toliverair Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 Whew!I finally got my rooms for 10/24. All six of them!Now on to the next two nights.If I were choosing, I would chose to stay close by.......that way we wouldn't have to haul luggage all over NYC.........Better Yet........same hotel. Do you think there is a remote possibility that we could get the same hotel?BTW, we are staying at the Westin New York Times Square.Please let me know how I should continue.Thanks! Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 If i recall from your previous post, this stay would actually be from 10/25-10/27, correct?As well, in your previous post you indicated that you would like to keep your costs (bid?) between $175-$200/nite. Can that amount be raised slightly now that you have the Sunday nite locked in at $120? We obviously will start lower, but my guess is that any success will be at the higher end of the range or slightly beyond.I'm doubtful you'll get the same hotel as i seem to recall rates at the Westin really jumping for this part of your stay. As well, can't guarantee being near the Westin as your Priceline hotel could be anywhere in the shaded regions of which you bid. As i posted in your other thread, the good news is that transportation is fairly inexpensive and readily available in NYC... so at the worst case scenario your new hotel should only be a $5-$6 cab ride away.Let us know your maximum bid amount (if revised from above) and that you can accept a hotel anywhere in the zones you bid and we'll suggest a strategy. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Thank you, Thereuare, for being willing to help out! We are flexible on the area more than we are on the price. We would really like to get something around 175 but will go higher if need be. I have heard a lot say that they like the um/cps area. what do you think of this area? We might would even consider staying out of NYC a ways and taking the subway in although, I've heard you say that you really lose the NYC "Feel" when you do this. I'm ready to bid and I'll listen to any advise that you want to give. Right now, we are willing to give a little to get the price we want...$175 preferrably. Thanks,Narissa Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Sorry..........Yes, the dates are 10/25 and 10/26 checking out on the 27th. Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 I saw where someone else got the Westin for $170 on the 28th, 29th and 30th. Do you think it would be okay to go ahead and start my bid at $160? Or should I start it at $170? Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 The other person's rates are meaningless for your dates. Go to Westin's webiste and look at the rate for your dates (10/25-10/27) and compare them to the rates for 10/27-10/30.I consider MTE, MTW, UM/CPS all to be fine, but i still think it will currently take more than a $175 bid in any of those zones for a 4* hotel... lower your star quality is another option. I will still supply a strategy which goes up to that level, but what area(s) would you consider outside of NYC? (you can then weigh probable prices of the two area to make an educated decision) Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 OKAY..........Here's the scoop..........I tried MTW and $150........then added Upper East Side and $160........then added Upper West side and $170.....then added UM/CPS and $170.....Opened new browser selected MTE and MTW only and $180.......NO GO...............Any more suggestions? I can either try again on someone else's computer or wait 3 days although, it may not get any better. Does anyone happen to know of any Vacation Rentals that would accomodate our group? 12 adults...... Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 BTW........I did all of this before I read the last post by Thereuare......I should have started out with a higher bid..... Link to comment
WillTravel Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Was that for a 4* hotel?If so, you can start over again now and bid for a 3* hotel.If that was for a 3* hotel, would you consider a 2.5* hotel? Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 yes, that was for a 4*. I will be glad to go down to a 3* and start over. Can someone please tell me which 3* hotels are the nicest in NYC ~ Any area.....Thanks so much for your help. BTW, I am also needing 6 rooms in Washington D.C. for the 28th and 29th of October. Does anyone know how it's looking for those dates? Link to comment
