Priceline Hotel: NY 21/04/2010 - 23/04/2010 - how to bid?

[columb]

Hi,

It is my first post on this board, but i was reading your forums for some time now.

As I haven't been to NY for 10 years I would appreciate some help. We need a (cheap) hotel for 2 nights 21/04 -23/04 close to tourist attractions. We would love to stay in chain hotels (Marriott group preferred, but Hilton will do as well) but I understand that with PRICELINE / HOTWIRE is almost impossible to guarantee specific brand.

Could someone help us in right bidding? No idea where to start! We don't want to spend too much, but I guess $100/night would be OK.

From the hotel on Fri we will be heading to LGA to get a hire car (need to get car from LGA as we are going to visit friends in Hartford for the weekend and then on Monday are flying to Miami, FL from LGA).

All help (and tips) much appropriated.

Many thnaks!

Chris

btw. of course we will use boards links as that doesn't cost a penny!

[thereuare]

Welcome (officially) to BetterBidding!

What is the minimum star rating are you're seeking?

Rather than rent a car, have you looked into taking Metro North (or Amtrak) and having your friends meet you in Stamford or New Haven (as i'm not sure metro north goes all the way to New Haven, or does so on a limited schedule)

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[columb]

Hi,

I've spent some time reading even more posts on this forum and I'm still slightly lost :)

Anyway, to answer your questions:

- 1. Price 2. Location 3. stars --> in order of importance. We'd like to pay no more then $100 all in but can imagine that's almost impossible?

- Well, I've forgot to mention that we are going to see friends in Hartford, CT :-) so we need a car...

Basically, we'd like to stay for two nights in NY, cheaper then better (more spending money) BUT I think 2,5-3* is a minimum.

Many thanks!

Chris

[thereuare]

To begin, i don't typically recommend bidding less than 3* in Manhattan... while there may be some 2.5* properties which are acceptable to you, there may be others which are not, and with PRICELINE / HOTWIRE you don't get to choose which type you will get.

Rates are seasonally high for these dates and i don't think $100 is realistic for this stay... you're going to have to compromise someplace, either in budget or convenience. CPS, Chelsea, ESB, MSG, MTW and TS typically all work well for the average visitor. MTE is 'good' too, but does contain at least one hotel that is a 15 minute walk to the subway... if this is too far away for you then i would not include this zone. Similarly, Downtown is a bit 'out of the way', but do-able, and for the right price can be worthwhile.

Given your budget i think Downtown is where you're most likely to find the lowest acceptable price, so you'll have to decide if the trade-off of lower price vs. location is worth it to you.

My guess is that you're likely looking at somewhere between $110-$135 bid price to be successful at a 3* or better hotel for this stay. We can star lower, but i think this is a more realistic number.

Ultimately it's your stay and budget, so let us know your thoughts regarding zones, star rating, and maximum bid and we'll take it from there.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[columb]

Hi,

Many thanks for the advice. We'd like to stay close to the subway. We can compromise on quality (we are young couple) as it is only 2 nights. Of course we need clean room (can be small) and bathroom in the room (yeah, I know it is obvious but just in case - no hostels etc!).

2,5 stars - what would we get for our money?

Should we rather pay a little bit extra? We'd like to be close to some starbucks etc for quick breakfast as well! :)

And yes, we do understand that more you pay - more you get so we are happy with what we get for our money.

Again, MANY thanks for your advice! I'm happy to stay pretty much anywhere close to main attractions/subway.

Cheers

Chris

[AaronJB]

The 2.5* properties that have been reported to the board can be found on the site's Priceline Hotel List for the state. There are some nice properties at the 2.5* level in NYC zones, although there are also some average ones, but it's like that in any major city. I definitely would not recommend going under 2.5* in NYC though, as some of the 2* and under properties quite likely become more iffy. 2.5* in the main zones is likely going to be fine for what you're looking for, but I wouldn't recommend going under that.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[columb]

Many thanks for the advice so far. I've tried up to $105 including Downtown but no joy :) All rejected...

Now, possibly we could stay in Fairfield Inn on Long Island - only one _REPORTED_ 2* hotel there. How much should I bid? Would $55-$60 be enough? They gave 10 min to the subway and free shuttle :) Will do for us!

What are the chances to be upgraded to 2,5* Comfort Inn - which we don't want?

We don't want to spend too much on hotels... Shame they seems to be more expensive for the dates we want then other times of the year.

Many thanks!

Chris

[AaronJB]

Keep in mind that the list only shows hotels that have been reported to the board; there are new/previously unreported properties that are often reported all the time. As you noted, the Fairfield is the only reported 2*, but there could definitely be others. The chances of being upgraded are not terribly high, but certainly still a possibility. If you were to bid for a 2* on Long Island - and again, I think there's a pretty good chance, given the amount of hotels in the area, that something else could appear - I'd start at $40 and work higher by $5. Additionally, if something else were to appear, that hotel may not have a shuttle.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.