Priceline Hotel: Location strategy for business in Brooklyn

[GM Mike]

Gang,

Need to figure out a way to best accomplish this itinerary.

Tuesday night, drive in from Poughkeepsie (4/18), stay somewhere

Wednesday, leave hotel no earlier than 9am

10:30am-noon GF has meeting in Brooklyn Heights

11am-1pm I have conference call - either at hotel or at Starbucks in Brooklyn Heights

Then, drive to Wilton, CT (1pm-2:30pm - that cuts it close)

2:30pm-4:30pm I have conference call - at Starbucks in Wilton

3pm-4pm GF has meeting in Wilton

Then drive back to Poughkeepsie

Max bid is $61, but the goal is a bidding strategy that minimizes total likely $ (hotel+tolls+parking), since this is on my dime and I'm cheap. I'd say 3* minimum in zones we don't know much about, 2* if we know the likely properties and they aren't disgusting/dangerous.

What's the best plan? One of the Jersey zones? Or NYC Airports? We can do any or all of this using a car, but public transportation that fits is fine too.

Backup plan is to drive straight in Wednesday morning. Reeeeeeeally don't want to have to do that tho.

As always, your suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

[thereuare]

Jersey City seems like a decent fit, but...

1) from Jersey City to Brooklyn Heights, a 60 minute connection (noon-1pm) could be tight depending upon connections... but mass transit would probably be safer than driving

2) from Jersey City to Wilton (90 minutes) will be very tight (google puts it at 1 hr. 34 minutes, and that's assuming no traffic issues... who knows what the GW will be like)

3) is $61 flexible at all.... it may be enough for this area, but also may require just a bit more too

The Newark Airport area make #1 above even more difficult (if not impossible, via mass transit or own car) and #2 more difficult as well

If JC is your best bet let us know and we'll suggest a strategy (if you need it).

[GM Mike]

Thanks for your advice, thereuare...

If I were to bid Jersey City, we'd be looking at leaving at 9:30am for a 10:30am arrival in Brooklyn Heights, driving. I'd park somewhere there until 1pm, then drive to Wilton. We can get there as late as 3pm, and while that's still very tight, there isn't much of a choice.

My concern with Jersey City is the high parking fees. For example, Hyatt is $30+. Would I be better off bidding EWR or Secaucus and leaving at 9am for the drive in to Brooklyn Heights? Parking looks much cheaper with those options?

I'm flying kind of blind because I've always just taken the train in, but the nature of this trip isn't going to allow for that.

$61 is flexible if it's likely there won't be another $30 for parking. :)

I'd like to bid this afternoon so I can bid again tomorrow afternoon before leaving, if necessary.

(For the record, just to rule it out, I bid 3* Brooklyn up to $55 last night using free re-bids.)

[thereuare]

...Jersey City, we'd be looking at leaving at 9:30am for a 10:30am arrival in Brooklyn Heights, driving

Risky... it could take you that long just to get thru the Holland Tunnel :) Then you also have an East River crossing to worry about... then not sure of the route to take to Wilton but you'd be bound hit traffic thru at least a few places along the way.

Can you take any part of your conference call via cell phone?

[GM Mike]

I have to be in a place with wifi since it's a combo phone/Internet call. The only very firm time is the 10:30am physical meeting in Brooklyn Heights, right next to the Manhattan Bridge. I can also allow up to two hours for the drive to Wilton.

I know these are really ambitious... but what can I do? going to just have to try our best and roll the dice.

Won't hold you accountable if it turns out to be too ambitious. :)

I was thinking of the JFK area because there wouldn't be a river crossing if we stayed there, or really anywhere on Long Island... but I'm not at all familiar with the bidding in those areas.

[GM Mike]

thereuare, I had another thought. Why not stay in the Norwalk area? I looked at Metro North and Subway schedules. There isn't a lot of margin for error, but the timing would work almost perfectly to take Metro North from South Norwalk to GCT then transfer to the 4 line to Brooklyn. Then a quick cab ride from the Subway stop (30 minutes to cover about 15 blocks). On the way back, Subway back to GCT, Metro North to South Norwalk, then a 15 minute drive to Wilton.

