Priceline Hotel: Visiting NYC/Jersey City July 20-24 Advice

[p0rk]

Hey guys.. love the board. Have been lurking here for a while trying to do my research before I book a hotel for our trip to NYC next month. I thought I would finally post to get some help.

We'll be traveling to NYC and will need a hotel from July 20-24 (check in Sunday July 20 and check-out Thursday July 24). There will be 3 adults and 1 child, so I think we'll just need 1 room. We'll be driving into the area, so parking the car for our stay is a factor. To help save some money, I've been looking at the hotels in Jersey City. Seems like it's easy enough to park the car for the stay and catch the PATH into town. However, the rates during those dates seem to be just as expensive in Jersey City as in NYC. I assume that there's something going on that week that's keeping the rates high?

Anyway, do you guys have any tips on what I can do in this situation? Thanks so much for any help you can give me. Again, I love the board, and will continue to visit for all future vacations that we plan.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

There will be 3 adults and 1 child, so I think we'll just need 1 room

PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy, so there is a chance that you could receive a room with only one bed (and if in NYC the chances of receiving such a room go up dramatically, and many NYC rooms have little or no room for a rollaway).

In such a situation HOTWIRE may be a better option as they allow you to search for up to quad occupancy.

However, to get an idea of where you're at, what is your expected budget for this stay (per nite before taxes and fees) and what is the minimum star rating that you'll accept?

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[p0rk]

Yeah, I was aware that I wouldn't be guaranteed a room with 2 doubles or a roll-away. I figured I'd call my hotel as soon as it was booked to start those discussions (and make adjustments accordingly). I was looking at hotels and areas on Hotwire that showed deals for when I searched with 3 adults and 1 child.

I'm thinking that the minimum star rating that we'd be looking to stay.. 3 stars. And as far as minimum price.. I'd say around $150 a night. I was hoping for maybe even less than that.

Thanks again for your help.

[thereuare]

I was looking at hotels and areas on Hotwire that showed deals for when I searched with 3 adults and 1 child.

Did anything come up within your budget and minimum star rating?

I'm not really sure in which direction you want to head with this... i don't think your budget is enough for a 3* hotel in Jersey City (as well as availability being very lower given the high prices for the above dates) and i don't think it's safe to bid Manhattan for more than double occupancy.

Your next best bet is the Secaucus-North Bergen and Rutherford-Meadowlands area(s), but this is somewhat less convenient than the Jersey City area where you can just get on the PATH train.... although you will have a car which does make it a bit easier.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[p0rk]

I'm beginning to consider those areas with my searches as well. I'm seeing a 3.5-star hotel in Secaucus - Meadowlands, which I assume is the Sheraton Meadowlands, for $89 a night on Hotwire.

If I jump on that, I'd have to figure out how we'd get around for the week and all that. Is this a viable option for us? The price seems right, but is it worth being farther out and at this hotel?

Thanks again!

[thereuare]

The price seems right, but is it worth being farther out and at this hotel?

It depends how flexible your budget is and how much you're willing to trade convenience for price... but based upon current prices, and that you're seeking quad occupancy, i'm not sure how many options you have.

HOTWIRE does offer a 3* hotel for 3adults/1child in MTS (amenities: Breakfast, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business) which is a match for, and therefore our best guess would be, the Holiday Inn Express Madison Square Garden. This property gets great reviews and would have your entire stay in the city itself and give you a better 'NYC experience' as well... but it is also priced at $239/nite.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[djkbooks]

I totally agree that using Priceline for three adults and a child is very risky. Some hotels will tell you they "cannot touch that reservation". Others will do their best to accomodate you (Hyatt, for one) but only if that type of room is available on check-in. I once observed a family camped out at the check-in desk at the Hilton New York who were refused check-in (too many people for room available) and were trying to hold their ground.

Something must definitely be going on 7/20. I was able to book the Hyatt Jersey city for 7/17 (overnight parking is $32 there), but have gone up to $140 (the highest reported accepted bid for that hotel in recent history) for 7/20 without success bidding that area and using Elizabeth for free re-bid, and it doesn't appear to be available on HOTWIRE.

My recommendation would be to book something ASAP that you can cancel and keep watching HOTWIRE (where you can book a room for three adults plus one child).

When rates are high, our preferred hotel is the Holiday Inn GW Bridge in Fort Lee. It's a very nice property with excellent rooms, free parking, and a nice dining room with very good food at very low prices (especially the breakfast buffet for under $10). It truly is a 20 minute drive to/from Midtown (though an $8 toll for the GW Bridge each round trip). I check www.iconparking.com for the most convenient parking at the most economical price near our Manhattan destination(s) for the day. For me, it's more convenient to drive into the city than take a chance on a hotel with awkward public transportation. You really have to pay attention to ferry and Path schedules/routes/parking, which vary depending on day of week and time of day. And, some Path/ferry lots fill early in the day on weekdays with commuters, so you have to find another.

You might also want to check hotel reviews for potential HOTWIRE/PRICELINE hotels. You may find some/many unacceptable for one reason or another.