Priceline Hotel: Spending a week in Manhattan 9/20 - 9/27

[estaban]

Love to spend a week in Manhattan with the wife. We need to be sub-$200 (preferably $180-ish).

Not picky on amenities. we want to be out and look around like wide-eyed tourists.

New to bidding, Spent a night at Times Square Westin recently with a bunch of friends.

The area seemed awesome (but so did a lot of places). It doesn't need to be in Time Square, looked easy to get around.

3 or 4 Star would be OK with us.

Have been reading this wonderful website, looks like Priceline and Hotwire both have bidding.

Will be happy to use the affiliate links.

Any help on strategy would be nice.

R/Steve

[estaban]

Love to spend a week in Manhattan with the wife. We need to be sub-$200 (preferably $180-ish).

Not picky on amenities. we want to be out and look around like wide-eyed tourists.

New to bidding, Spent a night at Times Square Westin recently with a bunch of friends.

The area seemed awesome (but so did a lot of places). It doesn't need to be in Time Square, looked easy to get around.

3 or 4 Star would be OK with us.

Have been reading this wonderful website, looks like Priceline and Hotwire both have bidding.

Will be happy to use the affiliate links.

Any help on strategy would be nice.

R/Steve

[estaban]

Have now entered prices in $10 increments $160 up to $200, at 4*, eventually adding all the manhattan zones, no luck

Restarted the browser and did the same for 3* (eventually adding all the manhattan zones), again no joy

Not sure I am doing this strategy right.

Seen a hotel at $377, guess the 50% thing does not always hold true.

Try something else tomorrow,

R/Steve

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

During "normal" times when inventory is 'average' and a hotel may typically be 60% booked, a hotel may be willing to sell rooms at a 50% discount in order to help bring up occupancy levels. However, during busy times, when ocupancy levels are high, and rates go higher, there is even less need to discount so deeply since there are fewer rooms to sell and the hotel is doing 'just fine' selling the rooms themselves... if a hotel only has a few rooms to sell, why not try to get top dollar for them rather than sell them at a 50% discount. Yes, margins are higher and there is more room to discount and still turn a profit, but there is less need to discount during these times as well.

What is the best rate you're able to find for an acceptable hotel during these dates? What is your maximum bid for a 4* hotel? For a 3* hotel? Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option?

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

[pegster]

What on earth is going on that week in NY ????

[thereuare]

1) It's a seasonally strong time in NYC

2) you're trying for a full 7 nite stay... if a hotel is sold-out for just one of those nites, or doesn't offer the opaque providers inventory for one nite of the seven, it's eliminated from the possible outcomes

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

[Lulubelle]

1) It's a seasonally strong time in NYC

2) you're trying for a full 7 nite stay... if a hotel is sold-out for just one of those nites, or doesn't offer the opaque providers inventory for one nite of the seven, it's eliminated from the possible outcomes

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

FYI that week in September is a nightmare. It's President Clinton's Annual foundation meeting and the UN Summit. Hotels are crazy and I am going to try Priceline for 4 star in Midtown West/South of Central Park. Was going to start bidding at $300 as even some mediocre two/three star hotels are starting at $500 a night. Will keep everyone posted!!