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

[shinings]

New to priceline bidding. after going through the posts here, (very helpful i have to say) i kind of understand the concept of re-bidding, splitting & etc.

Dates as stated in the title 3 nights (Wed-Fri). I will be driving from DC but would rather travel in NYC without car.

I haven't started bidding on PL yet, coz i think i should know better instead of placing useless bids based my own assumption.

A few questions:

1. my initial budget was $120/night not including tax, is it practical for 3* on manhattan? Shall I consider Jersey City as well? (sounds like it only takes 10-20 minutes to Downtown, right? how much is the fare/day for three people?)

2. if i stay on manhattan, is parking expensive or is it usually included in the hotel rate?

3. does splitting bids help in my case? if yes, how?

Thanks a lot. Don't laugh if some of the above questions sound silly.

[thereuare]

1. my initial budget was $120/night not including tax, is it practical for 3* on manhattan? Shall I consider Jersey City as well? (sounds like it only takes 10-20 minutes to Downtown, right? how much is the fare/day for three people?)

$120 is not typically enough for a NYC hotel this time of year. I'd suggest first checking hotel-direct rates (use our BetterChecker to get an idea of what hotels are going for). Fare from Jersey City to Manhattan via PATH train is $1.50/each way per person

2. if i stay on manhattan, is parking expensive or is it usually included in the hotel rate?

NYC Parking is very expensive... expect hotel parking to cost $26-$45/day.

3. does splitting bids help in my case? if yes, how?

Before answering this, Priceline may not even be an option as it sounds as if you have three people in your group... are you only considering one room? Priceline only guarantees double occupancy, after that it is at the discretion of the hotel... and some hotels in NYC only have rooms with one bed and not enough space for a rollaway! Some people take the chance and have no problems, others aren't as fortunate, but it's not generally recommended to bid for one room via Priceline if you are seeking more than double occupancy. On the otherhand, HOTWIRE does allow you to search for up to triple occupancy.

[shinings]

please help me identify 2.5* Long Island City - Elmhurst 11/8-11/11

icons displayed are Airport Shuttle, Fitness Center, Restaurant, Laundry, High-speed Internet

it quoted me $125/night. Seems like a good location close to manhattan.

many thanks!

[shinings]

after researching for a couple of days, i am now giving up manhattan. i am looking at jersey city or LGA-elmhurst-flushing area instead.

i opened another thread on hotwire-new york, is it ok?

[thereuare]

Keep all posts regarding this stay in this thread and we'll ultimately move it to the correct location once a purchase is made.

The above HOTWIRE hotel matches the Pan American Hotel so that would be our best guess. If you do decide to purchase it please use this HOTWIRE link to begin any purchases you make.

I don't really recommend the LGA area unless you have an arriving/departing flight or have some other reason to stay out in that area.

[dahammer]

your topics have been merged into one thread, the heading will change when you are ultimately successful in scoring a hotel room for less :)

HOTWIRE has a 2* in Jersey City with the following amentites:fitness, laundry, HS internet, kitchenette. In the past, this has been reported as the Candlewood Suites, and a much better commute to Manhattan via the PATH train than the hotels in and around LGA, LI City or East Elmhurst. The only reason to stay in LGA is if you have business nearby, or if you have an early flight our, or to get some great Korean Barbecue....not necessarily in that order :) .

[shinings]

Half done!!!

I booked the Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson for $72 on for the night of 11/10 thru priceline.

First try of $70 Jersey City area 3* failed, but was asked to raise by $22 (to $94). I didn't. Instead, i added the free-rebidding zone Elizabeth (thank you so much betterbidding!!!) and raised the bid to $72. Accepted!!!

Check-In Date: Fri, Nov 10, 2006

Check-In Time: After 03:00 PM

Check-Out Date: Sat, Nov 11, 2006

Your Offer Price: $72.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 1

Subtotal: $72.00

Taxes & Service Fees: $19.02

Total Charges*: $91.02

Hotwire gives me the same hotel (at least matches the database) for $105 on that night (saved me $30+ by going thru priceline), yet it goes up to $290+ for earlier nights. That's why i decided to split my stay.

Immediately afterwards, i tried to "extend stay", but failed at $72. Oh well. I have to figure out where to stay for the previous two nights. (as dahammer said, hotwire gives me Candlewood for $110/night. I'll try priceline later to save a little bit more. The best part of candlewood is its free parking.)

By the way I called the Hyatt and requested a two-double beds non-smoking room. However, they told me it is not guaranteed until i find out when checking in. I wonder if there's any way to secure it, say by calling in early that day?

Anyway, thank you so much betterbidding. I'll update the results later.

[dahammer]

Half done? you only got one out of three nights :)

call the Hyatt the day before or the morning of your stay and ask for your room preference, I've only been denied a handful of times. Also, the Hotwire offer for what appears to be the Candlewood can disappear, so while paying more for a lesser quality room it is a bitter pill to swallow, you are getting a great deal for both properties given the current occupancy levels. Also, if you need a room with two doubles, then the Candlewood may not be for you as Hotwire rooms typically have only one queen bed...unless you walk over to the Target store and get an inflatable bed for $25...... :)

[shinings]

just got back from my trip. Ended up using Holland Motor Lodge from Expedia because i couldn't get Candlewood for less than $110. The motel was $90 plus tax per night for a double queenbed room. Way inferior than the Hyatt, but it has free parking and easy access to PATH (about 10 min walk).

Thanks for all your help, thereuare and dahammer!