Priceline Hotel: So few Upper East Side hotels??

[nexofa]

I'm trying to help Mom book 2 rooms on the Upper East Side but I can't find any winning bids, and I see only one hotel listed under PL - a Courtyard on E. 92nd. Am I missing something? Do betterbidders just not stay on the Upper East Side?

I guess I was expecting a bigger selection...

So the Courtyard-Upper East Side Web site gave me rate of $219/night for 4/17-4/18. No re-bids, so I have just one shot. Any guidance for an opening bid?

[thereuare]

Most users, and city visitors, don't have any reason to stay in this zone (there's a big hospital here and if somebody is interested in thsi area it's usually because they have something to do at the hospital), as well, there just aren't a lot of hotels in the zone.

If you go to BackUpBooking.com and enter a point in the UES zone (ex: 79th St and Third Ave, NYC) you'll see there are just a handful of hotels in this area vs. the cluster of properties in midtown.

Does your mom know the city well enough and/or have a specific reason to be in this zone?

Based upon the $219/nite rate how much of a discoutn would you need to make an opaque purchase worthwhile?

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

[nexofa]

Mom's attending her 60th high school reunion! At E. 91st @ 5th Ave. But you're right... Not many hotels up there. And what a bummer that the Stanhope went condo! We stayed there for nine months in the mid-1970s, when I was but a snot-nosed kid...

>>Based upon the $219/nite rate how much of a discoutn would you need to make an opaque purchase worthwhile?

That's what I told her earlier today. I told her to go ahead and make the COurtyard reservation, and if she wants me to put in a last minute bid and maybe save her a c-note or so, I'd be happy to.

She was wondering if I could repeat my feat a couple weeks ago in DC when I got Mom and Dad a room at the DC Palomar for $85/nite (instead of the $235 reservation they made at the Omni Shoreham).