how to get best rates for hotels in NYC
 

I know hotels in NYC is a hot topic, but I read all the wonderful deals that people get. Where do they find them? We are going to be there in October and would like to find a nice midtown hotel for about $250. Those that know how, let me know where to find them.

Thanks

We had good luck using Priceline.

You need to understand 2 things:

Rates vary tremendously by season (Nov and most of December will be twice the price of Jan/Feb - with intermediate rates in between). You may get a great hotel for $150 (discounted in Feb) while it wold be $400 Thanksgiving week

You need to shop, shop, shop! Look at all the discount web sites, look at the hotel web sites (even months in advance) for advance-pay internet specials, look for new hotels with intro specials. And when you see a good price - don;t dither - pounce!

That said - you need to define what you mean by nice. $250 is a very marginal price for that time of year - unless you can find something on Priceline - or perhaps a downtown financial district hotel on the weekend when they don;t have business travelers. (You may find basic and clean - don;t expect more.)

Sorry - have a look at the Newton on the upper west side, which is budget but reliable and located right next to the subway. If by "nice" you mean a 4* -- I would be VERY surprised if you can find anything.

October is a very expensive time in NYC. A nice hotel in midtown for $250 is going to be tough, even on a weekend.

Travelzoo is often recommended for NYC, and we found a great rate there for June. It's worth checking (often, as offers there are constantly changing).

http://www.travelzoo.com/

~Liz

How many people are in your group? If it's 2 and you're willing to share a bed, priceline is a great option. I've gotten great four star hotels in NYC for super cheap. There is a limit of two people per room with priceline, and sometimes it can mean one double bed. Read up on biddingfortravel.com. Don't bid on priceline until you are certain you know what you're doing -- there is most definitely a strategy, and you can often get a terrific bargain if you understand the system!

Also, check hotwire. I've gotten great deals there too. With a bit of research, you can usually figure out which hotel you're getting before you pay (using betterbidding.com, and a few other methods.) I got the Westin Times Square for a terrific deal that way.

Travelzoo is super, too. As others have said, keep checking. It sometimes has really great deals on brand new hotels that are just opening -- got a Four Points for, like, $110 that way.

I've also gotten great deals on Expedia (by searching across various sites on tripadvisor and kayak.)

Finding a good deal on a hotel in NYC takes a lot of research and a fair amount of patience, but there are usually deals to be had.

Mid-October is super-high in NY. We pricelined a 4* hotel for a 3-night weekend in October '08 and even on Priceline (and trust me, I went through all the hoops to get the best price), we still paid $310 a night (at the W New York). You can probably do better if you include the Mid-Town West area in your bid, but we didn't want to end up at the Sheraton or the Hilton, so we excluded that area.

I've found nice things in the Empire State district of Priceline. Totally support advice to study betterbidding or biddingfortravel before you start bidding.

If you totally strike out, you might think of the 4* Jersey City/Hoboken Priceline option. The PATH train goes almost to midtown, and all the hotels in that are mega-luxurious with river views, and much lower-priced. For a late night you might need to take a taxi back, but if your room is under $200 you might not care.

Travelzoo is how I found my special rates.

I tried Apple Core and they gave me a story about how there was some convention and they weren't going to honor the advertised specials on their website. I also used Bookit for the NU hotel in Brooklyn for one night. I liked having free internet, and the hotel was near a subway stop and a reasonable walk to the Brooklyn Bridge. I'd stay there again but would first check the status on the Brooklyn House of Detention across the street!

Didn't really see anything too appealing on Hotwire or Priceline.

I've found that each trip is an entirely new endeavor - there's no "best" way to book. I've used Priceline, Hotwire, TravelZoo, and EasyclickTravel, all depending on how I can get the very best rate.

We used to pay extra to stay in Midtown, but with the really nice, new, hotels in Jersey City, that's our first choice now. The views of the Manhattan skyline are magnificent, it's a quick/convenient/cheap "commute", you wake up to quiet, and get away from the busy/noise/crowds at the end of the day.

We found a room at the Club Quarters across from Rockefeller Centre in September for $160 per night on Priceline. There are just two of us and only need one bed though so Pricline works well for us.

sf7307--out of curiosity, why not go to Sheraton or the Hilton? Those two frequently come in around $250, as do the Westin and Hampton Inn which are also right there. I've had family and friends stay at all four of these and they were happy with the choice.

Ita, I have found that it is nearly always the case that if you find a great rate at a hotel online, the hotel will match it if you call or email. I've found, and maybe other travelers have not, that hotels give me better rooms when I book directly rather than through hotels.com. By the way, if you are booking with a travel site, try to use hotels.com rather than priceline or expedia as hotels.com doesn't charge a cancellation (caveat--read fine print, occasionally some rooms are entirely non-refundable).

I got a good rate at Holiday Inn Midtown 57th between 9th & 10th. Would appreciate input from those who know the hotel.
Thanks

chadnycity, they're just a little "tired" and a little huge. I'd certainly stay there if the choice were to not go otherwise, but I'd rather stay at a W or a Marriott-brand hotel given the choice.

It's not a bad budget choice - a litle far west - and like any Holidy Inn - not big on charm - but it shuold certainly be clean and servicable.

some information-I cancelled my reservation because the hotel doesn't sound great. I did not know that the booking agency had charged my credit card for the full amount. I will get a full refund but I was not counting on the credit card charge until I had actually registered at the hotel. I think I will try to deal directly with hotels from now on

we have settle on the Salisbury. I have stayed there years ago. I know the location is good, although I thought I would like to try something closer to Lincoln Centre. How is the Salisbury now? Has it been renovated or kept up?

Although, I definately prefer staying in Manhatten, an alternative, in Newark, right at the PATH station, is the Hilton. I have gotten rates, half the price, with the pre pay option, comparing lessor hotels midtown Manhatten.

This is the ONLY place I consider in Newark, or New Jersery however.