Hotwire Hotel: 4* NYC (MTW) Sheraton New York and Towers

[betty5635]

We are two women travellers from Australia and this will be a first time in NYC. I have been doing much research to find a good hotel in a great location that will serve us well for a week long stay (7/7/09

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site.

I do see a 3.5* on HOTWIRE.com for $113 (the price you see may differ slightly) with the amenities: fitness, business, restaurant and internet. This would likely be the Doubletree Chelsea, which has not yet opened (it is set to open 5/30), so if you were to get that particular hotel, at least you would be a pretty fresh hotel.

The Hudson is $128 on Quikbook.com on sale. While the rooms at this particular hotel are quite small, if you're looking for a hip/trendy property, this may be worth considering.

In terms of PRICELINE, I think a good starting bid for a 4* would be $105 for these dates. If you are not successful, try $110 24 hours later, if $110 is not successful then $115 24 hours after that and then finally $120 24 hours later if $115 is not successful. In terms of exact zones, that would be something I would recommend researching so that you can determine exactly what areas you would be most interested in. Personally, I recommend Midtown East, but you should definitely consider bidding on more than one Midtown area.

Given that you are staying for several days, you may want to consider splitting your stay between two properties - that way you can experience two different properties and have a different area to start the day from for one half of your trip and another area to start the day from on the other half of your trip.

Please ask any questions you may have before attempting to book. Please also use the site's HOTWIRE, PRICELINE or Quikbook.com links to start your purchase/s.

[betty5635]

We are two women travellers from Australia and this will be a first time in NYC. I have been doing much research to find a good hotel in a great location that will serve us well for a week long stay (7/7/09

[yellowdog]

Please keep all posts in the same thread since this is for the same dates.

AaronJB got an answer for your previous post.

Yellowdog.

[betty5635]

hey guys

thanks for all your help... I'm slowly getting to understand it all, I hope others take as long as I have :) .

Some quick questions... With Priceline - once I enter in my cc details and accept, I have to take the hotel no matter what and I don't get given a chance to choose BUT with Hotwire, I have the choice of a selction and then choose (& can ask the forum to help with my educated guess)?

So is hotwire a better site to use then - becuase you have the option? I have read thru the forums however and it seems that PL does tend to be cheaper compared to HW?

Yes we are more then happy to split the stay - but my concern is if we spend 4 nights in one area then move on the friday -will the prices be more expensive because its a weekend (thats how it works in aus). Or is this not a factor?

Is it better on PL just at the start to put in 1 zone - such as Midtown East and see what you get - instead of putting in 3 or 4 and getting stuck with some outter hotel?

Also is the zone "Empire State Building area" any good for hotels through priceline - to me it looks ok - but is this a quieter less safe area etc?

Finally perhaps in regards to splitting the stay we could do:

PL or HW - Midtown East 7 Jul - 10 Jul @ 4 star - start bid as recc at $105

Chelsea Area 11 Jul - 14 Jul @ 4 star - what price should I start with here?

thanks guys

[AaronJB]

PRICELINE and HOTWIRE are about getting a deal and a result, you have to be flexible about which hotel you end up at. PRICELINE is the more opaque service of the two and, as a result, prices are often cheaper but you have less say in where you stay. With PRICELINE, you bid for (to use an example) a 4* in Midtown East. If one of the participating 4*'s accepts that bid, that's it - you are booked there in a non-refundable reservation.

With HOTWIRE, you are given a series of listings and you can make an "educated guess" as to which hotel is showing based upon the information given. However, HOTWIRE prices are more expensive (still almost always a great discount, but less of a discount than PRICELINE.)

Splitting the stay may not be necessary from a price standpoint for this stay, which does not seem like an overly busy time. However, I offered it as a suggestion in order for you to be able to experience more than one hotel and allow you to be able to explore the city from two different starting points over the week-long stay.

Additionally, there is not always a "defined" right answer in matters like this; there's a lot of options and possibilities with a week-long stay, and there's not necessarily one "right" answer on what to do.

If staying in two different areas appeals to you, then you can split your stay. If not, then try for the full week at one hotel. I think the ESB area (which I believe used to be "Midtown South") is fine - there's not many 4*' options there, but what 4*'s are there are very nice and unless things have changed since I last visited, it's a fine area.

You could try to bid $90 for a 3.5* in the Times Square-Theatre District area, as some people have managed to get the Sheraton Manhattan (which gets very mixed reviewed, but for $95 it's a hotel in Midtown) for around $95-105 for various dates in the next few months. However, that bid could also lead you to get something else besides the Sheraton. You could try a starting bid of $105 for a 4* in MTE, as the 4* options there are largely appealing.

You could try bidding $105 for half your stay and then explore another option for the other half. There's a lot of options, it's more about what sounds best to you from a general location (PRICELINE/HOTWIRE zone) and price standpoint.

[betty5635]

hey guys

so I went to my first priceline bid (I used the link provided) :)

But I haven't got anything...

- I started my bid at $100 with zones Midtown East and ESB & 4 *- REJECECTED

- Subsequently added a new zone, which I knew had no 4 star available went to $105

To cut a long story short - added the following zones in I knew did not have 4 star in

- Brooklyn

- LIC

- Upper East Side

- MSG

And I bid up to $120 - REJECTED

SO very disappointed. Because I was re- bidding and not waiting the 24 hours - have a lost any chance of getting a 4 star in my preferred area of ME and ESB??

As I cant exactly lower my star rating because of the amount of areas added - I don't want to be staying LIC

Would I be better to wait the 24 hours now and re bid to 125 not changing anything else?

