Priceline Hotel: 4* NYC (MTW) Royalton

[kipmom]

Ok I really messed things up for our upcoming get away to NYC 8/7-8/9. I went thru PRICELINE and bid 4* and got Royalton. Now the mess up, all my research and all, I knew I was at risk of getting only 1 bed. Well that is what has happened. I did not see the Royalton on pricelines list of hotels in the Times Square or Midtown West list. It looks like a great hotel but rooms with only 1 bed. I know it is my fault and this was the risk I took. Now I really need some advice on what to do. There will be 4 of us traveling. What would be our best options since we are first timers to NYC. I tried to book again right away with PRICELINE for another room at the same price but was locked out for 24 hours because I exhausted all areas. Do you know what hotel might be real close by even if it is a 3* that I could possible book for our other room? I have checked HOTWIRE and it looks like if I break the two days up, the Royalton comes up for $369. for 8/7 and for $249. for 8/8. I paid $235 + taxes thru priceline. If I go thru Royalton website the standard room is $409 a night. I really appreciate any help or advice you might have. Thanks Oh we are a family, myself, hushand and 20 yr old son and 17 yr old son. we could split hotels if only a block or two away with myself and one son in one hotel and the other two in one hotel, or do you think I should bite the bullet and pay the extra to get another room at Royalton? Sorry so long, I really am feeling the heat on my big mess up!!

[AaronJB]

I don't think you messed up, really. While I'm thinking this may not work due to room size, you could call and ask if there's any possibility of a rollaway bed. There is a review on tripadvisor that does say that a party of 4 got a room with 2 beds, so rooms with 2 beds do exist in the hotel. You could call and be REALLY nice and polite and see if there's ANY way they could get you into one of those rooms.

If it came down to it and they wouldn't upgrade you, I'd see if they would accept if you paid some sort of upgrade fee to secure a room w/2 beds. Lets say you pay an extra $100 per night to secure a room with two beds - still a lot cheaper than booking a whole other room.

Let me see if I can find any other hotel deals nearby, just in case it does come to that. Two different hotels actually might be kind of fun - to look at the bright side, everyone could switch each night.

[kipmom]

Thanks Aaron for your quick reply. I have been pondering exactly what you said and it is like you have been reading my mind. By that I mean, I did see on tripadvisor that someone did get an upgrade to 2 beds. It is kinda odd but this whole trip has come about rather quickly and I have been having trouble getting my ducks in a row, so I was bidding about 3am CST when I won this bid, as I was freaking out about the one bed thing, I did read tripadvisor, so I called to hotel @ 4am my time which I think was 2am NYC time. I really tried to plead my case and I got you need to call priceline. I thought about trying to call back during maybe normal hours to see if any luck. I appreciate the idea of maybe paying additional for an upgrade. I have another question for you, we are spending 3 nights in Washington DC and then we are traveling to NYC for 3 nights. I have rooms in DC and sorta a room for 2 nights in NYC. I still need a room for Wed. 8/6 As we will be leaving DC late afternoon and traveling to NYC or close to it. I am just not sure where to get it? Maybe NJ but close to NYC? Since you were so kind in your reply thought I might see what you thought. Thanks again for all help here. I had started out bidding on priceling for wed 8/6 thru sat 8/9 with no luck so I broke down bid for just Thursday 8/ 7 thru Sat. 8/9 Thanks

[AaronJB]

Well, I'd be happy to search for some ideas between DC and NJ; be right back momentarily.

I'd definitely at least try one more time with the Hotel and see if they wouldn't be against letting you pay a little more to get a room w/2 beds. If that doesn't work, you could either bring a rollup mat to the hotel or I would be happy to look for other ideas.

[WillTravel]

I wouldn't worry - the two boys are old enough to manage on their own, and I'm sure if you bid you can win another hotel room, probably in the same zone and maybe the same hotel. You can bid again in less than a day, right? Otherwise, I agree with the advice to contact a manager, speak calmly and ask for the possibility of paying for an upgrade to get a room with two beds.

[AaronJB]

If you want to try to make it to NJ near NYC (not sure how late you're leaving DC), search on HOTWIRE for 8/6-7 for 2 adults/2 kids, and you should see a 3.5* in the Edison/Woodbridge area with the amenities Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Laundry for $69 (the price you see may differ slightly.) This is a potential match for the Clark Crowne Plaza.

This is about a 35 minute drive from NYC, according to Google.

Please use the site's link to HOTWIRE (click the HOTWIRE) if this is of interest.

I could also try to find a deal in NYC for these dates, but it will probably be about 4 times the price of the NJ hotel.

Additionally, if you want to stay in Philly on 8/6, search on HOTWIRE and there is a 3.5* for $99 in the City Centre West area with the amenities Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, which may be a match for the Sheraton University Centre.

Please use the site's link to HOTWIRE (click the HOTWIRE) if this is of interest.

[AaronJB]

Additionally, a standard room at the Royalton is 250 square feet, according to Expedia. If there's no way they're going to give you a room w/2 beds, you can buy sleep pads at Wal-Mart (or anywhere for that matter) for around $35 each. Even if you had to get 2 of those for $70, it would be cheaper than getting another room.

Again, I'll be happy to try to find a different deal nearby, but I just hate to see someone pay another $500 ($250 x 2 nights for another room) when there has to be some kind of less expensive solution.

