Loading...

Priceline Hotel: 3.5* New York (Empire State Building Area) St. Giles - the Court


tignor
By tignor,
in

Recommended Posts

Hello! Please help with a bidding strategy for NYC for May 16-20.

 

We'd like a 4* under $170 if possible, getting the lowest price we can. Near a subway (so no MTW? If I can remember), and steering clear of boutique hotels (tiny rooms) if possible. Manhattan midtown-ish, please no Financial District or UES. Will stay in TS and such but would rather have a little away -- last time stayed in the Row in TS and it was noisy. Location was great but had to get earplugs to sleep from all the siren noise!

 

It may be early yet, we will bid to try to get the best deal probably once weekly until say, March and then start looking on Priceline Express and Hotwire and checking out other sites. Will book a cancelable room just in case.

 

Of course, will always use your PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to click from here.

 

Thank you again, so SO much!

Link to comment

If bidding on PRICELINE there is not going to be any way to target hotels that are quiet and/or non-boutique... you will need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone(s) at the star rating (or higher) that you bid.

 

Please confirm which zones we should include in your bidding (or not):

Empire State Building

Chelsea

Madison Square Garden

Times Square - Theatre District

Rockefeller Center - Bryant Park

Grand Central - UN

Midtown East

Central Park South

 

Note that some of these zones have hotels that are very centrally located near a subway, but may also have a hotel or two that is further away from the subway.

 

I'll also note that at current prices i think your budget is likely short by about $10-$30.

 

For your back-up reservation please book thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com (which will also make it easy to see your best options).

 

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

 

Let us know which zones you'd like to include in your bidding and we will advise accordingly.

 

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

Link to comment

Well, it IS New York, I don't expect it to be as quiet as a b&b in Virginia. ;)

 

Boutique is actually ok if it happens. We both aren't terribly fussy, and just 2 people. It will be an adventure! And how about we do 3* and above? NYC hotels are really nice.

 

Here are the zones we'd like in order of preference. ESB, MSQ, MTE, CPS, TS, RC, Chelsea. Let's leave out Grand Central. Let's stick with $170 and see what happens, at least for a little while.

 

Thank you! I'll click the links a few times tonight for you.

Link to comment

If you're looking for a 3* property (vs. the previous 4*) then i think you will be successful now at $170 or less.

 

PRICELINE EXPRESS has this (confirm your dates on the landing page):

3* Empire State Building Area for $163
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> my best guess would be the Hotel Stanford NYC Koreatown

 

So given that this is in your first choice of zone, and within your budget, do you still want to bid all of the other zones?  Do you want to only bid 3* in the ESB zone in hopes of getting a better price (albeit the possibility of a different hotel)... or does the above work well for your plans and you'd prefer to take this in an effort to target the Hotel Standford?

 

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 how you'd like to proceed (or how it goes if you take the offer above) 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
  • 2 months later...

OK, reopening this thread as the trip is back ON!

 

Hubz booked a Groupon deal that I'm not happy with. It looks ick. Royal Park Hotel on the UWS. Thankfully, it is cancelable. Unthankfully, it's a hotel/hostel and private bath or not, reviews on TripAdvisor are NOT favorable. There is a VERY interesting photo of a sign posted on the front of the hotel just the other day about certain rooms being "perilous to life" from the Department of Buildings! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d1155229-Reviews-Royal_Park_Hotel-New_York_City_New_York.html#photos;geo=60763&detail=1155229 Help!

 

There is a 4* boutique deal on TravelZoo at the Iberostar 70 Park for $209/night, so I can't believe I can find something? There is SOMETHING going on in the city on May 16th...which is my birthday but I can't believe that's the reason. ;)

 

Priceline keeps popping up a hotel fee on nearly every one we try: For instance, today, 4* are giving us hotel fees in CPS, UWS, and TS, and the total price is rising significantly.

 

Our price from the Groupon deal is $671.21 total after all the fees, etc. We'd like to stay under $700 total (with fees and such, so on Priceline, highest bid of 160), 3.5* and higher, if possible. I don't want this hotel he's booked, so could add in 3* if needed further down the road, just to get something better.

 

And if we have to stay at the Royal Park, well, we will look at it as an adventure.

 

Would like something in central Manhattan near a subway (near being...10 minute walk?). I'm good with zones from West Village and US - EV north to UWS and UES, and what falls in between, unless you don't recommend. I'm not desperate to book today unless something comes up that is fantastic...I can play with it a bit. I'm ok with Hotwire or Priceline or even others, ok with boutique hotels. AND of course, I will always use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links here.

Link to comment

On the bidding side of PRICELINE the 'hotel fee' is the maximum fee charged by any hotel in the zone of that star rating thas charges a resort fee, so basically it's a 'worst case scenario' should the hotel you win charge a resort fee (if the hotel you win has a lower resort fee you would pay less than the amount shown... likewise if the hotel you win does not charge a resort fee then there would be none charged).  At the point in the bidding process that you're at, PRICELINE has not even checked inventory for your dates, so they are trying to be pro-active by showing the most that you would be charged should you win the the hotel in the zone with the highest resort fee.  On the other hand when searching PRICELINE EXPRESS, the offer shown is for a specific hotel and therefore the actual resort fee (or none) is shown, assuming PRICELINE has up to date and accurate resort fee information about the property.

 

As far as your maximum budget, you're not really comparing apples-to-apples since you're looking for a centrally located midtown hotel that is rated 3* or better but the Royal Park Hotel and Hostel that you have as a back-up is:

-1 star rated by PRICELINE

-in the Upper West Side zone

-not really that centrally located (i'm a bit surprised at the reviews that comment on the good location)

 

I don't currently see anything within your budget that meets the criteria you set out.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

Link to comment

On PRICELINE EXPRESS, I'm seeing: (please confirm the correct dates of travel are showing on the landing page after clicking the link below.)

 

3.5* Empire State Building Area for $205
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Would be a possible match for the St Giles the Court. Would be above your budget, but would be a very substantial improvement in terms of hotel quality and location. Unfortunately, there's not much else at around $200 for these dates, which are expensive. The second two nights are slightly less expensive when viewed separately, but not enough to really make it worthwhile splitting the stay.

 

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.

 

 

Link to comment

Okay, you guys always have the BEST advice. Thanks so much.

 

Went ahead and used your links and just booked it through PRICELINE EXPRESS, since you think I probably can't do better. Sure, it's higher, but that freaking Tuesday was going to kill us. Yes, got the St. Giles - The Court. $205/night. Total with fees and such was $1012.92. Canceled that terrible Groupon hotel. Ick.

 

Thank you!

Link to comment

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you were able to upgrade your accommodations and are now looking forward to the hotel reserved for this trip.

 

You're also near my often recommended Ess-A-Bagel (Third Ave at 51st St) which has one of the best bagels in the city, makes for a nice, and relatively inexpensive, breakfast among local NYers. (it's about a 15 minute walk, but worth it at least once during your trip)

 

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.


Enjoy your stay.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

Link to comment
Need help with your own trip?

Register now, we have a huge community of travel enthusiasts to answer any questions you might have.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account
Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
QUICKQUOTE [X]
PRICELINE & HOTWIRE on one screen!
NOTE: Priceline searches for
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ONLY
Room %roomN%:
Age of child:
FINDFAST[X]
×
×
  • Create New...