Priceline Hotel: Need help and advice - 1st time in NYC

[nadal22]

Hello there,

Firstly, thanks in advance for your help! I've been reading quite a few posts, but I found it hard to dissect through the information, especially pertaining to my needs.

The details:

I will be in NYC with my family on 10/5 to 10/9 (Monday through Friday).

Will need to get around using subway - no rental car. Hotel is preferably closeby the station (can you guarantee this if you live in Brooklyn for example?)

4 people in one room (how should I handle this? Book hotel first and call them later?)

3 and a half stars and above would be nice but not a must. 3 stars is okay too but the important thing is being able to fit in 4 people and not having to walk too far to get to the subway station.

Total of not more than $150 per night before taxes.

I see of people posting that they won the Roosevelt hotel which is a 3 1/2 star for $135? So I assume that $150 is reasonable? What do I need to know in order to get a deal?

Thanks for the help! Really appreciate it.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site. :)

The issue with PRICELINE is that two beds are not guaranteed, so if you have four people and need two beds, you are definitely taking a risk using the service.

Being near a subway station is not guaranteed.

Which PRICELINE zones are you interested in staying in?

Please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchase.

[nadal22]

Zones do not matter... as long as I can access the subway stations easily (perhaps not much more than a mile walk?)

Would I be better off with MTE or MTW? (i assume there should be subway stations closeby?)

What would the typical additional costs be for requesting two beds? I can probably live with $10-20 charges...

[thereuare]

PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy and after that it's at the descretion of the hotel. Given that this is NYC, you could easily get a room which only has one bed and the hotel may be unable, or unwilling, to honor your request for a room with two beds (many 'standard' rooms in NYC only have one bed with little/no room for a rollaway)

Have you tried searching HOTWIRE for quad occupancy which would ensure sleeping accomodations for everyone you include on your search? Does anything appear within your budget? Are you 4adults or or any of the four children?

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

[nadal22]

My other option (the safe route):

Holiday Inn Express Laguardia Airport for $117 per night for 2 beds. They provide free shuttle to the subway station. They're 2 and a half star. Bidding in the Laguardia area seems like a risk because some hotels do not provide free shuttles to the subway station.

I guess my question is if I were to bid in MTE or MTW, how far should I be prepared to walk to the closest subway station? If it could be more than a mile, then it might be a little difficult for the parents.

I'm torn... any advice or opinions would be appreciated!

[thereuare]

It depends upon the star level you select... generally speaking in midtown you'll usually be within 5 minutes of a subway station, some hotels are maybe 10 minutes at most, except for some of the less than 4* rated hotels in the MTE zone (Beekman Tower, Milleniumm UN) which can be a 15 minute walk to the subway)

It's up to you how you'd like to proceed, but I'll reiterate that we don't recommend bidding on PRICELINE in NYC when you have more than double occupancy... HOTWIRE is a better option when more than double occupancy in NYC.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases. (or our Holiday Inn Express link in the support page if you choose to go that route and book direct)

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

[nadal22]

Thanks for the response.

Does the 'do not bid if you have double occupancy' always apply to Priceline or just Priceline NYC area? I have to book hotels in Washington DC and Buffalo as well and I was wondering what your take on that is.

Also, I was thinking of bidding in the La Guardia area. I figured if I could save 30-40 bucks a night by bidding, then I could use that money towards a taxi (to the subway station) if it ends up that the station is too far away. What are your thoughts on that? Priceline or Hotwire? (Hotwire's cheapest is only $93 vs $117 for Holiday Inn Express)

Thanks again. I'll be sure to use the links for my entire vacation.

[BradDCA]

It always applies when using Priceline. It states this in their FAQs.

[thereuare]

Does the 'do not bid if you have double occupancy' always apply to Priceline or just Priceline NYC area?

It's always a risk, so you have to make a calculated decision... in family friendly places such as Orlando, Anaheim, etc. that are used to catering to families, it's still a risk, but a much lower one; in places such as NYC where space is at a premium, expensive, and has a large number of solo business travelers, the risk increases dramatically. I would be somewhat cautious in DC as well... not as familiar with the nuances of Buffalo but i would assume the risk is likely less there.

I don't like the LGA area too much, it 'feels' dirty and doesn't give you that warm and fuzzy feeling, and staying outside of the city really does remove a lot of the "NYC vibe" that makes the city so special, imo.

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