Priceline Hotel: Little Panicked-NYC for 4 5/27-5/31 New to Forum

[runchick]

We are a family of 4 (kids 10,15) heading to NYC memorial day weekend 5/27-5/31. Would like to stay in Times Square area or Midtown Central Park area. I have read this wonderful site for 2 days straight, got very excited, and checked out Hotwire. Unfortunately, they are returning only 1 hotel and it is at $284/night, not a hot deal by any means. Based on your advice, I know you do not recommend Priceline for families, but I may be desperate. If the rate was ridiculously low, we could attempt 2 rooms (my 15 yr old would LOVE that). Any ideas or suggestions? :)

[Gagnee]

What do you consider ridiculously low?? The lowest we've seen hotels in the Midtown areas is $110-150 per night. That being a holiday weekend it may be tough.... I would try two rooms with 4 people in New York as many rooms are barely large enough for two unless you are really lucky and get a property like the Hilton....That being said getting two rooms for 250-300 per night may be possible....

[jenndon]

Hi and welcome--

I stayed in the Doubletree Metropolitan in NYC. I won it on Priceline. It's a MTE 3* property, recently renovated and very nice and comfortable with a large bathroom and the biggest room I've stayed in NYC. We were upgraded to a King. I looked on their site and you can get a net rate with two beds in one room for as low at $247 a night. You could either book it directly from them, knowing you'd get 2 beds in one room that was (in my experience) quite adequate for a family of 4. OR you could try bidding up to say $150, for two rooms even and see what happens. I think that this site has some links (to support the site)--see above in red, if you were to book directlly. I think they are now a Hilton property.

My 7 year old daughter and I walked to and from Times Square from this location. It's kind of a long walk, but not bad, and it was near Rockefeller and other shopping and everything.

I would start bidding, using the strategy, and decide what your limit is (knowing you could get this property as a sure thing for this price).

[runchick]

Thank you, I will check this out. Appreciate the info.

[thereuare]

What is your budget... for one room and two rooms?

[runchick]

Well, I was hoping for around $200/night for one room, though this is looking bleak. I am still not sold on the idea of 2 rooms (one for the kids) in a city the size of new york, Salt Lake City might be different! If they could be adjoining, that would be fine. I guess if we had 2 rooms they would each have to be in the $100-125 range to be feasible. Is this unrealistic? Due to the 4 nights stay, I am trying to be more frugal. I am being drawn to the Sharaton Manhattan or Times Hotel, as they seem to be somewhat affordable, but right now NOTHING comes up of Hotwire for our dates.

[thereuare]

I am being drawn to the Sharaton Manhattan or Times Hotel

You mean purchasing direct?

Let us kow hwne you decide which route you want to take.

[runchick]

What route do you recommend? Reading the post from the other guest here looking on Priceline for the same dates, there does not seem to be any really great deals coming up. What do you think we should do?

[thereuare]

Not sure how to advise... i wouldn't bid for one room on Priceline as there is too great of a risk of not enough beds for four; and your budget isn't enough for two rooms.

You're going to have to compromise somewhere... either in star quality or price.