Priceline Hotel: 3* Newark (Jersey City) Hyatt Regency

[anitasc]

Trying to find a hotel for one nite, December 20 in Midtown and came up with these two as the lowest priced options. Anyone have an idea what these could possibly be? I tried cross-referencing with the vacation packages, but had no luck.

MTS 3.5* $81

Only amenity listed is a kitchenette

MTC 3* $118

Amenities listed as: Restaurant, Fitness Center

[thereuare]

Neither of thise have been identified yet... the one with just a kitchenette might be possible to figure out, but the other one with just a restaurant and fitness center is just too generic. I also wouldn't expect the hotel with just a kitchenette to be a 'name brand' chain as most of the majors offer more amenities, and it is quite possibly an older apartment buiding converted to a hotel.

Prices don't seem too high for these dates, have you considered bidding it on Priceline instead?

[thereuare]

Anitasc,

Please double check your search as i think you may have reversed the properties (the MTS is a 3* property and the MTC is a 3.5* property).

If so, THIS USER just reported that a 3* in MTS with only a kitchenette icon is the Murray Hill Suites).

Good Luck and let us know if you take it.

[anitasc]

Hi I am still trying to find a hotel for this weekend.. we have now extended our stay to include Friday Dec 19 and Saturday Dec 20. The lowest price option coming up now is a 3* Lower Manhattan (Fitness, Laundry) for $104/nite.. any ideas what that could be?

I was really hoping to find a midtown hotel, but have extended my search area to include lower manhattan since i am worried that the prices may increase. I also tried bidding on Priceline (with no luck) using the following strategy that I found on these boards:

4* MTE bid $85, if rejected add

MTW and bid $95, if rejected add

re-bid zone and bid $100.

If rejected....

3* MTE bid $75, if rejected add

MTW and bid $85, if rejected add

re-bid zone and bid $95

I do not want to go below a 3* hotel, and really can't spend more than $100 nite. Is that totally unreasonable? Not sure what to do at this point? I am going to try rebidding in 72 hours, and keep checking Hotwire until then. Any suggestions?

thanks :)

[thereuare]

Have you considered staying in Jersey City?

I checked rates for another user earlier today in the JC area. Based upon the rates i saw I think there is a good chance, although not 100% certain, a $35 bid could be accepted at the Hyatt and may serve your purpose. Easy commute into NYC, a one year old hotel, great views of NYC... only downside is parking is steep at about $15/day. Also depends upon how you like to travel... do you leave your hotel in the morning and don't return until nite OR do you do a lot of returning to the hotel during the day?

Not certain, but the lower manhattan 3* may be the Wall Street Inn as they don't have a restaurant but do have a fitness center. All the other properties that i saw had a restaurant on the premises.

If you decide to continue bidding on Priceline, let me know if your limit is still $100 as i think you should be starting with more zones selected than the above strategy (which was written for somebody else and for a different time period)

Do you have a back-up reservation and if so, where and how much?

This is an expensive time in NYC, and along with the general rebound in hotel business, Priceline inventory has been tough to come by.

[anitasc]

We are taking the bus from DC and are definitely the type that would probably leave in the morning and return at night or maybe make one trip back to the hotel before going out at night. The deal at the Jersey City Hyatt sounds great, but what would be the best bidding strategy to get that hotel? Also, if we go out at night we would prefer cabbing it, how easy and expensive is getting a cab to and from Manhattan?

Thanks so much for all your tips and advice :)

[thereuare]

Well if you want to cab it, the Jersey City option may not be your best bet.

Depending upon where in NYC you depart/arrive, a taxi will double the fare on the meter, not to mention the tolls, traffic, etc... figure about $30-$35 each way and will actually take you longer than taking the PATH. As a result, nobody in the area really does that. The PATH train runs 24/7 and is convenient enough, cost is $1.50/each way. If i was in your shoes i would take the PATH to the newly re-opened World Trade Center station as it's only one stop (a 4 minute trip!!) and then take a cab to where ever you want to go from there (or be a NYer and take the subway :) ). If you want to take the PATH to midtown, you'll need to transfer once at the Pavonia/Newport station and then you can get off just about anywhere up to 33rd St.

