Susan

I am in the process of booking hotel rooms for a group of six women visiting NYC in November. I'd like to take advantage of the deals on hotwire and hoping some of you might be willing to share your experiences. I've read all the info on biddingfortravel.com about hotwire hotels in NY. Specifically, I'd love to hear the names of hotels you booked, the number of stars hotwire assigned and what you paid. Priceline isn't going to work for us, but I'd also appreciate any tips on getting discounted rooms for our group. Thanks!

Eva

Hi Susan. I just used Hotwire for NYC for the first time last week. i booked a week in advance and for $82 got the Sheraton NY & towers. It is a 4 star hotel and very centrally located. We were very pleased with the hotel--room size was decent, we were allowed to check in @12, and the woman at the desk was very accommodating about my request for 2 double beds and she found a room up on one of the higher floors.

I was nervous because I had heard check-in can be a zoo but we had no problems. The same woman was there at the desk when I checked out and was just as pleasant (even remembered me).

We had a very positive experience w/Hotwire and I would definately use it again.

Jerry

I've used hotwire.com twice in NYC. Once I got the Hotel Belvedere and once I got the Sheraton Towers (7th Ave.). Both times were just perfect and now whenever I travel I try to use hotwire.com It's a real first class operation in my opinion. I think you'll be very pleased with whatever hotel you get....I was. Jerry

Donna

I've used Hotwire many times, with fabulous success, for NYC, Baltimore, Boston, etc. Have always been extremely pleased with the rate and the hotels (we stayed at the Waldorf Astoria, and not in a staff room, in June through Hotwire for $119/night). Be advised, however, that many hotel rooms in NYC accomodate only two people and that a room booked with Hotwire is for two people, so you would need to book three rooms. The rates, stars and prices vary all the time, so what is available on Hotwire will depend upon your dates. In my experience, the rates do go up and down for what would seem to be the very same properties. I always book a room I can cancel, then watch Hotwire for a while. Sometimes I grab what looks like a terrific rate. Other I check every few days, often right up until a few days before check-in day. Once in a while, but not too often, the rate has dropped significantly for my top choice. I wouldn't pay too much attention to what's said about Hotwire on biddingfortravel.com. I've used Priceline many times as well. In the overall, I've gotten better rates with Priceline, but better hotels with Hotwire. I think the folks at biddingfortravel.com are seriously prejudiced regarding Hotwire.

Marla

I've used Hotwire many times too. I'm not going to take the time to list all the results, which would be meaningless anyway. I can tell you that if you go to the bookstore and get a map of NYC with the hotels on it and you print the Hotwire list of "partners", you can pretty much deduce which hotels those that are available for your dates might be based upon their Hotwire location and the franchises they use operating in that area. Of course, the 4-star in Central Midtown could be either the Sheraton or the Hilton, but those rates, what would it matter. No matter what you get, there's no way you could come even close to that rate through any other resource, except maybe Priceline, and that's a big maybe.

Gary

As stated on biddingfortravel.com, the rates and hotels others have received are irrelevant to your booking endeavor. Here's hoping you're not going to book one room for six women. Otherwise, why isn't Priceline going to work for you?

Susan

Thanks everyone, so far, for the good info.

Gary, it's not my decision to avoid priceline, some of the ladies in my group have had bad luck with hotels booked through priceline and a few just feel uneasy about the process. However, I've had great luck with hotwire in a few different cities, and with airfare, so I think it will work better for our needs. He he, no we aren't all squeezing into one room, silly. We are planning on booking three rooms, of course.

However, regardless of what biddingfortravel says about hotwire, I do find some consistency in the hotels they frequently use and that's the kind of info I'm hoping for. Looks like people have gotten the Sheraton Towers consistently, and the Waldorf Astoria, as well as the Belvedere. This is the kind of info I'm looking for.

Also interested to know if your requests for two double beds were accomodated (thanks Eva) and if you were pleased with the hotel during your stay.

Thanks again and please keep it coming!

marianne

Hi Susan,
I just booked a hotel through hotwire for a stay in September. I chose Midtown south and for a rate of $129 got a room booked at Morgan's ( Ian Schrager hotel) I was very pleased with the rate and hope our stay will be as nice as I hope it will be......

Sue

It may be worth looking at Quikbook (www.quikbook.com). That way you know exactly what you are getting and they have some great rates.

If you want to hedge your bets but be sure of getting somewhere, check the cancellation policy of the hotel you book and then try hotwire closer to the time and cancel the Quikbook hotel if you need to.

Not sure what rate you're looking for, but we just got Park South Hotel in August for $129 - renovated 2001, bathrobes, comp breakfast. At that kind of rate I question whether it's worth taking the chance on not being sure whether you'll be staying where you want to.

aimi

Just a question about hotwire. If you book 3 rooms with them is it not conceivable that you might get three different hotels??

Jack

If you request three rooms on Hotwire, results will appear only for hotels with three rooms on your dates. How about reading the info at the website? You should find out for yourself, anyway, just to be sure. Other details apply when booking multiple rooms as well.

Susan

Thanks again everyone for the additional info. I have been keeping an eye on quikbook and see some good deals. For instance, I can book a suite at the Avalon, two queen beds and a sofabed, for $219 per night. This way we only need to get two rooms, three in each. I know the Avalon might not be ideally located, but what do we think? Good deal, good location? Marianne and Sue, did or will you have two beds in your room?

Alan

Susan, just before you commit yourself, please do at least take a look at www.madisonhotel.com. The Madison is at 27th and Madison Avenue, and is not handled by internet booking agencies. You have to ring the hotel direct. However, last Christmas they gave us a room for two adults and two children, PLUS four breakfast vouchers for the diner next door, for $88 a night! While I don't expect you'd get that rate now, they might still be able to beat everything you've looked at so far. By the way, they are clean and friendly, and the hotel is only a couple of blocks from a subway... and a few minutes walk from the Empire State.

Susan

Alan, thanks for the tip, I'll have a look.

Bumping for more suggestions.

Susan

Alan, the website must be madison-hotel.com, but it's not quite working today. Can you give more info, particularly if there is more than one bed in the rooms?

I've also found the Habitat Hotel through the jetblue website for $120 per room, with two twin beds, shared bathroom. Anyone have experience with the hotel, comment on location, etc.?

Alan

Hi again, Susan!
You are right about the name of the web site ... I missed the hyphen! Sorry! The good news is that I checked it right now and it is working. Just in case you have problems getting on, however, here's what I found on it: the phone number is 212-532-7373. Single rooms (Summer Rate) are $61; double rooms $74; family rooms (this is what we had, two double beds for a total of four people) $88; junior suite (double bed plus sofa) $99. I think for New York that is truly incredible, and I promise you that while it's not fancy, neither is it a hell-hole. Don't forget to ask for your free breakfast vouchers!

Amy

It sounds like you are dead set against priceline, but I have had great success in NYC twice in the past few months. I am a huge devotee of priceline and have never had a bad experience. Please feel free to contact me if you change your mind about priceline and I'll give you details. Good luck!