Priceline Hotel: 4.5* New York (Grand Central Terminal - UN) Even Hotel New York - Midtown East

[redez]

Hello, 

 

I am traveling to NYC May 11-14, 2018. I'm not familiar with the city, but have been told that Midtown (not East or West), so I'm assuming Times Square & Theater District, is the 'best' place to stay. There will be 2 couples, so we need 2 rooms. Right now on Priceline Express Deals I'm seeing: 

 

Times Square - Theatre District

4-Star Hotel - 8+ guest rating - $186/night

  -Bed Choice

  - Business Center

  - Non Smoking

  - Restaurant 

 

I'm also open to bidding at name your own price, but not sure a good starting bid? Do you recommend any surrounding zones to Midtown to open up my bidding to if needed? 

 

Thank you very much for your help!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

 

I'm very familiar with NYC and while we hear 'i want to stay in Times Square' quite often, my usual response is that you will probably spend far less time there than you think.  While i don't necessarily advise against Times Square (although there are some benefits to staying outside of it, as it does get very crowded and congested which makes it difficult to walk on the sidewalks, which is something you then need to deal with each time you leave from/return to your hotel), my suggestion is to stay centrally located and as close to a subway station (ideally two or more different train lines) as this will be the greatest determining factor in regards to how easy it will be to get around the city.

 

For the property above:

4* Times Square - Theatre District (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $187/nite with:
Business Center
Restaurant
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> unfortunately it looks like this property is no longer available (if you click on the link above, or if you still happen to have the link available from your previous search, you'll see that it takes you to the search results instead of the individual offering)

 

I'm not sure of your maximum budget (and there are cheaper hotels available) but i would recommend this one:

4.5* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $221 $210/nite with the board Priceline Coupon:
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> best guess here would be the Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan which is a new property, gets excellent reviews (currently the #4 rated hotel in NYC), is centrally located... less than a 10 minute walk to the start of Times Square and Penn Station just a block away (which has multiple subway lines available)

 

There are cheaper hotels available so if you're not willing to bump your budget a little vs. your original request let us know your maximum budget and we will try to find you the best option that meets your needs, but whenever i do see this Crowne Plaza available at a reasonable price i do recommend given the reviews, location, and it being a new hotel.

 

Would the above work for your needs?

 

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 it goes or how we can be of further help.

[redez]

Thank you for your reply and helpful insight. 

 

I've opened my search to Madison Square Gardens zone on Priceline. 

I really would like to stay closer to 150/nite. 

 

I'm seeing this now:

 4* Madison Square Garden - $160/nite for  5/11-5/14/18

 Pets Allowed

 Business Center

 Restaurant

 Fitness Center

 No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

Do you recommend bidding for either Times Square and/or Madison Square Gardens as well to try to get a better price? 

 

Thank you! 

[thereuare]

4* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $160/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> this is likely the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel which i would not recommend (plus you have a $32/nite resort fee here basically getting you close to the recommended 4.5 star above)

 

I would sooner recommend (although i really like the Crowne Plaza HY36, but if that is not in your budget):

4.5* Midtown East (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $169/nite with:
Business Center
Restaurant
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> best guess here would be The Benjamin which on paper may not look like your most centrally located property, but this property is a half block from one subway station (4/6 lines... which essentially will take you North/South on the east side) and is 3 blocks from three more subway lines (E,F,M which will take you cross town and to the west side).. you're looking at a 15 minute walk to Times Square if you wanted to walk it

EDIT TO ADD: just looked and this property has a $30 resort fee as well, once again bringing you closer to the same price as the Crowne Plaza HY36

 

4.5* Grand Central Terminal - UN (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $178/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> Even Hotel New York - Midtown East which is anew property that has been getting very good reviews, although it is a bit far east and not as well located as the Benjamin or the Crowne Plaza

 

If you were willing to drop in star rating you could consider:

3.5* HOTWIRE Herald Square - Penn Station for $164.00
Free Internet
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Laundry
Hi-Speed Internet
Golf
==> Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square West would be my best guess here

 

You could try bidding on PRICELINE, but with a few caveats:

1) i would not include the MSG zone in your bidding since you could end up with the Wyndham which as per above i would not recommend (when there are other options available)

2) when bidding on PRICELINE you need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone at the star rating (or higher) that you bid.  With the properties above i tried to stick with the ones that have better reviews, and you're not going to save that much vs. PRICELINE EXPRESS (since the BetterBidding Priceline Coupon already gets you 5% closer)

3) as you can see from above more and more NYC hotels have begun to charge resort fees, which becomes a 'wild card' in this area since you don't know if the hotel you will receive will have a resort fee or not until after your purchase... so even if you're able to win a hotel at $150/nite you then have the possibility of a resort fee, bringing you closer to some of the 'guessed' hotels above (that don't charge a resort fee)... essentially paying nearly the same price but ending up at a hotel that is not as well reviewed

 

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.

[redez]

Hello, 

 

I am currently seeing this deal on PRICELINE:

 

May 11-14, 2018 for $157/nite - 4* Madison Square Garden-Convention Area

 

 Pets Allowed

 Business Center

 Restaurant

 Fitness Center

 No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

I'm still 'shopping' around for the best deal. Thank you!!

