Priceline Hotel: 7 to 9 nights in NY in September -- help (?)

[awum]

My wife and I booked a flight to NY on travel points for September. I had NO IDEA Sept. was so expensive there.

Dates: 09/12 - 09/21, could do 09/13 - 09/20 and stay at the airport (JFK) on first and last nights.

Hoping to get anything 3* or better for under $200. Really want to stay in Manhattan proper. Are we out of our league? We're actually considering cancelling the flight ($300 charge) if we can't do it. I took a shot at it, got up to about $190 for all of Manhattan for the whole stay (9 nights)

Any tips? Should we wait to bid? Should we bid for two shorter stays? Any cheaper alternatives involving transit?

Help!

[awum]

By the way, any zone will do. We like transit, hear it's handy and cheap. Like the sounds of Chelsea or mid-town zones, but truly not fussy, just want a clean respectable place to park our bones after our days out!

[blakerbomb123]

hotel carter is the cheapest hotel ever and half a block from times sqrae. read about it.

[amozgirl]

You can try HOTWIRE...they have a 3* coming up for $199 at MTS which matches for Murray Hill East Suite. Prices change periodically, I would monitor it for a week to see how it fluctuates based on 9/13-9/20.

[thereuare]

hotel carter is the cheapest hotel ever and half a block from times sqrae. read about it.

I do NOT, NOT, NOT recommend this hotel you can see the reviews HERE.

Up to when can you cancel the flights with the same penalty? Is $200 your absolute maximum bid? (even when factoring in the potential for a $300 penalty if you cancel... could you apply some of this money which would be 'lost' to your $200 limit?

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

[awum]

Slight change -- we booked at the Best Western Bowery Hanbee (brand new hotel in a new building, just opened this year) in the Chinatown/Little Italy area. Not the perfect location, but I think it'll do fine if we can't find anything better. $160/night, 2 star but clean and new, private bathroom, queen bed. Booking can be cancelled, booked on the BW website.

So, I'm still hoping we can do better at $200/night (OK, maybe $210) in a higher grade hotel. I read up a little on splitting bids -- I think I may have to think about that as a strategy, but I'm not sure where to split the stay or how to figure that out (where can I get data?). Willing to move between hotels once if necessary to get nice hotel(s).

[thereuare]

we booked at the Best Western Bowery Hanbee... booked on the BW website

Please note as per our support page that we are an affiliate of the Best Western and it would be appreciated if you used our links to begin your hotel direct reservations.