Priceline Hotel: What's best - early bid or last minute?

[margimadge]

Visiting NYC in June 2009 and wondered if I'd get a better bid price booking trying early (ie about now!) or much nearer our travel dates?

Specifically looking for a 4* in soho area.

Thanks in advance for advice.

[slick_gd]

You may want to read this thread on the topic: Should I Bid Early or Close to Arrival Date

Generally, there is no consensus as to what is better as hotel room availability and rates can change at any moment on a number of factors.

One thing is for certain though: do not book through PRICELINE or HOTWIRE unless your dates are 100% confirmed as there are no cancellations/refunds. Your credit card gets charged the moment you book.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site. :)

Given the fact that you're looking quite a ways in advance, I would recommend booking a refundable back-up hotel in your price range and waiting. It's doubtful - at least in my opinion - that hotels have revised their rates appropriately that far in advance.

Do you know the exact dates of travel and budget? If so, we would be happy to do some research and then provide some ideas for what to do right now, based upon what we find.

[margimadge]

Thanks for the advice - Just read the forum topic and seems that as our dates are definite and confirmed (we already have our flights booked) We'd be best bidding sooner rather than later!).

[margimadge]

One other question!

There are 6 of us travelling, we would need 3 rooms. How could this affect the price and availability?

I've just realised that the fact that we need 3 rooms more pretty much reinforces the 'book early' argument!

(BTW - looking for 4* soho/downtown (6/11 - 6/16), hoping to get for around $200 a night - happy with all the hotels PRICELINE use).

Thanks again, :) margimadge

[thereuare]

Just to add my thoughts and confirm that the above is what your'e looking for...

PRICELINE's "Downtown-Soho-Financial" zone includes much more than just the Soho area, and most wins are in the Financial section (south near the WTC site) of the zone... i assume this is acceptable for your needs?

Also, do you have a lot of plans in the Downtown area? For the average visitor the midtown zones are usually a bit more convenient as more time is typically spent in midtown than downtown. Also, if price is a factor, i would at least consider adding the midtown zones to your bidding since there are many more 4* hotels in midtown, which increases your chances of having a lower bid accepted since there are more hotels available to accept your bid (of course if you have a need to stay Downtown then location would be more important than price and you should only bid the Downtown zone)

Let us know your thoughts regarding the above and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[margimadge]

Thanks for your thoughts.

We're visiting simply as tourists so don't absolutely have to stay in that D-S-Fd area but my personal choice would be Soho, mainly for the nightlife/eateries/shops - I much prefer staying in 'neighborhood' type districts, as opposed to highly tourist areas. However, given how few hotels are in this area, and, as you pointed out, there's a high chance of winning the financial district hotels, I appreciate that adding midtown to our choices would be beneficial and probably more appropriate for our party.

mm :)

[thereuare]

Which midtown zones are you willing to include... MTE, MTW, TS, CPS, ESB?

What about UWS... it's a little out of the way from midtown, but that may give you the most 'neighborhood' feel out of any of the 4* eligible Manhattan zones.

Did you still want to include Downtown as well given the chance of ending up near the WTC area?

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

[margimadge]

Looking at the areas, I'd consider ESB area too.

I'll have to have a meeting with all the ladies to see what they'd be happy with. (Could take a few days!).

Soho's still my 'most wanted' spot so have to consider how happy we'd be with a Financial district win!

:)

[thereuare]

Let us know have the 'pow-wow' and we'll suggest as strategy to follow.

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