Hotwire Hotel: 4* NYC (MTE) Millenium UN Plaza

[mikeebio]

Need 2 rooms for 9/5-9/8 (not 9/9 as shown in the title above. sorry for the typo)

Would like a 3 or 4* hotel.

Can you suggest reasonable starting bids for a 3* and a 4* hotel for these dates?

For this time frame, what is the average successful bid you would expect for a 3* and a 4*?

Thanks for your help!

[thereuare]

Please provide the information requested in our reply to your previous thread.

Then bump this thread and let us know if you're looking for the least expensive 3* or better hotel or if you're willing to pay more for a 4*. Also, what is your maximum bid? Which zone(s) are you willing to accept?

We'll then have the information needed to suggest a strategy for you to follow.

[mikeebio]

I'm looking for the least expensive 3* or better hotel in any zone (exluding UES and UWS since we want a 3* min)

Hoping to spend under $160 per night, per room. Is that realistic?

Its our first time to NY.

[thereuare]

Please provide the information requested in our reply to your previous thread.

[mikeebio]

I'm sorry, i didn't understand what you had meant earlier. I've responded to your question re: Hotwire Amenities.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

[thereuare]

My guess is that $160 will be a bit of a stretch, but you can certainly give it a try.

Did you also want to include Downtown in your bidding? This area isn't terrible, but it's usually much less prefered than the more convenient midtown locations.

Let us know and we'll advise accordingly.

[mikeebio]

Let's leave out downtown for now.

What would you say would be a reasonable estimate of the lowest rate for a 3 star during that time frame? Are we talking more in the $200 range for a 3 star?

Thanks!

[thereuare]

What would you say would be a reasonable estimate of the lowest rate for a 3 star during that time frame? Are we talking more in the $200 range for a 3 star?

I certainly wouldn't start at $200, but it wouldn't surprise me if i took more than that for a 3*. Fortunately, when bidding MTE, MTW, UM/CPS, and MTS you can systematically get up to $200 while making sure you don't overbid...

Do want to set your limit at $160 or $200? (or some other amount)

[steveme]

I have the same problem. But the 6th-10th. Not wanting to spend over 150 for a 2star...even a hole in the wall. HELP ME!

US OPEN is killing us..

[mikeebio]

Let's set $180 as the limit.

Thanks again.

[mikeebio]

We might also be willing to try a 3* in Jersey City since that would give us either the Doubletree or the Hyatt.

I know that the PATH is very convenient to both these hotels. Would it be a nightmare to commut from Jersey city to NY every day of our trip?

If not, would this be a viable option for something cheaper thru priceline vs our original plan of booking a 3* in midtown?

What would be a good starting bid to do jersey city?

rack rates at the time are about $259 for doubletree and ranging $400+ for the Hyatt.

[thereuare]

steveme,

Please start a NEW TOPIC for your own stay.

mikeebio,

Commuting from Jersey City is not bad... only time it gets to be an issue is if you're returning home after 1am or so during the week or after 2:30am on the wekends, as the trains go to a 30 minute schedule; if you miss the train, it can be a long wait at that hour of the nite (during peak times the trains run every 3-5 minutes, during 'regular' times every 10 minutes or so)

With the above noted, the Hyatt looks out of reach but the Doubletree may be a possibiilty.. their availability thru Priceline seems to often be with little rhyme or reason.

Let us know what you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

[mikeebio]

I just finished trying my bids in Jersey City and have gone up to $150 with no luck. Have already exhausted my rebids there so will have to wait 24 hrs to try again.

I'd like to go ahead and try for a 3* and will cross my fingers that i can get something for under $180 (max being $200).

I'd be willing to continue bidding to try to get the doubletree in jersey up to a max of $180 as well if the 3* in NY don't work out.

[thereuare]

Do you have, or need, a strategy for the 3* bidding?

If so, to recap:

MTE

MTW

UM/CPS

MTS

... with a $180 limit?

[mikeebio]

I think I've got it figured out and will try bidding now.

