Priceline Hotel: Failed NYC bid history for 11/06 - 11/08

[Phaelon56]

I'm in NYC Thursday night Nov 6 on business and decided to stay over on my own dime for Friday night and possibly Saturday as well. Until recently I lived in the area and have been itching to get back.

My employer is in a real pinch for $$ right now and travel expenditures are severely limited. I assured them that I could find lodging for one night in NYC at about $100 or less and they approved the trip.

Hotwire showed very high prices - nothing under about $150 - $175. Hotels.com had one "bargain" - the dreaded Hotel Pennsylvania at $129.95 for Thursday night and jumping to $180 for the weekend nights. Apart from the "Jazz at the Habitat", which is shared bath and under $100, there were no other viable ptions.

Decided to fish the bottom with Priceline and started a search for 2*. I began with Lower Manhattan at $70 bid and worked my way through every single zone, bumping my bid along the way until I ended with UWS at $90 and still no success!

Started a new bid with (gulp!) 1* as the choice and went through the entire range of zones AGAIN, starting at $75 and ending at $95 - once again no success.

It was worthwhile in the sense that it makes evident a significant fact - PL baragains, if they are to be had at all in Manhattan, will lkely tend to be at 3* and above. I think fall demand is so strong for tourist class hotels that few if any in the 1* and 2* class will have inventory available for PL.

I even tried calling the Travel Inn way out on 42nd Street. I's kind of a funky location but I've read reviews from folks who stayed there for the night before departing on a cruise - it is apparently an acceptable property. They wanted $105 for Thursday nigth and $170 for the weekend nights. I inquired as to what was going on in NYC that weekend and was advised simply that "it's a busy time of year".

Finally the light bulb went on - years ago I stayed at the Gershwin on 29th Street - it's part hostel and party funky/cool hotel but the service and staff attitude was so horrible I vowed never to stay there again. At the time I looked into a small property a few doors away called the Madison Hotel. The lobby area and desk seemd like a cross between a YMCA lobby and an SRO hotel but I spoke to a young Israeli couple who were staying there as tourists and they said it was fine.

Now I recalled an email exchange and travel forum discussion with an Aussie man who brought his family to NYC for a week a few summers ago. He advised that the Madison proved to be a great value - clean, comfortable and cheap. Even included a continental breakfast. It's located at Madison and 29th.

http://www.madison-hotel.com

I called them yesterday and reserved for two nights with the option of staying over for a third night all at the crazy low price of $74 per night on their "Autumn Special"! That price INCLUDES the NYC taxes, occupancy fee etc.

It's certainly not posh but it's a great location for me to easily grab a train to Water Street early Friday AM and not too bad a spot to be based for my downtown forays that evening and the next day.

It's not a PL property and won't be but at this price it's worth knowing about as a backup. I'll post a follow up here as to the nature of my experience once I return.

[Phaelon56]

I may post this elsewhere also but since I promised a followup in this forum....

I'm back from my stay at the Hotel Madison. Perhaps not the most convenient location for tourists but only a block or so from the 6 train, a safe neighborhood and some decent restaurants in the area. Since I last saw this property some years ago they ahev renovated the obbly area - it's much brighter and more attractive but the front desk clerk still sits behind a plexiglass shield. that's a bit odd as it is a good neighborhood but I suspect this is a holdover from some long past era when they were an SRO (single room occupant) hotel.

The room was a trifle larger than I expected and the decor could best be described as early 1970's Econolodge with no updates. The furniture was chipped and worn, the comercial grade carpet had a few stains and the overall vibe was a bit depressing but.... the bed was comfortable enough for a budget property, the linens were clean and fresh and the tiled bath, walthough old, was impeccably clean and in good working order. No remote control for the ancient TV and some channels were fuzzy but at $74 per night including tax, this is definitely the best of class.

If you know folks on a budget, perhaps students or foreign friends who are getting beat up by the exchange rate, this is a step up from a hostel. It was surprisingly quiet for a fourth floor corner room directly on Madison and 27th. There is a plain clothes security guard in the lobby at all times - no one is allowed past the lobby unoless they have a key and can verify that they are a guest. The clientele appeared to be a mix of budget oriented tourists and college aged travelers.