kingeb6201 Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Can anyone help with a strategy to get a 4* for June 12-15? It's a girls' trip and our 1st time to NYC. I have heard that MTE/MTW is the best area to stay in to do the tourist thing. The strategy I tried last night is below and was rejected:1. 4* MTE/MTW $1102. added Upper West Side at $1153. added Upper East and bid $120All were rejected, so I don't know if I'm trying to bid too far out or going too low. Can anyone advise me??? We would really like to stay in Uptown. Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 What is your maximum bid? $120 is not likely to be enough for these dates.How many rooms/people? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 I would prefer max to be $150. Is this even possible? 3 people, 1 room. Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 For starters... you do know that we don't recommend priceline for more than double occupancy in NYC?Are you prepared if you only receive a room with one bid bed? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Blueskies Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 I think Thereuare means 1 bed rather than 1 bid. Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 We can deal with the 1 bed. We may have someone on the floor, but we'll deal! :) Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Based upon current rates i'm doubtful $150 will be enough for these dates. To give it a try anyway you have two re-bid zones.Select 4* MTE...Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-accesss priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTW...Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-accesss priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $145, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $150.Any questions feel free to ask.Good Luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 I will try it tonight. I'm assuming that when you say that I need to reaccess through the same site, I need to wait 24 hours. If I am wrong, let me know. I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for your help! Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 You should be able to bid the entire cycle above (all 3 sections) without waiting 24 hours between each.None of the above would be considered duplicate bids. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 I tried the strategy above and had no luck. After seeing the winning bid in another post for a 3* at $95 a night, I am beginning to consider a 3* bid. How are the 3* hotels in NYC? The Sheraton Manhattan looks okay, but I know I can't trust just one hotel. What are the going rates for 3* at this time? Can anyone suggest a strategy? Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Just like you can't expect that one hotel, you also can't expect similar prices for dates that are different than your own.Using the Sheraton Manhattan as an example, post the rates at this hotel for your own dates and then also post the rates for the dates that the other user won (which was 7/5-7/7). Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Can you give me a 3* strategy? The 3* hotels are still nice, right???? I am willing to go to $160 at this point. Is this a reasonable rate for a 3* hotel during these dates? Also, I have seen some talk about UM/CPS area. Is this still a good area? We are wanting Midtown area to do the tourist thing. Thanks SO much for your help!!! Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 7, 2006 Report Share Posted May 7, 2006 I think the MTE, MTW, and UM/CPS are all 'good' for the typical tourist.Let us know if you are willing to include this zone in your bidding or not and we'll suggest a strategy for you. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
jenndon Posted May 7, 2006 Report Share Posted May 7, 2006 I think I am one of the only one who strongly advocates 3* hotels in NYC. I always start with 4*, but because price is more important than the star rating, and past successes I have with 3*, I have no problem adding that to try to get a hotel for a cheaper rate.I have stayed at the Hilton (near Rockefeller Center) that is a 4* in MTW (I think), and the Doubletree Metropolitan, which was a terrific and large room 3* in MTE, and the Shoreham in MTE 3* which was not a big room at all, but did have a big bathroom and was just fine. The 3* to me were completely comparable with the 4*. Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 Yes, I am willling to add UM/CPS. Thanks, jenndon, for letting me know about the 3*s. It's our 1st time there, so we'll be very busy site-seeing, but I do want a nice place to lay my head!!! I'm funny about where I will stay!! I think 3* will be okay. Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 I don't think that the 3* properties are 'bad', it's just that there is often very little price difference between the 3* and 4* properties that the 4* properties represent better value. As well, the 3* properties on average are a bit smaller than their 4* counterparts.This is the new bidding strategy based upon your additional zone and increased bidding limit:Select 4* MTE...Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-accesss priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTW...Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-accesss priceline however you did previously.Select 4* UM/CPS...Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-accesss priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $145, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $150.Select 4* MTW and UM/CPS...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $145, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $150.Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS...Bid $153, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $157, if rejected add re-bdi zone...Bid $160.=================================================================If the above is rejected you have one re-bid zone at the 3* level.Select 3* UM/CPS...Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 3* MTW...Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 3* MTE...Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 3* UM/CPS and MTW...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 3* UM/CPS and MTE...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 3* UM/CPS and MTE and MTW...Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $160. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
jenndon Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 I agree that there is not much of a price difference, but 2 different times I have had luck getting a 3* property for at least $20 less than my highest bid for 4* (when I stopped because I was going overbudget). So, if I was booking and paying full price (who would do that :) ), then I'd probably go with the 4* if the price was about the same, but it does seem to open up some availability on PL to go down that star level. Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Can you tell me the hotel you have advised others to go to in NYC? I think it starts with a B. I am getting a little panicked and I am going to retry the 3*s tonight. Is that hotel that you mentioned nice? Also, when I go to add a re-bid zone in the 3* bidding, which areas should I add to make sure that I get the midtown area? I was adding the Upper East and Upper West when I was bidding for 4*s b/c I knew there weren't any 4*s in the Upper East/West. Link to comment
thereuare Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 When Priceline fails we often recommend Beekman Tower but it's listed as 'on request' for your dates so i don't think you'll be able to use that as a back-up.You can see which zone only has hotels rated less than 3* by reading Priceline Re-Bidding Explained. Specifically:The way to check what star levels are available in each zone is to open a Priceline page, check ONLY the zone you are inquiring about, and then proceed to the next page (as if you were going to select a zone)... this will give you the available star ratings in that area. You can then hit BACK on your browser, uncheck the current box, check the next box, and repeat the process. It is important to do this before EACH attempt at adding a zone that you really don't want, as new hotels can be added and the star ratings can change at any time.Feel free to confirm your re-bid zone with the board before bidding or ask for additional help if you don't understand the above. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Has anyone stayed at the Milford Plaza? Is it nice? On their webiste, they have a room with 2 beds for $199 for June 12-15. That seems low to me and that scares me! Link to comment
szymon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Some reviews of the Milford Plaza.For your dates,Expedia has it for $179... use the link in this section to support this site while you book.Szymon Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 I booked the Ramada Plaza New Yorker as a back-up at a rate of $189/night. I am actually getting the room for closer to $170 b/c 2 of us going are teachers and we get a teacher discount. The reviews are mixed, but I figured that I would rather have mixed reviews on a chain that I know than a place I've never heard of. Is this a good rate? Link to comment
dahammer Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 please note that this board has an affiliate Link to Ramada, which can help keep BetterBidding going. While the air is free, bandwidth is not! Link to comment
kingeb6201 Posted May 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 Thanks! Does anyone know anything about this hotel? For future reference, what time of the year can I get the best deals on? We are looking at going again maybe in October, but I don't want to try to book the busiest time. Link to comment
dahammer Posted May 14, 2006 Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 For future reference, what time of the year can I get the best deals on?January!!The reviews are mixed, but I figured that I would rather have mixed reviews on a chain that I know than a place I've never heard of. I don't agree with this logic, every hotel chain has a couple of stinkers, and Ramada is not immune from this. With the reviews and posted wins on this board as well as those on Tripadvisor, you can get a "feel" for just about any property that you've not heard of. BTW, you do realize that if you are successful with a Priceline bid, you are only guaranteed a room to accomodate two guests. In NYC, this could be a small room with one double bed. Link to comment
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