Hotwire Hotel: Help with NYC Hotel for 12/31-1/4

[lhoising]

Hello

I am trying to plan a trip to NYC for this christmas/New years time. As this is the most expensive time to be there I am trying to catch some kind of deal. Now I was perusing many sites and saw hotwire has a 2.5 star hotel in Hoboken-Jersey City for 86 dollars (High Speed Internet, Laundry Service and Restaurant are the amenities).

So I think this is too good to be because all the other prices are nuts and this seems awfully cheap. It appears that the Days Inn is the only one listed on the site. Is this the one in North Bergen?

What kind of neighborhood is it? Is the access to NYC good?

Just starting my search now trying to get something affordable enough so that I can go to see a show at blue note in new york and was looking at the jersey side to see what was available cheaper.

[lhoising]

Hello

I was looking over hotels on hotwire and see there is a three star hotel in brooklyn with the following amenities:

Boutique Hotel

Smoke Free Rooms

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-speed Internet Access

Only I do no see any botique hotels on the list. It says 10.4 miles to La Guardia and if that is accurate it cant be too far south into Brooklyn, right?

The price is 144 a night. Anyone know what this hotel is?

There is also a 2.5 star hotel in Brooklyn with free breakfast and high speed internet access which could be the holiday inn express downtown but is also close to the best western amenities.

There are also two hotels in Long Island City that are a bit cheaper but that zone is so large I dont want to be tooo far away from NYC.

Does anyone have some suggestions?

[thereuare]

The milage distance HOTWIRE showns to various points/landmarks is from the center of the zone, not from the specific hotel that you'll be purchasingn (look at the different hotels in the zone and you'll see the milage is the same for all of them)

What is your maximum budget per nite for this trip? Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option? How will you be traveling to NYC? (if by plane, which airport and what time do you arrive)

Is this trip in the planning stages as this point or are you ready to commit to a deal?

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

[lhoising]

The trip is in planning stages because I am having trouble getting good airfare but since new york hotel is hte most expensive part of trip I am most definitely thinking that I would like to get better deal on hotel and then get flight since the prices are not drastically different.

I was actually thinking of splitting up the priceline to include the 1-4 and then plan the rest around that. Maybe an airport hotel stay, maybe something in town. I know i can get a room at the cosmopolitan for 558 total for the 1-4th. Average of 160 plus one night that is more expensive I think. It is a room with a queen and a sofa bed. That is my back up, to reserve that hotel (No cancellation fees) and see if i can find a better deal on hotwire/priceline.

I suppose we could try each day separately too if we really wanted, but that would be annoying switching different hotels too often.

[thereuare]

The 2.5* Hoboken-Jersey property is a match for the Days Inn and this not the part of the zone you want to stay in. You want to be near the Waterfront area whereas this hotel is along Routes 1&9.

The nite of 12/31 will obviously be very expensive in Manhattan as well as the immediate area outside of Manhattan (although likely cheaper than Manhattan itself). However, starting 1/1 rates should drop and be substantially lower. I don't see any reason to chante hotels each day, i would think that staying someplace 12/31-1/1 and then a different property 1/1-1/4 should be sufficient enough to get a decent deal.

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

[lhoising]

Do you think since there is a 119 dollar a night hotel in chealsea (3*) on HOTWIRE I could get something less than 100 on priceline (for 1-4)?

[thereuare]

It would be close... this is generally the start of a slow season for NYC, but sub-$100 is often rate for NYC. As well, unless you've identified the HOTWIRE Chelsea hotel, you don't know if it's also a 3* rated property via PRICELINE (so you may not be comparing apples-to-apples)

If price is your primary concern why not bid as many zones as acceptable and use a bidding strategy that gradually increases the price, allowing the least expensive hotel in any of your acceptable zones to accept your bid?

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

[lhoising]

That would be acceptable. We are not really picky where we stay either so any of the main NYC areas would be fine. Would prefer not to bid in the zones outside the City because the hotels could be far away and not nice neighborhoods.

I get paid on Monday, so if I can get my friend pinned down to a date and time, I will start bidding then and see how low it will go.

I just noticed that there are several hotels for 160-180 in the 3-3.5* range on the normal hotwire for 1-4 so maybe i can get a pretty good deal.

[thereuare]

If you need help with a bidding strategy let us know the zone(s) you're willing to accept (by PRICELINE name), minimum star rating, maximum bid, and if you want to try for the complete stay first or for potentially a lower rate by SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID, and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[lhoising]

Sadly.

Very sadly.

I can't tell you how sadly.

I does not seem that I will be going to new york this winter. My friend who I was going with, whose idea it was, who was paying for half and had a friend in Long Island City providing transport has been told she has two weeks to resign or her position will be brought to review by the district (she is a teacher). So for the time being I am going to assume that my vacation funds for this year will just carry over to a large trip next year. Possibly to Peru to see Machu Picchu.

Thanks for the help and if the trip becomes an option before the end of the year I would like a bidding strategy.

Thanks!