When to bid? Long Island City 9/11-9/13 3*+

[NicoleFnJane]

Hello all, I have only just discovered the site at the end of last week. I have booked a couple of Hot Rates recently and was happy with the results which I will share to help the next.

 

I typically just want to be somewhere safe and clean but this trip I will have my teenage son along so I don't want to wait too long and have to stay somewhere not so great or pay a lot not to have to. I stayed in April on a Thursday night, booked about 5 weeks out and ended up paying about 160 for my one night including taxes and fees which I was satisfied with. Watching my top choice drop in price in the same fashion as when I was watching previously. Last time I booked only to watch the rate fall further. My prior stay was during Tribeca and the Cherry Blossom Festival so I don't know how that compares to September in NYC as my last trip was the last time I got a hotel room in the city instead of heading straight upstate. 

 

With the taxes and fees, hotels in the 160 range are still about $430 for two nights so I am hoping for advice as to whether I should relax and wait a little longer or pull the trigger.

 

Thank you in advance

[thereuare]

Welcome 'officially' to BetterBidding!

 

Unfortunately there is no magic formula as to when the 'right' time to make a purchase... our advice is to make the purchase when there is a hotel you want offered at a good price.  Sometimes you will make the purchase and see the price drop further... other times you may wait and see the price increase (or worse, the hotel you want disappears entirely)

 

Some factors to keep in mind that can effect the buy decision:

-if it a good deal at current prices?  No need to lock in a deal 9+ months in advance for a paltry $10/nite savings... but if your plans are firm and the savings are significant, then often better to lock in now ('a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush').

-how badly do you want the hotel that you think is currently being offered... if it disappears, or increases beyond your budget, how much worse (convenience, cost, etc) are the likely replacement options?

-how much room is there for the price to drop vs. how much could it potentially increase, taking seasonal factors into consideration... for example, in Las Vegas (where rates tend to fluctuate more than any other city) if a 5 star hotel is offered at $110 it may have the possibility to drop another $10-$20 dollars but if the next move is higher is has the potential to increase $70-$90, which makes the risk/reward scenario less compelling and more reason to book sooner rather than later

 

You're not going to 'win' by buying at the absolute lowest price each and every time, but If you follow the above key principals you should stay on the winning side of the equation and overall come out ahead in the long run.

 

Some tools we have which can also help:

RateDrop - will monitor PRICELINE EXPRESS and HOTWIRE rates for your specific dates and the star rating/zone combinations you choose.  If the price drops below your determined price, you'll receive an email letting you know of the rate drop

RefundableRates.com - shows prices for hotels based upon very liberal refund-ability policies (usually fully refundable up until 1-3 days prior to arrival) so that if you're waiting (ie- hoping) for lower rates you can protect yourself by booking something today that you can live with, should a better deal come along with PRICELINE / HOTWIRE you simply cancel the refundable reservation

BiddingHelper.com 'Good Price' button - using the 'Hotwire Easy View' and 'Priceline Express' tabs you can see regular retail rates of hotels of the same star rating in the zone, thus having a better idea of how the 'opaque hotel' offer compares to rates for an equivalent property

 

As for your upcoming NYC trip, exactly which offer is it (star rating, price, amenities, etc) that you're currently considering in Long Island City?

 

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.

[NicoleFnJane]

I apologize, I missed the question at the end. 4 Star in LIC. I have booked it before and got the Ravel and it appears to still be the Ravel although I'd be happy with any of the 4 stars within the footprint. I would love to stay there again with my teenage son. Basically my ideal is to stay at the Ravel for $300 or less for 2 nights (September 11 & 12) but will end up staying the nicest place in the area that we can afford if it isn't doable.

[thereuare]

At current prices it looks like $300 all-in is going to be a bit of a stretch for a 4 star hotel...

 

On HOTWIRE i'm seeing:

4* HOTWIRE Long Island City for $160.00
Complimentary Breakfast
Free Internet
Pet Friendly
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
==> best guess for this one would be the Ravel Hotel you're looking for, but it's over budget

 

If you're not flexible on budget how about:

3.5* HOTWIRE Long Island City for $128.00
Free Internet
Pet Friendly
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Hi-Speed Internet
Room Accessible
==> best guess for this one would be the Manhattan View to Wyndham Garden Long Island City

 

In this area i'm also seeing on PRICELINE EXPRESS:

3.5* Long Island City (<-- CLICK HERE and confirm your dates on the landing page) for $140/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Airport Shuttle
Free Internet available
Free Internet
==> Hotel Vetiver, in case you want another option, although this too is a little over your budget on an all-in basis

 

And also over your budget (but another option at the 4 star level):

4* Long Island City (<-- CLICK HERE and confirm your dates on the landing page) for $159/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Restaurant
Airport Shuttle
Free Internet available
Free Internet
==> Z NYC Hotel is my guess here

 

Lastly, what direction are you coming in from and how are you traveling into the city (car, bus, train, plane, etc... if flying, which airport); would staying in Jersey City be an option as there is an excellent deal there (under $100/nite for 4 star hotel) which is near a PATH train which you could use to commute into the Manhattan.

 

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 (or how it goes if you take any of the offers above) and we'll take it from there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NicoleFnJane]

I'm flying into LaGuardia at like 9 am and I have some friends in the LIC area which is part of the reason I like to stay there particularly. Flying from Kansas, only spending a couple days in the city then taking a commuter train to the Hudson Valley area for a few days. Have an airbnb in the mountains there. Never stayed in Jersey before or used PATH and a little uncomfortable with it being iffy on missing last train for the evening. I take a lot of comfort knowing LIC is a $10 uber from Manhattan if necessary.

 

Also I am taking my 14 year old son for the first time as well.

[thereuare]

PATH train runs 24/7 so missing the last train isn't an issue, but is a bit inconvenient if flying into LGA (as you need to cross two rivers and get to the other side of Manhattan)... it's a more viable option if flying into Newark (EWR) or if arriving into Manhattan via train/bus.

 

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..