Hotels - Priceline - other deals?

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:42am

I'm on priceline.com now trying to book two nights in the big apple. I always use priceline and in the past have gotten tremendous deals. We were there in March and paid $140 a night for a great room at thw Intercontinental hotel.

For some reason, this time, I cant get anything! Anyone else tried priceline lately? What are your bids going for? and where else can we find good hotel deals?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:44am

Hotel Schmotel. Stay at the Y @ Central Park West. $99 a night you can't go wrong.

Updated On: 7/19/07 at 10:44 AM

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:47am

isnt that like... practically a hostel? i didnt even know that was a real thing...

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:52am

You say hostel like it's a bad thing.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:56am

Now is not March. You probably won't find that kind of deal until next winter.

Up your budget to about $200/night.

[mominator]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:58am

It is the height of tourist season. Try NJ for some deals.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 10:59am

lol, jordangirl... no no, dont mean that they're a bad thing. ive just never stayed in one myself, so i have no clue! i have had many friends who have stayed in hostels in europe before. some have had great experiences, some not so great (one friend had a guy.... um... pleasuring himself in the bunk above).

so i just dont know much about them... didnt mean to come off poorly. sorry. :)

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:00am

Big Apple Hostel on 45th b/w 6th and 7th. $99 for a private room or $37 for shared.

Updated On: 7/19/07 at 11:00 AM

[NJgirl]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:01am

there's some good deals listed on Travelzoo. They are kindof like the broadwaybox of travel..lol

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:01am

yeah musicalsfan... i hear ya. i guess march was much easier. we're not going till weekend of august 10th, so i thought it might have been a bit easier... but guess not. blah.

i remember years back we stayed in the Hyatt next to Grand Central, great hotel, for 6 nights = $900. total. with taxes and everything. that was a great bargain!

priceline adds so many surcharges it gets expensive.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:10am

"(one friend had a guy.... um... pleasuring himself in the bunk above)."

please send me the name, and country of that hostel!!

There are many Y's I would not stay in, but from what I read the one mentioned above is fine, and I believe there are even private rooms

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:13am

Ok. I just couldn't tell. :) I've never stayed in any either ~ and now that I'm over 35 probably won't ~ but I've generally heard good things about them.

[DrMark]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:19am

Have you tried this?
Hotwire

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:20am

lol... i'm not 35 yet, but married now and its a different ballgame. if i were a single college kid, sure! but with the wife and all that... just rather stay somewhere nice. too bad we cant afford anything in the city these days!

i'll try hotwire next

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:22am

Have you tried Hampton Inn Seaport? I don't know how much it is, but my parents stay there when they come into town and they're not made of money (my dad's a retired Uited Methodist minister and my mom directs a church-based day-care). It's a GREAT little hotel. :) PLUS you get free breakfast!

Updated On: 7/19/07 at 11:22 AM

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:26am

thanks jordan girl... will try that one next!

has anyone here used hotwire before?? it says they have a "4 star" hotel in times square for $204. thats dirt cheap... of course they dont say what hotel it is, so i'm nervous... but 4 star cant be bad... anyone else tried it?

[DrMark]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:31am

That 4 star deal can't be bad! I would check out www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com. These sites help you guess which hotels you might win, and let you see what other people have gotten. These are the potential Hotwire hotels for Times Square according to one site:

New York City (Times Square - Theater District)
4* The Muse (previously 4.5*)
Amenities: Boutique, Restuarant, Fitness

4* Westin (previously 4.5*)
Amenities: Restaurant, Fitness Center, Hi-Speed internet, Business Center, Spa

4* Millenium Broadway (previously 3.5*)
Amenities: Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business

3.5* Hotel Mela (previously 4*) REVIEW
Amenities: Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Laundry
(Restaurant likely removed after user reported that hotel does not offer one... VP not showing Laundry)

3* Crowne Plaza Hotel Manhattan (previously 3.5*)
Customer Favorite
Amenities: Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business
(same as Paramount)

3* Paramount
Amenities: Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business
(same as Crowne Plaza)

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:32am

I've used Hotwire extensively, always had great hotels from them. In fact, the later you wait, the better the deals. Often you can cross-reference w/ Travelocity or Expedia and figure out what hotel they are describing.

did a Miami beach vacation right around spring break, and waited til late every day to plug up hotwire. We moved every day, but it was kinda cool. We saw the inside of bunches of the art deco hotels.

Planning one night in august, And I've already figured that a $400 a night hotel in upstate comes down to $99 a night if I wait til after 7 pm to plug in hotwire. It's a risk you might not want to take w/ a family, but just letting you know we've never had a bad deal from them.

[mominator]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:33am

Have tried hotwire. When we got a 4 star, we took the chance. We ended up being booked at the Shoreham. Did not care for this hotel at all! Room was dark, barren, and freezing. No room at all in the elevators for one person w/ luggage let alone 2 people w/ luggage.
Front desk was rude, and to make you stay even more "enjoyable" the bed was like slepping on rocks.

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:41am

I've never been inside the Shoreham but hasn't it won all kinds of awards or good reviews or something lately?

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:42am

well we went to NYC for 1 night last week and it was the PARAMOUNT. that hotel is in no way shape or form a 4 star hotel!! lol... that was like 2 stars at best IMO. They described it as 3 star but the room was about a third the size of my bedroom at home, and i got locked in the bathroom twice. and i'm a big strong guy.

i'll see... hotwire may be the way to go... just nervous. i wish i could stay at the marriott marquis. it seems like a nice hotel but its $400 a night.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:42am

I *always* stay at the West Side YMCA. It's cheap and you have a private room. You can even upgrade for like $30 to have your own private bathroom.

It's not as sketch as a hostel. Your room is like a dorm room - bed, TV, desk, lamp, that's it. Nothing luxurious - but you're not going to be spending time in your room. It's just a place to sleep and watch the weather report. You're going to be out all day in the city.

There is a cafe downstairs for breakfast and you have free access to the pool and gym.

It's walking distance to Times Square, or just take the 1, A or C train ONE stop from Columbus Circle. You're RIGHT there at Central Park, too.

[DrMark]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:45am

The Shoreham would not be in the the Times Square area on Hotwire. It would be in the Midtown Central area. If this poster only included hotels in the Times Square area, it would be unlikely that he would end up with the Shoreham. I've found the hotel list on www.betterbidding.com to be very accurate. I bid on a 3 star in Times Square, and ended up at the Paramount, which I actually like in spite of its small rooms. I could have been at the Crowne Plaza, which would have been better, but I'm not complaining. I got a great rate!

[burntplains]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:51am

get the current issue of new york the magazine.. top seven NY hotels under 200

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 11:53am

When are you trying to book for... with PRICELINE I find if I can't get a good deal far in advance.. I wait until the week or 3 or 4 days before I need the room and have no problem getting GREAT deals.