I think I'm going to bid following that plan. Feel free to jump in though if you think that's a bad plan.

[thereuare]

I don't know much about the Norwalk area, but i wasn't too optimistic about you making all of your appointments/calls if you stayed in Jersey City, so hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

How much travel time are you planning between GCT and Brooklyn Heights? Not sure where your girlfriend needs to be in Brooklyn Heights, but are you sure the 4 train will get her close (maybe the A/C or 2/3 would get her closer?)

[GM Mike]

Bidding now:

Last week I was bidding in this zone and highest was 2* $35 (rejected), so...

2.5* Norwalk $36, counteroffer for $46

Closed browser, lowered to 2*... this opens me up to receiving the Homestead but that's ok... $39 bid, counteroffer for $50. GRR!

So I took the $46 counteroffer. The choices in Stamford would have added more expense to the trip than just taking the $46 in Norwalk. Got the 4 Points. Not very highly rated. Ah well.

Four Points Sheraton Norwalk

Norwalk - Westport

426 Main Avenue

Norwalk, Connecticut 06851

203-849-9828

Check-In Date: Tue, Apr 18, 2006

Check-In Time: After 03:00 PM

Check-Out Date: Wed, Apr 19, 2006

Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM

Your Offer Price: $46.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 1

Subtotal: $46.00

Taxes & Service Fees: $13.16

Total Charges: $59.16

This is the "Lower Fairfield County" region and "Norwalk - Westport" zone. The zone seems to have been renamed since the last reported win in it.

Priceline's regular rate and hotel's website showing $160, AAA at $135.

ALL BIDS, OF COURSE, USING THE LINK FROM SAVINGSBARN.COM

I'll report back on how the whole thing works out. Thanks again, thereuare!

[GM Mike]

It's about 15 blocks from the 4 train with about 35 minutes to make it. I checked Subway schedules and it runs every 4-7 minutes from GCT to that stop, with about a 26 minute travel time. I'm thinking a cab is in order from the Subway stop. Hope that's reasonable.

I looked at the closer lines but it would take longer to get across Manhattan to pick them up than to walk/cab the extra blocks in Brooklyn. I'm assuming they're safe during the day...

[thereuare]

You're still cutting it close, but you know that already... and i sooner trust the trains than driving for consistency in travel time.

Yes, the subways are safe; also look at tranfering from the 4 train to the A/C/2/3 at Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau if that helps your plans at all... but note the the walk to 2/3 line may be a bit long.

Also expect it to be a bit more difficult to get a cab in Brooklyn Heights than in Manhattan.

[GM Mike]

So this worked out pretty darned well!

The South Norwalk station has a ton of parking, $7 for the day. Train to subway connection was easy and fast. I worked from the Barns and Noble 3 short blocks from the Borough Hall stop on the 4 line. GF took a cab from that stop to her appointment ($4.50 up, $6.50 back). You were right tho, it was pretty tough getting a cab. Took about 10 minutes and we had to walk up to a main street. On her way back, someone just happened to be getting dropped off at the building right then, otherwise she would have had to do quite a bit of walking.

I ended up getting done early so we could take an earlier train back. It's a darned good thing too. Neither the BN in Brooklyn nor the McDonald's I planned to use in Norwalk had any power plugs! My phone died! Luckily there was a Starbucks nearby and I could work from there, but I was a little late because of that.

The hotel was fine. They're renovating the lobby and have new staff. They lost my reservation. I called priceline and had priceline call them and then they found it. Turns out someone had checked us in early because we were prepaid, and the new clerk didn't yet know how to see that in the computer. But it worked out fine.

I think I'd go so far as to say that the Norwalk area could be a viable alternative to staying in NYC if the NJ hotels are full. The Metro North ride was 46-56 minutes, depending on local vs. express, to Grand Central. We probably saved $100 -- that's worth the minor inconvenience to me.

thereuare, you can change the title of this thread if you'd like, to reflect the hotel win. Thanks again for your help.