[thereuare]

59 minutes ago, redez said:

I am currently seeing this deal on PRICELINE:

 

May 11-14, 2018 for $157/nite - 4* Madison Square Garden-Convention Area

 Pets Allowed

 Business Center

 Restaurant

 Fitness Center

 No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

Same hotel as previous one:

On 2/21/2018 at 8:28 PM, thereuare said:

4* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $160/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> this is likely the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel which i would not recommend (plus you have a $32/nite resort fee here basically getting you close to the recommended 4.5 star above)

 

What is your maximum budget (per nite before taxes/fees) for 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.

[AaronJB]

The potential Crowne Plaza is still showing (please confirm the correct dates of travel are showing on the detail page)

 

4.5* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area for $221
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Best guess would be the Crowne Plaza HY36. While about $40 more than the Wyndham New Yorker, it also gets significantly better reviews.

 

If you are looking for something in particular in terms of style or location let us know, but in terms of quality, hard to beat the potential Crowne Plaza at #4 on Tripadvisor in NYC.

 

Let us know what you decide or if we can be of any further assistance.

 

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.

[redez]

Thank you!!

 

I think price and location are leading my search. I don't need fancy, but some of the 3* looked a little dingy and not so comfortable, and seem to only be a relatively small price difference (~$15-20/nite) from a 4*.  My style preference would be The Benjamin over Crowne Plaza Hy36, but both are lovely, and we're not picky.  We're booking for another couple who wanted to stick closer to $150 range,  but I think as long as it's not over $200/nite we can swing it. 

 

 

[thereuare]

2 hours ago, redez said:

We're booking for another couple who wanted to stick closer to $150 range,  but I think as long as it's not over $200/nite we can swing it. 

Can you confirm with them so we know exactly the budget you have to work with... once you find something you like you should be ready to grab it as the offers can (and often do) change quickly.

 

If you're more comfortable with The Benjamin then why not that one? (although i'd still continue to pound the table on the Crowne Plaza... i think you will be happy with all aspects of that hotel (location, service, condition, etc)

 

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.

[redez]

Hi again, 

 

Our friends want to shoot for under $200/nite.  I saw these two offers today on PRICELINE:

 

5/11-5/14/18  3* Madison Square Garden - Convention $163/nite

Amenities: 

Free Internet

Airport Shuttle

No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

3* Times Square - Theater District - $149/nite

Amenities:

Business Center

Restaurant

No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

Thank you!! 

 

 

[AaronJB]

I'm seeing on PRICELINE EXPRESS (please confirm that the correct dates of travel and number of rooms are showing on the detail page  after clicking the links below.)

 

3* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area for $164
Airport Shuttle
Free Internet
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>The Hudson River Hotel or 36 Hudson would be guesses, although I think the latter is more likely

 

3* Times Square - Theatre District for $150
Business Center
Restaurant
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Best guess would be the Mayfair

 

If your budget is under $200, why not:

 

4.5* Grand Central Terminal - UN for $178
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Best guess would be the Even Hotel MTE

 

4* Grand Central Terminal - UN for $166
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Westin Grand Central would be my best guess

 

4.5* Midtown East for $178
Business Center
Restaurant
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>The Benjamin would be my best guess

 

All of these options are better reviewed and more hotel for the price while remaining within budget. Definitely use the promotional code in my signature for 5% off.

 

Let us know what you decide or if we can be of any further assistance.

 

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.

[redez]

Thank you!! We're almost ready to book... 

 

last one:

 

5/11-5/14/2018  Rockefeller Plaza 4* 178/nite

Amenities:

Business Center

 Restaurant

 Free Internet

 Fitness Center

 No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

Would this be a better location than Even Hotel MTE or Westin Grand Central?

[AaronJB]

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

 

4* Rockefeller Center - Bryant Park for $179
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Best guess would be the Club Quarters Midtown.

 

The Even and Westin would be nicer properties, the Club Quarters slightly more centrally located in Midtown as a whole.

 

Let us know what you decide or if we can be of any further assistance.

 

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.

[thereuare]

4 hours ago, redez said:

Would this be a better location than Even Hotel MTE or Westin Grand Central?

Location-wise the difference is negligible as they are two blocks apart from each other.

 

Of the two i would sooner take the Even as it's a new property (and i tend to like newer properties) that has been getting excellent reviews.

 

Here is an updated link for you (or your friends) to use if you decide to go with the Even Hotel Midtown East:

4.5* Grand Central Terminal - UN (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $178/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Free Internet
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

 

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 ultimately decide and how it goes.

[redez]

I just booked the Even Hotel MTE, using the PRICELINE EXPRESS link you provided. The total for 2 rooms/3 nights was $1,249.

 

Thank you for your help with our booking!!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you received the hotel you were hoping for and are looking forward to your 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.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your purchase.

Have a great stay and let us know if you have any NYC questions that we can further assist with.

[redez]

Perfect! 

Thank you