Priceline Hotel: NYC 4* Thanksgiving

[ppitstop]

My husband I would like to go to NYC over Thanksgiving. I am considering using Priceline as this is last minute and hotel availability seems scarce. I only plan to go for 2 nights, but will be taking my parents and need at least 2 rooms. It has been a while since I used Priceline (2005) and I have always stayed with friends in NY. Any suggestions on the neighborhood areas to select when bidding and or even suggestions for minimum bids. I had intended on bidding for a 3 or4* hotel and I don't want to spend more than $275/night. Let me know if I am crazy in thinking I can get this with Priceline or what hotels I might expect to end up with.

- thanks

[thereuare]

Did you ever have success with a priceline win in 2005? :)

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Yes, I successfully bid for a hotel in Las Vegas and ended up with the Venetian for a very good price.

[thereuare]

Please remember to follow-up your posts with the results (you never posted any results to your Priceline Las Vegas thread :) ) and i'm sure other users could have benefited from the info at the time.

Which dates of the Thanksgiving weekend are you looking for?

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I certainly will attempt to do so this time if I am successful. As I recall I took someone's advice and paid only $100/night for my stay at the Venetian.

As for this time around I am looking to arrive on November the 21st (Wed) and check out on the 23rd (Fri). Any suggestions? It has been more than 30 years since my parents traveled to NYC and I last stayed with friends on Roosevelt Island so I am not intimately familiar with the city. I recently returned from 30 days in Europe and had only 1 bad hotel experience. I want to avoid that at all costs. Any help is appreciated.

[thereuare]

I certainly will attempt to do so this time if I am successful

Please follow-up whether you are successful or not... failed bids are helpful too. Also, if you include whatever you end up doing for this stay (even if not thru priceline or HOTWIRE) it can help others who are having difficulty for their own stays. Posting that you decided to cancel the trip is also helpful since it let's other future users know that you 'gave up' rather than were successful but just didn't post the outcome.

Which zone(s) of NYC are you willing to accept? Usually MTE, MTW, UM/CPS, and MTS work fine for the average visitor.

Let us know if the above four zones are acceptable and we'll take it from there. As well, are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3* or are you looking for the least expensive 3* or better hotel for these dates?

Let us know the above and we'll suggest a strategy to follow.

[ppitstop]

I am looking for a decent, clean place to stay for 2 nights that isn't going to be terribly expensive. Location is flexible (but prefer to be in the city, not out by the airports or N.J., Brooklyn...) and it would be great if it is close to a metro station.

thanks

[thereuare]

I am looking for a decent, clean place to stay for 2 nights that isn't going to be terribly expensive.

Some people find fauult with 4* hotels while others have no problems with 2* properties... only you know what type of properties you're typically comfortable with. You'll need to let us know if you'd like to first try up to your limit for a 4* property before trying for a 3* property OR if the least expensive 3* or better is what you're seeking.

Location is flexible

Is Downtown Manhattan equally acceptable?

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Downtown Manhattan is fine. I am first to admit that I have purse string constraints so I want to get a good deal on a hotel but I also want to stay in a decent location. I recently stayed in 7 different accommodations in Europe and all but 1 (which was recommended by a family member) I booked via some discount travel site (Expedia/Orbitz...) but I used TripAdvisor to get information about the hotel from real people. None of the places did we select have a lower user rank than a 3.5, most were 4's. The reason I mention this is that some of those places were 2 stars or higher. I am not as focused on a star rating as I value others opinions and experiences and getting a reasonably good deal. I stayed in Venice at a nice hotel for 6 nights and paid $1100, it is looking more and more like that could be the cost of a hotel stay in NY for 2 nights/2 rooms and frankly that cost alone is making me reconsider the trip.

I just want to find a clean/safe (star is less important to me) place to stay in Manhattan that isn't so expensive that I find it difficult to do anything while I am there. Does this mean I should try a 2* and if so, what would be a recommended starting bid?

[AaronJB]

What would be your max? What appears to be the Grand Hyatt is showing for $189 for these dates on HOTWIRE. If the HOTWIRE listing is, in fact, the GH (which I think it is), the regular rate would be $349.

Given that Hotwire rate, you could attempt to see if you could bid on Priceline to get it for lower (maybe start at $125 - although that may be a tad too low, but still worth a try - bidding for a 4* in Midtown East and work up?) than that.

Let us know your thoughts and we can go from there.

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Aaron,

Thanks for the recommendations. I placed a bid on Priceline for a 4* at $130 for the following locations with no success: Downtown-SoHo, Midtown East, Midtown South, Midtown West, and Upper Midtown. After reviewing the maps again, I decided not to select the Upper West or East Sid, simply because they seem bit far north. Should I reconsider them?

I'd like to spend no more than $750 total for both rooms, if that is even possible. Should I consider bidding for a 3*? I have never tried HOTWIRE, is that something I should try in tandem with bidding on Priceline?

[AaronJB]

MTW, MTE, MTS and Upper Midtown are fine. Downtown is a bit out of the way, but if it's acceptable, then that would be fine, as well.

I wouldn't try a 3* just yet. I would continue to bid up to about $150 for a 4* (which, although I could be off a bit, would probably take you to the max you're willing to spend for both rooms.) I would try again at $135 when you bid again next. I have to imagine that these are fairly slow dates (they are extremely slow days in the otherwise very expensive Chicago - you could probably get a 4* room for $75-85 in downtown Chicago on these dates) in NYC, so I would keep trying for a 4*.

[AaronJB]

Actually, if you did have any flexibility in destination, you could stay in Chicago for 11/19-23 (twice the trip) in 2 rooms for what it will likely cost you for 2 rooms for NYC for just 11/21-23. Just a thought.

I do see two rooms on Hotwire in Chicago for 11/19-23 for $752.84 total, and if you used Priceline, you could probably get even cheaper and possibly much cheaper.

[thereuare]

Does this mean I should try a 2*...

I wouldn't... part of the reason you had success on your European trip is because you researched the hotels beforehand and knew to avoid any with poor user ratings. When you use the opaque providers, you don't have the option of 'picking and choosing' which hotel you will receive nor avoiding any with poor ratings.

I would urge you to reconsider the 4* on HOTWIRE or raise your maximum bid on priceline by another $10-$15 as the 4* is a GREAT VALUE for these dates. If you compare it to the other hotels offered on HOTWIRE, the next cheapest 4* hotel is $250+ and the next cheapest 3* or better is $225+.

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Thank you both for responding.

Aaron, we really want to go to New York and we would have to fly to Chicago which we don't really want to do. I suppose that NYC is more popular at Thanksgiving than Chicago.

I upped my bid this time to $140, continuing with the same selections of location as well as 4*. Priceline came back and said if I was willing to up my bid by $22 they would allow me to resubmit the exact same criteria, otherwise I would have to wait until tomorrow to try again. I haven't done anything yet because this would put me at the top end of my budget...should I take a chance and submit a bid for $162?

[sjs5572]

I just secured the Four Points Sheraton Chelsea at $200 for Nov 23, a very popular night. This is a Midtown South location.

This is a clean, newish hotel. I suggest trying to bid midtown south, 3*, $160. If you get the Sheraton it will be a good bargain.

Finally, I agree with the other posts that the 4* Hotwire Midown East is a great bargain at $189. However, the rate is now up to $209. Still a good deal IMHO.

[thereuare]

I haven't done anything yet because this would put me at the top end of my budget...should I take a chance and submit a bid for $162?

Which zone(s) had you selected when you placed this bid? What is your maximum bid amount?