OR

Should I start another PL account and re start everything adding in 3 1/2* & 4* but still stick with my nominated area of Midtown East & ESB at $105?

Advice would be great - and here I thought I was outsmarting them :)

sorry as well - we decided to split the stay

so dates i was trying for were 7 jul - 11 jul

[thereuare]

With your stay nearly 3 months away i wouldn't make any compromises in zone(s) or star rating at this point in time.

If you did want to lower your star rating you could close your current browser, re-access PRICELINE thru our link, and then start with a 'clean slate' at 3* bidding. However, as noted above, you have plenty of time and no need to make any "gotta get it now" decisions.

I do think you're close and will likely be successful within the next $20 or so if you're willing to go that high. If you let us know your maximum bid we'll detail a suggested strategy for you to follow.

Also, are you SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID because you think you'll get a lower rate OR are you wanting to stay in different areas of the city?

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

[betty5635]

Hi guys

Taking in your advice - I left the bidding for a few days and tried again yesterday. Following on from my first stratergy - I went up to $125 for 4* MTE and ESB zones. I again got nothing!

I don't think I'm prepared to go up any higher then $125 & that would be my maximum bid (not including tax). As we still plan on splitting the stay - I have to be weary not to overstrech ourselves finding something in the MTE or ESB zone with a 4* for the stay 7 - 11 July.

We are then wishing to bid and find something in the Chelsea area (hoping for Doubletree - locale looks really great and it will be newly opened - or something in that proximity - if any one has any recc's) Hoping to get something here for $ 85 - $95 for the 11 July to checkout 14 July. Would be happy to go to 3.5 * (or less but havent done to much research in what hotels are there for 3* so don't if this is advisable in this area)

What should my next move be - wait and don't compromise on the star rating for MTE & ESB zones and keep trying in over the next few weeks?

Or

Should I try for the whole stay in MTE or ESB zones and see if that works?

or

Should I lower the star rating for MTE and ESB areas to 3.5* & start bidding from $85?

thanks :)

[thereuare]

Your next move depends upon:

-how much you feel the need to "get this done"

-how much you view changing hotels as an inconvenience

-how much you want a 4* hotel vs. lowering your star rating

I certainly wouldn't feel "rushed" to make any compromises this early before your stay.

Is there a reason your not including MTW and/or Times Square in your bidding?

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

[betty5635]

Hey guys,

Much the same story again – I have tried re bidding through the PRICELINE links, but have had no luck getting anything 4 star in the MTE, ESB area for $125 (about our maximum bid) for our dates of 7/7 – 14/7.

As the stay is now 8 weeks away, and I’m wanting to get this booked in, I’m wondering if I should instead get something on hotwire…

This is what’s coming up for these dates–

$119 - 3

[thereuare]

The 3.5* MTE is a match for the Helmsley New York and that would be my best guess for that one.

The location is 'fine'... notthing outstanding but an easy enough walk to Grand Central to catch the trin. The 4* ESB property is a match for Morgans and that would be our best guess for that one, and it's a step above the Helmsley, imo, as it's a bit more stylish and a little less cookie cutter. (although rooms may be smaller here as well) Could you justify the extra $20/nite since it includes breakfast which is one less meal you'll need to eat outside of the hotel?

If you do lower your star rating to 3.5* and bid on PRICELINE, do be aware of the Millenum UN, which is a very nice hotel, but a bit further away from the subway, and the 'journey' to the train may get a bit tiresome for a 7 nite stay (certainly do-able, but just not as convenient as your other options)

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

Let us know what you decide and how it goes or if we can be of furhter help.

[betty5635]

HI Guys...

Finally some success - unsure how pleased I am though!

I went with a new strategy (using your PRICELINE links) and following your suggestion of not adding 3.5* to MTE bids. Instead I decided after much research on tripadvisor to try for 3.5* hotels in ESB and MTW (I would have been happy with any of the 3.5* listings that are on this site). So I went in at $115, I'm not sure really why I think I was a little hot handed, but was successful first go.... However they surprised me with not winning a 3.5* instead upgrading me to 4* the Sheraton New York Hotel And Towers !

The only reason I was a bit peeved is there are quite a few negative reports on trip advisor & some on hear that I've read in regards to this hotel. But the last reviews on TA have been quite positive, so I have my fingers crossed that it will be a decent stay, but the location seems pretty good to be in the thick of it all.

Some good news from this win though is I took a good tip from you guys and I split the stay. Which i'm glad I did. So we are staying at Sheraton New York Hotel And Towers for 4 nights!

So the win was

July 7 - July 11

Sheraton New York Hotel And Towers 4*

$115 per night

TOTAL with tax $554.11 (USD)

SO now we still have to find somewhere for the 11,12 & 13 of july (check out tues 14 July) . Were thinking we only want to spend max $95 and we would love to stay in the Chelsea area (see that side of the city)

Thinking of bidding for Madison Square Garden - Convention and Chelsea ZONES

Stratergy I'm thinking of using

First bid 3.5* MSG $90

if not successful then add

3* Chelsea go to $95

What do you think my chances are? OR any other ideas on a different bidding stratergy?

Thanks so much for your help!!!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win!

While i'm familiar with the reviews of this property (no personal experience staying there) keep in mind that many are paying upwards of $200+ for a room here, and when paying so much for a hotel room it comes with certain expectations, which for some have not been met... for $115 this is probably a very good deal, the location is great, and hopefully for the price paid you can overlook any 'shortcomings' you may encounter.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICLINE link to begin your bidding.

For help with the balance of your stay please start a NEW TOPIC (so we can reflect the hotel you eventually receive in the topic title of that thread, just as we have done for this thread)

Thanks... enjoy this leg of your stay.