rich00 Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Hello, really appreciate all the info you site has on it! Been looking around off/on for the last few days and wanted to ask a question. The info for my trip is 4* or higher (wouldn't mind 3.5 but worried we might get stuck in bunk-beds or shared bathrooms lol) NYC Times Square/Midtown East/Rockefeller/Central Park So 12/14-12/17 Cost: Would like to stay in the $500-700 for total stay but could go up $100-200 if it was an amazing place/deal. Quick question on Name Your Own Price bidding. Some of the options have minimum guest ratings and others do not. For those that do not, is there a minimum rating or in theory could you get stuck with something really low? Thanks! Link to comment
AaronJB Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Welcome to Betterbidding. If a star rating does not have a minimum star rating, then there is the possibility that you could get stuck with a lesser rated property. I can't recall someone winning something with shared bathrooms on PRICELINE even at low levels - it definitely wouldn't be an issue at the 3.5* level. Unfortunately, the end of November through around the middle of December is one of the busiest periods of the year. These dates are better than earlier in the month but still on the high side. If you want to go beyond initial budget: on PRICELINE EXPRESS (please confirm the correct dates of travel are showing on the detail page after clicking the links below.) 5* Central Park South for $234 Restaurant Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities >>>A guess would be the Viceroy. Within budget I'm seeing on PRICELINE EXPRESS 3.5* Central Park South for $166 Business Center Restaurant Airport Shuttle Fitness Center >>>Guess would be the Shoreham 4* Midtown East for $167 Pets Allowed Business Center Restaurant Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities >>>Guess would be the W New York. You can also use the promotion in my signature for 5% off PRICELINE EXPRESS Do any of these possibilities work for your needs this 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. Let us know what you decide and how it goes or if we can be of further help. Link to comment
rich00 Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 I appreciate the quick reply! Ya I saw one data point on the internet where someone got bunk-beds w/ a 3.5 star property on PL. I would also be surprised if shared bathrooms would come at 3.5 or above rating but to be honest I was surprised to find so many shared bathrooms at properties in the $125+ range when searching non express/NYOP hotels. It wouldn't bother me so much, but the wife would murder me! :-) At the moment leaning toward the: 4* Midtown East for $167 Pets Allowed Business Center Restaurant Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities >>>Guess would be the W New York. I'm going to keep messing around w/ bids and see if I can get something similar/better....will use your guys' link when I finally do purchase and update my DP (or at least update if I find something outside of PL/HW) Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 3 hours ago, rich00 said: I'm going to keep messing around w/ bids and see if I can get something similar/better If you're main concern is the quality of the hotel and the room type assigned, why bid on PRICELINE which doesn't give you any control or information about the hotel that you will receive... why not move forward with PRICELINE EXPRESS / HOTWIRE where you know a little information about the hotel (sometimes including the room type/configuration) and, with our help, take an educated guess as to what it is that you may likely receive? By bidding on PRICELINE how do you ensure you get something 'better'? What exactly is it that you hope to gain by bidding on PRICELINE vs. going with a PRICELINE EXPRESS / HOTWIRE offer? Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rich00 Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Mostly because the W and Shoreham have mixed reviews, we still have 7 weeks until the trip, and the 4.5* hotels that I'm bidding on have minimum ratings of 8+. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 OK, i didn't see any comment previously that you were bidding on 4.5* properties, so thought you were bidding at the 4* level. What has been your maximum bid for a 4.5* up to this point? (and which zones?) 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
rich00 Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 I figured it never hurts to bid at the higher * properties and see what happens, maybe get lucky. I've been trying to bid on the areas that didn't have the extra hotel fees assuming that I'd have an easier time winning those bids b/c my bid would be higher. Here is what I've done so far: Stars Rating Area Bid HotelFee Total 5* 8+ Times Square $194.00 $0.00 $723.39 5* 7+ CPark So $221.00 4.5* 8+ Mid East $165.00 $615.81 4.5* 7+ T Sq $86.50 4.5* 8+ Rock $143.00 $90.00 $624.21 4.0* 7+ Mid East $86.50 I just started bidding yesterday so haven't exhausted all of the options yet. The ones w/out bids/totals are the next ones I plan on bidding on. The PRICELINE EXPRESS for (what is assumed to be) the W would total $597.93 after coupon, for reference. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Keep in mind that the Hotel Fee shown by PRICELINE on the bidding side is a 'worst case scenario'. For example, when you bid 4* Rock Center, let's assume there are 5 hotels that are 4 star rated in this zone: Hotel 1: no fee Hotel 2: no fee Hotel 3: $5/nite fee Hotel 4: $15/nite fee Hotel 5: $30/nite fee PRICELINE is showing you the highest that the resort fee could be (in this instance, Hotel 5 which is $30 x 3 nites = $90)... if you were to win Hotel 1 or Hotel 2 there would be no hotel fee to pay, and if you were to win Hotel 3 or Hotel 4 the hotel fee would be less than the $90 currently being shown by priceline (it would be $15 or $45, respectively) Keep us updated on your progress and let us know how we can be of further help along the way (as i'm very familiar with NYC) Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rich00 Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Oh cool, thanks for the info. I kind of assumed that but wasn't 100% sure on the hotel fees. Have you (or anyone you know) ever stayed at The W NY that is the likely express deal? I always wonder if reviews on nicer hotels are skewed because the people paying full price are disappointed that it wasn't worth $250-300/night or if it really is dated in comparison to more "normal" hotels in other areas. We are not 5* hotel people and are not above staying at a less than perfect location...its more that I hate paying for something that isn't a great deal/value. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 You are correct that many reviews (not just for this hotel) is the result of guests having 'sticker shock' at the hotel prices, so when they finally give in to paying $300+ for a room they are expecting there to be an over the top 'wow' factor and a huge room, but being NYC at that price point all they get is an 'average' hotel and a room that is much smaller than they expect for the price paid. With the above noted, i have not stayed at this property myself, but a relative did a few years back (maybe 5-7 years ago)... he was impressed that he saw A-Rod (of the NY Yankees), but other than that he commented that the bar was very expensive (my relative was in to high-end scotches at the time, which understandably is going to be an expensive drink at any 'W' hotel). From what i do know of the property, the rooms are small (especially the bathrooms) and the walls are thin... there are better properties in NYC, but if you can get a decent deal, it's an acceptable hotel if you're expecting a 'main stream' brand experience (Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, etc) and not expecting the 'wow' factor that typically accompanies the W brand. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rich00 Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Went ahead and went w/ the PRICELINE EXPRESS deal - bids were getting above the express amount and it dropped to $166 so figured it was a good time to take advantage (used the promo code/link on here). It was the W on Lexington. Thanks for the help! Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 26, 2017 Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 Congratulations on your success! Glad to see it was the hotel you were expecting and that you're happy with the outcome at this price. 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. Thank you for using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your purchase and sharing your win, helping us update the Priceline Express Hotel List with the new amenity set for this property. 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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