Priceline Hotel: bidding help NYC Times Square Nov 19-22

[joeyt28]

Seeking any bidding suggestions for Times Square November 19-22. I'd ideally love to get around $150, including taxes, for a 4 star, but this all probably isn't possible ...

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

A $150 'all-in' bid is only about $125 before taxes and fees. Rates are surprisingly not that high for these dates, but i'm still doubtful that will be enough for for a 4* hotel in Times Square. You can give it a try, but i would try to be a bit more realistic in your bidding and include as many zones that are acceptable as possible as it will increase the number of properties which have a chance to accept your bid. I'd also recommend reading my thoughts on Hotels Near Times Square.

Assuming you're turned down at $125, what is your gameplan... add other zones, incrase your maximum bid, lower your star rating??

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

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

[joeyt28]

I'd like to stay in this zone, because the conference I'm attending is here. Maybe I could try for 3.5? Or increase the bid a little? I'll take a look at your post and read some reviews of the other hotels.

[thereuare]

There is no harm in trying for a 4* but my guess is that $125 will likley fall short.

The point i was trying to make above regarding other zones is that if a hotel is available in a nearby zone for $50 less per nite than a hotel in Times Square, would it be worth a $10 cab ride (or $2.25 subway or bus ride) to save $50 per nite on the hotel? This is NYC so things are very compact and there is often just a street or a few blocks that divide the zone boundaries, so depending upon where the actual location of your conference is, there are likely many hotels in nearby zones which are still quite walkable to the conference.

Let us know your thoughts and how you'd like to proceed.

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

[joeyt28]

It's at the Marriott Marquis, and I'm often out quite late at nights, but, given that it is NY, I may be out to other places with friends and be needing to get back from elsewhere anyway. So (I should know this) but what about nearby locations? Midtown West?

[thereuare]

At the 4* MTW will get you fairly close, almost certainly within walking distance. If you're open to a less than $10 cab ride or taking the subway then MTE should be fine as well (and some 4* hotels in this zone will be walkable as well)... but at the 4* level i still think $125 will likely not be enough (a $150 bid amount would at least get you a little closer to have a decent chance) Have you been to NYC before?

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[joeyt28]

Thanks. Yes, I've been to NY a few times. After reading some of the possible hotel reviews, it seems like I could try to start at a 4 but go down to a 3.5 or even a 3 in the TS area and still feel okay with the quality, and I can also consider MTW (though, again, the walkability to the Marquis is important to me).

However, I just thought of a wrinkle: I'll be sharing the hotel room with a friend, and for reimbursement purposes we'd need to split the cost in half and demonstrate separate receipts. But, this isn't possible with priceline, obviously, since I'd need to pay the full amount in advance. Is there a way to get around this, or have other users done so, perhaps through getting a refund for half at the hotel and having my friend pay for that second half?

[thereuare]

I don't know of any way to split the PRICELINE bill as you need, other than you each printing a copy of the winning hotel bid (which would only have one persons name on it) and submitting an expense for half the value (refering the other person roomed win, assuming you're at the same company or organization)

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

[espeelma]

I got the 3* Wyndham Garden Hotel Manhattan, Chelsea West for a $120 bid (Total $149.52) for November 21. It is close to the R/W Subway stop, 2 stops from the Time Square Stop, which is a couple of blocks from the Marquis. Marquis is between 45th and 46th and the Wyndham is on 24th, so about a 20-block cab ride. I made my bid on August 21.

There are some other Chelsea zone hotels, but looks like the Wyndham is what is coming up on a regular basis as a successful bid on Priceline.

This is a relatively new hotel, with pretty positive reviews on TripAdvisor, etc.

[dahammer]

I got the 3* Wyndham Garden Hotel Manhattan, Chelsea West for a $120 bid (Total $149.52) for November 21.

did you get the Wyndham Garden or Doubletree? Can you please confirm?

[dahammer]

However, I just thought of a wrinkle: I'll be sharing the hotel room with a friend, and for reimbursement purposes we'd need to split the cost in half and demonstrate separate receipts. But, this isn't possible with priceline, obviously, since I'd need to pay the full amount in advance. Is there a way to get around this, or have other users done so, perhaps through getting a refund for half at the hotel and having my friend pay for that second half?

you may want to consider HOTWIRE and search for a room for 3 or 4 adults, thus assuring individual sleeping accomodations. It will be difficult to split this stay since its 3 days, but you could buy two nights and your colleague could buy one night, make sure you do this at the same time and that the amenities are the same. The individual who "buys" the single night can pick up an extra dinner check or lunch check and even things out.

All in all, you will have likely saved your company/client $$ compared to a conventional booking.

[espeelma]

did you get the Wyndham Garden or Doubletree? Can you please confirm?

I have the Doubletree for 3 nights, November 19-22. Through HOTWIRE purchase made in March.

Recently we decided to add a night and I got the Wyndham for the Sunday night of November 22 on Priceline, as it appeared that either the Doubletree was not being offered on Hotwire, or if so, it was in the $160 range. So there is a typo in my prior entry in this thread in that it says that I got the Wyndham Garden on Nov. 21.

The two hotels are within walking distance and it looked like the Wyndham was a good possibility so I took a chance on Priceline and got the Wyndham as I had hoped in the Chelsea zone. For a bid of $120.

[AaronJB]

espellma, if you could post your Wyndham win in a new thread that would be greatly appreciated.

[espeelma]

espellma, if you could post your Wyndham win in a new thread that would be greatly appreciated.

Done.