mr.drew Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 If you go down to 3*, I would stick with UM/CPS, or MTE... then, if necessary, MTW.I stayed at the Park Central(UM-CPS), and it was just fine. Not luxurious, but good enough, and with a great location. Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 MrDrew ~ Of course, I would rather hold out for a 4*.........do you think there is a remote possibility that any more hotel rooms will become available in the 4* range? I would be willing to wait a couple of days if that would help. If I go ahead with the 3* bid, what do you think I should start the bidding at?We could also stay out of NYC to get better rates......what is your take on that? Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 From above:...what area(s) would you consider outside of NYC? (you can then weigh probable prices of the two area to make an educated decision Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 I wish I could tell you exactly what areas that we would consider.........I just don't know the area outside of NYC enough to make that desicion.......We are arriving Penn Station on Sunday morning..........We will be leaving JFK on Wednesday morning (9:30 am)........we would just need an area with good transportation closeby as we will not have a car.....Please recommend an area......Thanks again! Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 The only other 'legitimate' suggestion is the Jersey City area. I don't believe the Hyatt is available at a low rate and what appears to be the Candelwood Suites is available on Hotwire for just under $100/nite. However, the Candlewood only appears when searching for 3 rooms or less, so that may not be a viable alternative if you ultimately need 6 rooms!The next best area is Secaucus/Meadowlands/Rutherford, and although it is less expensive, it is substantially less convenient. I think it would be 'ok' for a single person or a couple, but i think it would remove some of the fun for a large group of 12.You let us know how you want to play it and we'll advise accordingly, but since you went $50-$75 under your budget for the first nite, i would try to put that money to work for the remainder of your stay. I think you have a chance as you approach the $200 bid mark. Of course, there are also lower prices for some lesser star rated hotels. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Okay......still no rooms (need 6) for 10/25 and 10/26. I am willing to go down a star level and rebid. I don't think (I've done so much looking ~ I can't remember clearly) I have bid for a 3* in any area of NYC.Also, Jersey City sounds fine. How long will it take us to get in to Manhattan? I would settle for the Candlewood, if it is available. I would love to have a bidding stategy to follow. I know you can't chose.......but I would prefer not to get a run~down 3*. So I want to start out with the best 3* area. I realize I'm picky and want stuff cheap. :) It's really not that I "want" stuff cheap.....It's just that I "need" stuff cheap! Thanks again to this board.....You all have been great through this whole thing. BTY, I did get my rooms in Washington, DC area. 6 rooms for 10/28 and 10/29 for $70 in silver springs area at the Sheraton College Park. Does anyone know anything about this hotel? It looks a little old but I think it will be nice enough. Good reviews on the beds! Link to comment
WillTravel Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 I think it's really hard to say one area of NYC has 3* hotels that are more run-down than another. I don't remember any strikingly awful reviews of any 3* hotels in any particular zone, just the usual complaints about small rooms. So unless you have read a review of a hotel that you think is terrible, and thus want to avoid that zone, I wouldn't even consider that issue. Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Thanks Willtravel! This has relieved my mind considerably. I'm ready to try for a 3* now if someone could help with a bidding stategy. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 For 3* NYC you only have one re-bid zone (feel free to ask for help if you're not sure which one it is).Select 3* UM/CPS and...Bid $145, if rejected add MTW and...Bid $155, if rejected add MTE and...Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $175.Any questions feel free to ask.If you wanted to go for Jersey City instead please let us know (but keep in mind as mentioned above you may have a problem getting the second set of rooms after the first rooms are purchased). Jersey City PATH train to midtown is about a 17 minute trip.Please post your winning Washington DC win as a new thread (as nobody looking for DC information/bids will find it burried here in the NYC forum). Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Okay.....It's been 72 hours.......Here's what I tried:4* UM/CPS and...bid $150, rejected added MW and...bid $160, rejected added ME and...bid $170, added DT/SOHO and....bid $180........No Go..........Opened new browser thru Savingsbarn.com3* UM/CPS and.....bid $145, rejected added DT/SOHO and...bid $155, rejected added ME and....bid $150.........No Go(I decided after doing considerable amounts of reviews that I didn't want to take a chance on getting a 3* in MW)Opened new browser thru Savingsbarn.com2.5* ME and.....bid $150, rejected added MW and....bid $150.......No GoWe finally made back up reservations thru two places (Cancellation policy okay.)We reserved the Comfort Inn Midtown for $149.99 (6 rooms ~ 2 nights) and those with AAA get $15.00 off a night.Also, we reserved the Park Central for $199.00. I looked at this hotel on the travelzoo lodging specials. The rooms looked Awesome! After reserving, I did some additional research on tripadvisor. I found other rooms that didn't look too hot and some pretty bad reviews. I called the hotel and we would have to upgrade to Concierge Level at $229.00 for the better rooms and free breakfast. I would love some of you experienced traveler's opinion here. Since I am reserving this