You can see a PATH map HERE.

(NOTE: see the key on the map, as the Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow lines run during the "day", while the dotted Blue/Yellow and Red line run at "nite"). Feel free to ask any questions you have about the map or the PATH as i'm quite familiar with it and take it often.

From the above link you can also look at a timetable.

As far as targetting this hotel, the Hyatt and the DoubleTree are the only 3* hotels i know in the zone. The Hyatt sometimes will accept bids at $35, while the DoubleTree usually requires bids in the $60's. No guarantees you'll get the Hyatt (as hotels can be added or upgraded at anytime), but if you wanted to try it i'd bid $35 for a 3* (but no higher). But again, if you really want to take a taxi to/from NYC i wouldn't recommend this location.

Also, don't know which bus you plan on taking, but THIS BUS is about half the price of Greyhound/PeterPan although the schedules aren't as frequent. (if this bus is an option for you i'll discuss further).

Feel free to ask any question you may have regarding any of the above.

[anitasc]

I tried Priceline bidding for $35 on a 3* in Jersey City and no bite :) I may try again in 72 hours. That is definitely an option for our situation, since the PATH runs 24-7 (thanks for the map link)

We were planning to take Washington Deluxe to New York. Do you have a preference for one of alternative bus lines over another? Peter Pan also offers a lower fare ($40/RT) if you do a 7-day advance purchase.

Thanks again for all your help, this site is a fabulous resource :)

[thereuare]

The problem with Deluxe Bus is that i think it makes some stops in Brooklyn before NYC... not exactly the ideal situation, especially since traffic in Brooklyn can be a bear. I'd sooner recommend one of the busses that goes non-stop (or only stops in Baltimore along the way).

The only "chinatown bus" (as they're refered to) i've ever taken was thru Dragon Express and it was $35/RT instead of the $79/RT thru Peter Pan. If Peter Pan is offering $40/RT i would consider that if i didn't need to commit to a specific time before purchase and could just get on any bus during the day. I think they run busses every hour or so, and sometimes on the half hour too! Nothing wrong with the Chinatown Busses, but for an extra $5 i'd sooner go with the more frequent/flexible schedule (and non-stop or 1 stop... i'd avoid the multiple stop bus). One other thing about the Chinatown busses is just be prepared for a lot of students yapping away their free weekend minutes on their cell phones!

I don't know your age or how late you stay out, but the PATH gets a little inconvenient after 2am or 3am when it begins to run every 30 minutes (prior to that it runs every 15 minutes, but double check the timetable at the above link).

[anitasc]

I am checking Hotwire for hotels in Jersey City and there is a 3.5* with a restaurant, pool, and business center for $96/nite. Could that possibly be the Hyatt? Two other hotels also come up, one 2.5* for $62 and a 3* (suite) for $194. Both of those also show kitchenettes.

If the $96/nite hotel is the Hyatt, do you think that trying the Priceline bid again for $35 again might be too low?

Thanks for all your info on the bus lines, we might just end up going with Peter Pan :)

[thereuare]

I think (based upon a prior win) that the 3.5* is indeed the Hyatt, and it was there before your $35 bid was rejected on Priceline. Hotels do have multiple Priceline rates, but if you bid more than $35 you start to increase the chances of the DoubleTree being a possibility since that is also 3* rated on Priceline. The fact that the Hyatt is believed to be on Hotwire, and the $109 web rate at their website, is what lead me to believe that it may 'open up' in a few days (although there have been instances when the above conditions applied and still wasn't available thru Priceline). I think there is a refundable rate at the Hyatt for $119 which may be a good back-up reservation to have if you don't already have one.

