...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $170, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* UM/CPS...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $170, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE and UM/CPS...

Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $185, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE and MTW...

Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $185, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS...

Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $200.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck.

[beautiful]

I placed a bid on EasyClickTravel on Wednesday night for a property that was partially "on request". I received a response that they needed to check with the hotel and i would hear later, as much as 48 hours later. It's past 48 hours and I have not heard anything. I can not find anything about "current bids" or anything similar to that when I log in.

[thereuare]

As noted elsewhere it often takes more than 48 hours for their "on request" confirmations... you can call their customer service for an update or to try to push it along a little quicker.

[beautiful]

Final result - the Sheraton NY offered a points special where we got 5 nights for the points price of 4 - so we transferred Amex points to Sheraton to do this.

Thanks for your priceline and hotwire help.

I finally called EasyClickTravel and they said they did not have my request. They apparently even called the hotel to confirm there was no reservation. Guess I should do as well to be safe. A technical person was supposed to call me to discuss why nothing ever posted to "my account" on their site - but they never called me back.