for 6 couples, I want to make the right decision. I feel most of them are more worried about price. I, on the other hand, am more worried about staying some place nice and comfortable and I don't care to pay a little more to do it!Please post your opinions.....As soon as I get this settled, I would love some help planning an itinerary. I have some ideas that I'll throw out and then maybe I can get some feedback from you guys. Thanks again,Narissa Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 A few comments:Why did you bid $155 at the 3* level and then lower to $150 for your last bid? (and you did the same when bidding for 2.5*... or was this a typo and you bid $160?). If your back-up hotel(s) are a 2* at $150 and a 3* at $200... why would you stop your 3* bidding at $155 (or $160 if not a typo)?Why did you add the Downtown/Soho area? Did you think that this was your re-bid zone... if so, it's not.When you bid 2.5* and added the MTW zone, you were essentially bidding for any hotel at the 2.5* level and higher... so you could have been upgraded to a 3* in MTW which you were trying to avoid. What hotel in MTW is it that you are trying to avoid? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
toliverair Posted October 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 okay.....I'll try to answer your questions. I have been up all night doing my taxes, yes, I'm a procrastinator! So I'm not all together "Here".I added downtown/Soho area because I thought that everything was a lot more expensive in that area and it essentially would be a free rebid. I knew that this wasn't my official rebid zone. I was going to leave that one open for after I posted my bids on here. In case I should try something else. Was I wrong in thinking that? The reason that I lowered my bid at the end on a 3* is b/c I was afraid that I would get the Metropolitan in ME and I really didn't want it b/c of bad reviews. I figured since everything was almost sold out, I would get the junkiest ones in the area.I was willing to pay $150 for the Belvedere (MW) and the Courtyard (ME) but since I had a back up at the comfort inn, I really didn't think it would be worth too much more for these two hotels. The Paramount, Shoreham, and Sheraton Manhattan all had really bad reviews. The Club Quarters wasn't much better. And no, I didn't think about being upgraded. Is my thinking totally warped? Maybe it was b/c I was doing it at 3:30 in the morning.......If I could get a 4* for around $200, I would be thrilled. I would take a UM/CPS 3* or ME (as long as it's not the Metropolitan) for around $175. You can let me know if you think i'm a total geek. I won't be offended ~ much! :~) Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Trying to squeeze the last dollar from a Priceline bid i think makes us all a bit 'geeky' :) I don't like the bidding strategy you chose for a variety of reasons....-i never add a 'live' zone that i wouldn't want to stay in (better to post your new requirements and follow a revised strategy)-i don't think lowering your bid from $155 to $150 (a difference of only $5) would give you the security of not getting the hotel(s) you were trying to avoid-although i haven't stayed personally, i disagree on you wanting to avoid the Shoreham and the Sheraton... i know people that have stayed at both and have enjoyed their stay (and at priceline rates i don't think you can go wrong).... i don't know anything about the ParamountI'll post a revised strategy for whatever you want (ie- if you want to avoid the MTW zone that's fine... it's you and your friends that are staying there, not me, so you are the ones that need to be happy with the result), but if you're still considering a 4* at $200 i would also consider raising this limit by $9 and consider what i just found today thru QUIKBOOK. The Algonquin is available at $209, the rooms are notoriously small but the place has a lot of character and is famous for it's history. Expedia rates it as a 3.5*, Orbitz and Travelocity"]Travelocity as 4*, but if you read the REVIEWS and [url="http://leisure.Travelocity.com/Vacations/Reviews/Hotel/Read/0,,TRAVELOCITY_39115_0,00.html"]MORE REVIEWS you'll see that the majority are quite favorable. At least it's another option to consider.Let us know what you think and how you want to proceed. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
dahammer Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 If you are running out of time, the LaQuinta Manhattan at 17W 32nd street between Broadway and Fifth has rates of $140 and $150, this is near the Empire State Bldg and close to subways. Its in the Korean part of town, and is about a 2* property. This may be a backup in case you are unable to secure 6 rooms. Without too much luggage, it is within walking distance to Penn Station. Check out some of the neighborhood restaurants, Korean BBQ for 12 sounds like a hoot and it won't break the bank. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 This La Quinta is the one hotel in NYC that i have actually stated at.... before it was a La Quinta. Smallest hotel room i have ever seen and barely enough for room for two people to be comfortable. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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