Priceline Hotel: Times Square 11/26-12/3

[smatch]

Hello,

I've never used Priceline and came accross this site while researching. What a terrific site! So we've booked at a Super 8 in North Bergen for $62 per night. But I think we are going to go with the Super 8 in Times Square at $162/night just because of location...I don't want to pay NJ Transit and Lincoln Tunnel Toll's each time we want to go back to the hotel. So I'm wondering if I would be wise to try and use Priceline to get a better rate. I've been watching ebay and found weeknights at the Manhattan Club for around $150. I don't have to be at Times Square it was just the cheapest we could find...and we are on a tight budget. (I still really like the $62 per night in Jersey but they also want $15/night for a crib!)

Thanks in advance.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

I strongly recommend against staying at the Motel 8 in North Bergen... it's pretty nasty.

First question to ask is if you're willing to SPLIT YOUR STAY. If so, how many times are you willing to change hotels?

[smatch]

I think we would be willing...I was looking at splitting my time between the Manhattan Club and then another hotel.

[thereuare]

Would you only consider changing properties once?

The Jersey City area is a good alternative, but i already see a random date in the middle of your stay that would be troublesome getting a room. You're two adults and one infant?

[smatch]

Yah I don't think we really want to move that much. I think once is probably enough with our baby and all. Which date is troublesome (do you mean already booked)? Have you stayed at the Super 8 in Times Square?

[thereuare]

Not that the hotel is sold-out, but rather that rates are higher than we typically see acceptance for.

I would recommend trying for a complete stay in Jersey City (which will in all likelihood be rejected) and then try for a subset of your stay, with check-in beginning on your first day of arrival into the area OR check-out ending on your last day of arrival.... this will then enable you to complete the balance of your stay at the Super 8 in Times Square (which i have stayed or seen... but if i'm passing by in the next few weeks i'll try to take a peak inside).

If you'd like to try that route i'll suggest a bidding strategy for you to try.

Keep in mind that Priceline only guarantees double occupancy, although if your baby is an infant i doubt any hotel would give you a problem about him/her being a third person (but i just point it out to make you aware).

Let us know if you want to try for Jersey City for as many nites as you can or if there is some other way you want to persue this stay.

[smatch]

Hi thanks for your help I really appreciate it.

We've talked and Manhattan is really where we want to be. In Jersey we couldn't use our Unlimited Metro card and have to pay the lincoln tunnel toll. With our infant we thought it would be nice to at least be in Manhattan in case we want to go back for a break...and I don't want to have to pay NJ Transit again or pay the Toll. We are willing to stay elsewhere doesn't have to be times square...something close to transit (Subway) is I guess the most important. We plan on seeing most of Manhattan, Empire, Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller, 5th Ave, Brooklyn (gotta try the pizza), Chinatow, etc.

So to understand what you are saying is that alot of places are booked which means I might not get a place because they don't necessarily have to sell it off. (Running at a higher occupancy rather than a low and need to fill it even if at a low rate) Is that right?

We could split our stay in Manhattan...maybe it would help with doing Upper and then lower Manhattan.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

It's not that some hotels are booked, it's that the rates aren't constant throughout your stay. Your winning bid would need to be high enough to win the most expensive nite of your stay, and thus you'd be overpaying for the less expensive nites. This is explained in more detail in the SHOULD I SPLIT MY BID THREAD so give that a read and ask any questions that you may still have.

Are you driving? What do you intend to do with your car?... parking is expensive.

The money that you would save by staying in Jersey City would more than make up for the cost of the added train fare, but nothing can compare to the convenience of staying in NYC for taking your child back to the hotel for a quick rest or nap.

I don't know how successful you are going to be beating the rate you have for the Super 8 unless you consider splitting your stay. As well, if you are succesful i would think you are more likely to get a better hotel for your money that you are to get a lower price.

[smatch]

I understand now...yes most of the hotels I've checked are like 329 some days and the 189 the rest. So I should check some and see what days are high and which are low and bid accordingly ie. If Friday Saturday are high and the rest low then do a bid for $200 for Friday Saturday and say $160 for the rest.

I think we have resigned our selves to the fact we aren't going to beat our price but if we could jump classes for the same price that would be awesome. (My wife would love to stay at the Waldorf...I've checked..its sold out) :)

No we are not driving.

So in summary...we want to stay in Manhattan because of the convenience. We are willing to take the chance of a split stay if it means we could get a way better hotel for the same price as we have for the super 8 (maybe a little more but not much). We don't have to be in Times Square although the central location would be great for getting to all areas of Manhattan. We are pretty much just doing the site seeing and shopping trip...with no set agenda.

What do you suggest for a bidding strategy?

Another question which might not fall in this forum but what if you have a $1000 credit limit and your stay would work out to over that? How would Priceline be able to charge your card immediately for the stay if a bid was successful?

Thanks again for your help.

[thereuare]

If the charge won't go thru then Priceline will come back and say that they weren't able to charge your credit card and the transaction will not be completed.

Due to the different rates and dates i'll have to do some research on this one, but unfortuntely it's getting late on this end. I have some appointments tomorrow so i probably won't be able to post a strategy until late in the day. If i haven't posted by Thursday morning it means i lost track of this thread and please send me a PM message to remind me to take a look at it.

[dahammer]

smatch,

I think that you may have difficulty for the weekend portion of your stay, so splitting your bid may be your only option. I did a quick check of a few properties near Herald Square (near Macy's, Madison Square Garden) the LaQuinta Inn is $189, wasn't able to check rates at Red Roof Inn nearby. The Herald Square Hotel only has rooms with shared baths for part of your trip. I stayed at the Herald Square hotel in June, making last minute plans, the rate was $140.00 for a room with two double beds and private bath. This Hotel is really a 1*-1.5* at best. (parking was a bargain at the time at $21.00 per day) and near many good Korean restaurants. Many of the Tourist Class hotels offering cheap rates do not have private baths. I also checked out hojo.com, the web site for Howard Johnson's, my sister stayed at the HoJo's near Penn Station last year and said that the Hotel was "OK". There is a HoJo Express on Houston street and I believe this is a recently renovated property, the Monday-Friday rate is $119. You should consider staying in Jersey City for the first part of your trip and then going to Manhattan on from Monday to Friday. The Path train station is close to the Candlewood, Hyatt, Doubletree, and Courtyard in Jersey City. Avoid the Super 8 on Tonnele Ave, its in a tough neighborhood. About the Crib......check out yard sales this weekend for a portable crib and take it with you since you plan on driving, this was a life saver for us many times, I am 10 years past that stage and in one week, my baby will become a teenager......

[thereuare]

I really don't think you will currently do better than you already have... but this would be the basic strategy to follow. Maybe nothing will work today, but perhaps between now and mid-November things will improve for this stay.

When bidding 3* you have one re-bid zone available, if you're not sure of which it is feel free to ask for help and/or confirm which zone it is. You can read more about re-bidding at PRICELINE RE-BIDDING EXPLAINED

Select 3* MTW and...

Bid $140, if rejected add MTE and...

Bid $150, if rejected add UM/MTS and...

Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone and...

Bid $160.

Keep in mind that the above prices will not include Priceline's fee (and taxes, which aren't included in your Super8 rate above) so if you really don't want to spend more than your current reservation than you may want to lower the above dollar amounts by $5.

I would bid the above for your complete stay of 11/26-12/3

If rejected restart the strategy over for the following dates:

11/26-12/2

11/27-12/3

11/26-12/1

11/28-12/3

11/26-11/30

11/29-12/3

11/26-11/29

11/30-12/3

Good Luck and let us know how it goes. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have.