I know the area well and my first thoughts were that the 3* is the Sheraton Suites (Weehawken, just inside the map's boundaries) or the DoubleTreee and the 2.5 is the Candlewood Suites. However, the fact that the Candelwood doesn't show a Suite icon is a little perplexing. The price seems right for the Sheraton Suites as i rarely see that property discounted, but it could very well be a very high price for the DoubleTree (which is available thru the DoubleTree's website for $93.... which would make the room virtually free if you were able to cash in on the "Double the Difference" guarantee... but perhaps a little too 'risky' for my own comfort). There is also a Comfort Suites located in the western most border of the zone and this would be a less desirable location to get... i'd hope the hotels in that area were rated 2* or lower. Oh yeah, also, both the Sheraton and the DoubleTree have restaurants on the premises, but the DoubleTree's is very new, so that leans things a bit more in the DoubleTree's favor since maybe the amenity icon hasn't been updated yet.

Do you have a back-up reservation? I'd make sure i had one with something that i could live with, and continue to try Priceline (NYC up to your limit) and Jersey City in hopes of the $35 opening up. A last resort could always be the Meadowlands area, but you can figure out the cost vs. trade-offs when you get to that point.

That's my .02 (ok, maybe a nickel)

[thereuare]

We just had a post at the board where a user received the Hyatt in Jersey City for the nite of the 20th:

Jersey City Hyatt Post

If you're getting concerned about this date i would:

1) Bid again ($35) in this zone, if rejected

2) Bid for only the 19th, if rejected or accepted then bid for only the 20th

3) If either of the above are dates are accepted purchase the remaining date thru Hotwire

Downsides:

1) This will average out to about $60/nite plus fees and taxes ($95 for Hotwire purchase + $35 for Priceline purchase) which is more than $35/nite IF both nites eventually become available thru Priceline... however, given the rates we're seeing for your dates $60 to be "done and confirmed" seems like a pretty good compromise (IMO)

2) We could be wrong that the Hotwire hotel is indeed the Hyatt, although i feel pretty confident in that guess.

[anitasc]

I took your advice and was able to get one nite at the Jersey City Hyatt ..

First bid of $35 was rejected for check-in Friday, Dec 19, check-out Sat, Dec 20.

Re-bid of $35 was accepted for check-in Sat, Dec 20, check-out Sun, Dec 21.

Congratulations, you got your price of $35 for a 3-star hotel room.

Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson

Jersey City

2 Exchange Place

Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

201-469-1234

Check-In Date: Sat, Dec 20, 2003

Check-In Time: After 03:00 PM

Check-Out Date: Sun, Dec 21, 2003

Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM

Your Offer Price: $35.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 1

Subtotal: $35.00

Taxes and

Service Fees: $11.11

Total Charges: $46.11

[thereuare]

One down..... one to go!

So are you now going to try for the 3.5* via Hotwire? (presumed to be the Hyatt based upon prior identification) or are you going to wait it out?

The decision is yours, but if you're using the Hotwire as a back-up option, sometimes the hotel offerings get pulled and you just won't see any 3.5* offering on Hotwire (just an FYI, don't want you to think it necessarily always has to be there).

[anitasc]

I may just go with the $109/nite Hyatt rate to get the following deal with American Express:

American Express and Hyatt:

Travel with Familiar Companions

A Flight Credit of up to $100 is yours when you:

Book on hyatt.com at Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean.

Stay between November 20 - 30 or December 18 - January 4, excluding December 31.

Pay with your American Express

[thereuare]

That does sound good.

If you need help/advice/logistics on anything in the area feel free to ask.

I've even been thinking in my mind if i can find another couple to take the risk with us....

Book one room for Saturday via Hotwire ($95), then have the other couple book via Priceline ($35). Use his confirmation to obtain the "Double the Difference Guarantee" (difference of $60 x 2= $120 Refund). Then split the money with the other couple so we both essentially stay for virtually nothing! We live just a few miles from this hotel so it would really just be to check the hotel out and have a change of scenary.

In the past if Hotwire has honored Priceline rates for double the difference, but i'd email them first just to be certain (and i would think the Hotwire purchase would have to made first since i believe the terms of Hotwire's guarantee is "... find a better rate within 24 hours of booking..."

EDIT: my wife just told me we'll be out of town this nite

[anitasc]

great idea.. i will have to keep that strategy in mind for next time :)

[thereuare]

... but it would only work if you need 2 or more rooms since you need evidence of the Priceline win to make a claim against Hotwire.