Priceline Hotel: 4* NYC (MTE) Grand Hyatt

[fawaz]

This would be my first time in NYC. I would like to bid on a hotel for 2 nights, GRAND HYATT is preferred, from 11/25 to 11/27. Would you recommend a strategy to bid on priceline?

[thereuare]

You won't be able to target the Grand Hyatt for this stay.

Which zone(s) are you willing to bid? What is your maximum bid?

[fawaz]

I checked the rates on betterchecker.com and then I bid before your reply. I tried $130 on 11/25, then $150 11/25-11/27, then tried MTE and Upper town with $160 and won the bid for Grand Hyatt. I was reading recently about NYC and I must thank you for all the information you personally posted to the forum thereuare. In addition, I even saw you posted pictures of the hotels. I will try once I come back to post some pictures of the hotels I had stayed in.

I need a couple of more suggestions. I am going on a business/pleasure trip with my wife to NYC from 11/25-12/1/2006. I will pay the first 2 days but my company pays the other 4 days. From 11/27-11/29, i booked the Mandarin Oriental. I have another booking at W times square from 11/28-11/30. I didn't find any rooms available at W or Mandarin for the night of 11/30 so i booked a night at 70 Park Ave. I tried both Ritz Carlton, the pierre, and plaza-athenee but all were busy for the night of 11/30. The questions are as follow:

1- I need to cancel the booking for the night of 11/28 in either the Mandarin or the W since i booked this day in both. If you were me, first time NYC visitor, where would you cancel, the mandarin or the W times square?

2- Any suggestions on my last day of stay 11/30? I booked 70 Park Ave. but i can change to any hotel. My budget is up to $600/night.

3- Any suggestion on what should i do in NYC? I am not a fan for bars/nightclubs. I would prefer museums, restaurants, shopping malls, sight-seeing, and theatres?

4- I would like to attend a play in broadway theatre, any suggestions on where to buy the tickets and what shows should i attend?

5- What is the best W hotel in new york? I am mainly concerned about the rooms and then the location. If anybody can suggest so i can stay at a W hotel for the night of 11/30.

Thanks.

[Robins]

Hi!

I go to New York quite a bit, here are my thoughts.

I don't think there are any comparisons between the" Mandarin" and the" W Time Square"...I think the Mandarin is a much nicer property. The Mandarin is a more traditional hotel and is located in the new "Time Warner" building so therre is plenty of shopping,restaurants.....Centarl Park is also right there. The W hotels are very nice, but very trendy and from my experiences the rooms are a little small. The "70 Park Ave "is a beautiful small hotel , a Kimpton Hotel ,in Murray Hill. It is a quiet, more residential neighborhood. It is also a very trendy hotel, small lobby and small rooms, but very nice.

There is nothing more romantic than having a drink in the lobby bar of the Mandarin...it is beautiful with a great view!! A great web site to get all the info you need on hotels is www.tripadvisor.com.

Also www.nymag.com is great web site for what is "happening " in New York.

And lastly.......Jersey Boys is a great, very fun show!!

Have fun!!

Robin