Priceline Hotel: Flexible dates Oct/Nov for cheapest price?

[Cartersmom]

Hi guys, I'm hoping someone can help me :)

I will be taking a leisure trip to New York, hopefully sometime in October or November this year. It could even be early December...I will be traveling with one other person (my mother) on a shopping trip but we are not too concerned about the one bed possibility and are just going to book one room.

We are hoping to get the best deal possible and are very flexible with our dates (hotel will be booked before flight as I'm in the airline industry so thats not an issue) However since I have a toddler and due to flight loads I would prefer to go on a Wednesday and come back Saturday :) (3 nights)

So.....I was wondering if anyone has noticed a trend in terms of when is actually cheaper that time of year into NYC? It seems right now that October is really inflated..and I imagine right around the American Thanksgiving and in December prices will be really inflated..also, should we re-think our days of the week? Are certain days cheaper? I havent really noticed a trend...

I'm going with a 4 star as now I'm scared about the couple of duds in each area of 3 star..and our areas of interest were MTE< MTW, and UM/CPS...

Edited to add: Actually, when does low season in December start? Our dream is really to see NY in all its glory, and to us would be the Christmas tree in Rockefeller centre, the diplays and illuminations etc :o It seems so beautiful in December. But alas, we're super cheap so we had kind of given up on it cuz I heard December's high season and super busy with the New Yorkers shopping themselves (can you believe it!? The nerve, lol) So december would be totally in, too, if I could finagle a good rate..

Please advise :)

Tara

[thereuare]

What would be your maximum bid for a room?

[Cartersmom]

Probably $150-$160ish ..is that doable do you think? We're hoping for cheaper (who isn't? :) ) but when the YMCA seems to be going for $190 I guess I should be realistic..if push comes to shove we could probably do $100 each per night, so like $200...

[thereuare]

What is the first date you're able to travel?

[Cartersmom]

Ahh, sorry, It must be like pulling teeth! lol

preferred dates would be:

10/18/06- 10/21/06 or

11/01/06- 11/04/06 or

11/15/06- 11/18/06 or

11/29/06- 12/01/06 ...

we can really go anytime, but want to stay 3 nights and would rather not stay a sunday night ...

Thanks for your help and patience :)

Tara

[thereuare]

Why not Sunday? It is usually the cheapest nite in the Manhattan.

If we find a 3 nite stay for $160 could you jump on it right away or are there a variety of dates that are acceptable, but not actually any three nites from October to December?

[Cartersmom]

I could really do any 3 nights from Oct-Dec but I don't want to stay on a Sunday even if its cheaper. Sundays are boring and depressing and I don't want to waste my money being elsewhere on a Sunday night :)

I also wasnt going to saty over a Saturday night just because a lot of leisure people return on Sunday and I am going on a space available pass with my airline :) and there tend to be a lot less flights too so ..the short, non-flappy answer is that we can go any 3 weeknights :o

The only reason I picked those nights in particular was becasue my dh is going to be working so I thought they would be easier for childcare arrangements (he's got day shifts those days )

But, if something becomes available on alternative dates I'm sure we could make it happen..so we'll say any 3 weeknights Mid-Oct to early Dec

Tara

[thereuare]

Based upon current rates i don't think your maximum bid is high enough for any of the above dates.

If you'd like to try anyway we can suggest a strategy for you to follow, but currently i doubt you'd be successful.

[Cartersmom]

I agree. I am going to wait a bit and keep checking on rates to see if its looking any better. I'll give this a bump if and when the rates are looking more promising for a deal. I'm not going to go with a $300 cancellable backup though, if we can't get a deal we were thinking of going to Chicago instead..

Can I ask, is it always super busy on the streets of NY? I mean, I know its populated, and the streets themselves are busy, but walking on the sidewalk..is it always claustrophobic busy? My mother seems to be worried about that..

Thanks for all your help ! :)

[thereuare]

No, not claustrophobic busy... and if it is, you just walk to another street/avenue and it can be deserted compared to the one you just left!