Question, how inconvenient is downtown/soho? Would it be wise to just include it and do hotel rates in that area tend to be a bit lower than in midtown?

[thereuare]

I don't recommend Downtown unless it's as a "last resort". I'd sooner pay more to be in any of the midtown locations. I'd suggest bidding up to your limit for midtown, then if you fail, you can go back and start over while including the Downtown zone.

Hotels Downtown are sometimes cheaper, but not always, as there is a bit more competition in midtown which helps bring opaque prices down in that area.

[mikeebio]

So here is a follow up on how the bidding is coming along so far...

After doing some research on 3*'s, we were a little nervous to bid in the ME, MW and UM-CPS areas as we were afraid to get the Radisson Lexington, Jolly Madison and the Hudson, all of which received such poor reviews on tripadvisor.

I ended up bidding just in the MS area up through $200 with no luck.

We then decided to change our earlier strategies and try for a 4*. Bid in all areas (using the appropriate rebidding strategies)where 4*s were available up through $250 with no luck.

At that point, I was getting nervous so I went and booked a cancellable reservation at the Doubletree in Jersey for $259. We're not that thrilled with the option of paying so much for a 3* in Jersey though.

Will try again tomorrow to bid in Jersey City as we were only able to bid up until $150 earlier today. Hoping that at the very least I might get lucky and get some rooms in the double tree for cheaper.

Not quite sure what to do about our 3* options in NY. Are the hotels I mentioned above as bad as they sound in the reviews?

[AaronJB]

The Hudson is mainly given negative reviews due to its famously (infamously?) tiny rooms. It is a hip hotel, often called "a scene with a hotel instead of a hotel with a scene." The public areas look quite pretty in the pictures on the website, though. Here is a video tour of a room @ the Hudson:

[thereuare]

I went and booked a cancellable reservation at the Doubletree in Jersey for $259.

A reminder, if you didn't, that as per our support page, we're an affiliate of the Doubletree (as well as most other major hotel brands)

I don't think the hotels are as bad as the reviews (although i haven't read them recently)... keep in mind that NYC hotel rooms are notoriously small and expensive. When booking a $200+ hotel room guests expect a lot, and in NYC you just don't get a lot of space for your money... so users are often disappointed in the perceived value (which can often account for the negative reviews).

[AaronJB]

keep in mind that NYC hotel rooms are notoriously small and expensive. When booking a $200+ hotel room guests expect a lot, and in NYC you just don't get a lot of space for your money... so users are often disappointed in the perceived value (which can often account for the negative reviews).

The Hudson seems like the biggest example of that.

[mikeebio]

We decided to go ahead and book the Millenium on Hotwire for 9/6-9/8 for $159. Unfortunately, it wasn't available on 9/5 so we'll attempt to priceline something for that one night and switch hotels to the Millenium the next. We decided to risk the Millenium despite the latest more negative reviews on tripadvisor as the cost and the location were better than our original option of staying in Jersey city if we were unable to find anything on priceline or Hotwire.

Thanks to everyone for the assistance!!! I'll post our hotwire win in the Hotwire forum as well.

[mikeebio]

Won the Millenium UN plaza hotel on hotwire for $159 for 9/6-9/8

Amenities:

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-speed Internet Access

Tennis Nearby

[AaronJB]

Regular rate $319 for these nights, so 50% off is not bad at all!

[thereuare]

Looks like a very nice deal!

I think you'll be quite happy there, and you prompted me to scan the reviews and they seem fine to me. As far as the one person who had an issue finding their reservation, just call the hotel tomorrow (or in a day or two) and confirm that they have your reservation (also a good time to ask for room preferences such as smoking/non-smoking, 1 bed vs 2 beds, etc).

You're also close to Ess-A-Bagel, which i always recommend (on Third Ave at 51st St)... one of the best bagels in the city and makes for an inexpensive breakfast.

If you need help with the remaining nite of your stay please start a NEW TOPIC.

Have a great trip.