[kipmom]

I really appreciate all the helpful advice. Hopefully everything will turn out great, just alot of minor stressing over taking the chance with priceline. you all have been such a great help.

Aaron, I just got off the phone with Royalton, they were very nice and helpful although, they assured me they could not do anything but I should call priceline to have them request an upgrade of 2 beds. I am off to call priceline. I hope they can help.

Thanks for the information about the hotel in NJ. It sounds great and I will get started on that as soon as I get off phone with priceline. I will use the link here thru your site. I really appreciate all your help!!

Thanks again, I will let you know what I find out.

[AaronJB]

Please let us know what you find out, as things like finding out whether or not Priceline will work with you on this request are helpful for those of us who help out on the board.

I'm very happy to help, and please let us know if you need anything else. Thank you for offering to use the site's link to HOTWIRE if you do book the NJ hotel. Please also let us know if you do book that hotel, so we can edit the thread title.

[djkbooks]

I totally agree with the above advice to call the Royalton. Some hotels are more flexible with Priceline bookings than others. But, you should try. Ask for the front desk manager. You may be able to get a room with two beds, or upgrade to a room that will accomodate all of you more economically than booking another hotel conventionally. However, whenever a hotel says you have to call Priceline, they are just brushing you off, as Priceline guarantees a room for only two people and states specifically that any special requests (such as two beds) must be requested directly from the hotel. Even when hotels have rooms with two beds, they are not obligated to accomodate you with a Priceline reservation.

If that is, indeed, the Royalton on Hotwire, your rate would average $272 per room per night, which is probably more economical that you could do otherwise, and a lot safer that rebidding for another room with Priceline that may be more than a block or two away, as the Midtown West zone is oddly shaped. Or, you could try just the Times Square/Theater District zone. If you want to check rates, the Algonquin, Club Quarters, Iroqois, Sofitel are all in the same block, and the Roosevelt is right around the corner.

I think it's better to start new bids in a different zone, than to keep adding zones as you increase your bid. For one thing, it's easier to cross reference pinned hotel lists as you're bidding. And, you can start a new bid with a different area for the same amount.

Note also that Quikbook has rooms for two (one bed) at the Royalton for $348 8/7 and $280 8/9, within a few dollars of Hotwire, but you'd know the hotel for certain.

As for the night of 8/6, you might definitely want to use Hotwire and book a room for four. Philadelphia is a good place to spend the night. I've often booked the Hyatt Regency (which is very nice) with Hotwire or Priceline. And, the Comfort Inn gets good reviews and has reasonable rates.

Recently, we've stayed at the Hyatt Jersey City several times with Priceline. Also a very nice hotel, with spectacular views of the skyline from a very large waterside terrace. We've come to enjoy staying there more than in the city. The Path station is right across from the hotel entrance. It's a four minute ride to the WTC station, where all the subway lines are within a block or two. The restaurant within is very expensive, but there are economical alternatives (including a nice food court) nearby.

Another place we really enjoy is the Holiday Inn Fort Lee. Very nice. Excellent (low prices) restaurant within. The breakfast buffet (under $10) is fantastic. And, it really is only a 20 minute drive into Midtown.

Lastly, the Travel Inn on 42nd Street has rooms with two beds. Rate for 8/6 is $300, but free parking is included.

[thereuare]

I agree with most of the above, but my first approach would be to call during regular business hours, ask for a manager, and let them know that you booked a mini-vacation for you and your husband and the coverage for the kids has fallen thru and if you can upgrade your accomodations to a room with two beds so that you can still make this trip (even offering to pay for an upgrade upfront may let them know that you're being reasonable about it)

If that fails, or an upgrade is too much, the Quickbook option at the same hotel is a good idea (or HOTWIRE if you're reasonably comfortable it's the same property).

If that is out of the budget, then i would conisder another room, even if at another hotel. If you use PRICELINE or HOTWIRE for this extra room remember to put the room in your name or your spouces name due to the "21 year old minimum" to check-in, and then you can decide if your kids are responsible enough to actually use teh room on their own.

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

Let us know what actually happens and what you end up doing.

PS-

I still need a room for Wed. 8/6

Please start a NEW TOPIC for the remaining nite of your stay.

[kipmom]

Ok, This is what I found out, after spending a long time on the phone. Priceline was nice to deal with but the bottom line is that the Royalton does not have any rooms for my dates with two beds. I ended up calling back direct to the hotel and again was assured they had no rooms with 2 beds so I was able to upgrade for $100 a night to a king suite alcove. This still only has a king bed but they said they could bring an air mattress in the room and also there is a long narrow couch in the room that someone could sleep on. It does not make out to a bed. I am happy that we could upgrade and we will all be in the same hotel. I asked if something special was going on in the city around the time we will be there and the hotel clerk said there was a big "market show" during the time we will be there.

[AaronJB]

I'm glad that you were able to work something out with the hotel so you didn't have to pay for a whole other room!

Thank you for posting and please remember the site next time you are looking to travel. :)

[dahammer]

I still need a room for Wed. 8/6 As we will be leaving DC late afternoon and traveling to NYC or close to it. I am just not sure where to get it? Maybe NJ but close to NYC?

I really wouldn't recommend staying in Philly unless you intend to see some of the tourist sites, its not exactly on the way from DC to NYC. Something right off the NJ Turnpike in the Edison or New Brunswick zone will save you time.