btw, still haven't heard from apartments2book. I am starting to feel like an impatient American.

If you go the Priceline route, the way to get the Hyatt or Barclay and avoid the Sheraton is to only bid MIDTOWN EAST. The Sheraton is in Midtown West. Have you not looked at the hotel lists on biddingfortravel.com or betterbidding.com? If not, you definitely should.

I would NOT use the Paramount. The rooms are miniscule and most of the rooms only have 1 bed. What are your dates?

I've booked the Blakely directly for Easter Week with a $285 rate ...suite with two queens. I'll report back.

hi, I meant to say Midtown West (where the Sheraton is), not South. Yes, I use biddingfortravel and betterbidding. I have been starting with Upper Midtown/Central Park South and adding zones from there. Perhaps I should give up on CPS and start with Midtown East.

I think first I will call the Blakely directly and see what they have (I'm not allowed to bid again on Priceline until tomorrow anyway).

I called apartments2book this morning and was put on hold for over 3 minutes. I gave up and hung up as I had no idea if they were going to pick up the phone and I have no idea how expensive it is to call overseas. They still haven't emailed me back.

downsouth, good for you! i just called the blakely they only have 4/17 available and are completely sold out on 4/18 (those are my dates - mclaurie, any other ideas?). Their rate for a one bedroom on the 17th was $345.

We really need the seperated bedroom space as my 4 month old is not sleeping through the night yet - who knows if he will be by April 17th (hopefully). I don't want the whole family waking up when he is up at night.

In order to get the Hyatt or the Barclay on Priceline, you <i>have</i> to bid for midtown east. Perhaps the reason you're coming up dry is the UMT/CPS hotels are harder and more expensive to get. I wouldn't add MTE to an UMT bid. You'll wind up overpaying for a MTE hotel. I'd start again with a separate bid and you shouldn't have to wait to do that if you haven't tried MTE yet.

Assuming you are 2 adults and 2 children, I see the Beekman Towers, an Affinia hotel for $219 for a one bedroom suite for 4 on 4/17-19 on quikbook.com The location isn't as good as the Blakely, but hey, it's $219 for all of you!

The Kimberly (one of the apts 2 book hotels) is available for a 1 bedroom suite for $285. Gets very good reviews. There are more good options but I think you shouldn't pay more than this.

I should have added that Kimberly rate was also on quikbook.com They also had the Affinia 50 but it was much more $$ so I wouldn't commit to anything that isn't cancellable b/c apts 2 book could come back to you with something good. The quikbook options should all be cancellable. Double check.

Look at reviews for these on tripadvisor.

i will not be bidding on MTE afterall. read this tripadvisor review:

--------------------------------

The Grand Hyatt has bedbugs!! I realized that after my fiancee and I stayed there in Sept. and I developed dozens of red welts all over my body. Later I find out that they were bedbug bites and they got into my luggage and in my bed at home!! $1,500 in exterminator fees later, here I am. DO NOT BOOK HERE EVER!!

Oh boy. #-O

heard back from apartments2book. here is what they had for my dates. any ideas of what #30 is? this is the closest to where we would want to be and is in our price range (looks fairly nice on the apts2bk website, here is a link: http://www.apartments2book.com/newyork30.htm). thanks for all of your help!!

1=Affinia 50 at $399/nt (price is same as what is available on affinia.com)

2=?? at $255 / nt

8=Eastgate Tower at $225/nt (affinia price is $289)

9=Murray Hill East Suites at $219/nt

30=?? at $269/nt

mamadadapaige, that's a good point. The hotel had a single isolated incident involving bedbugs so it makes sense that no one ever stay there again.

In that spirit I'm compiling a list of places I'll patronize and those I won't. Could you all help me? I need a list of all airlines who have never had a single accident (don't want to book with one that has had people lose their lives), and a list of all restaurants where no one has ever gotten sick or had a case of food poisoning?

neopolitan, by all means stay at the grand hyatt if you wish... my post said that I would not - I didn't make reference to what anyone else should or shouldn't do... everyone has their own priorities.

tripadvisor exists for travellers to help other travellers... I for one appreciate the help and am influenced by it when I decide where to stay... I'm not sure why you're so steamed

I think #2 is the Affinia Manhattan.

Hmmm. Number 30 is a challenge. If it's south of #29 (as it appears on their map) and that's identified as being on 54 st. AND if it's also a block north of the F train as it says, that means it's on 51 st. unless they've misrepresented it on the map.

There is an apt. condo called Executive Plaza at at 150 w 51 st. that has some short term rentals, so that's a possibility. (Poster here Neopolitan has stayed there I believe) But it says there's daily maid service which makes it sound like a hotel. The only suite hotels I can think of in that general area are the Blakely and Rihga Royal. It doesn't seem to be either of those. Wont' they tell you? Could you at least ask whether it's east or west or Fifth Ave. since that's ambiguous on the map and in their description? Did you notice on the #30 page under the gold price box it says &quot;...including a <i>shared</i> kitchen...&quot;? What's that about?

Btw, we haven't talked about the <b>Rihga Royal</b> as a possibility for you. They're in the midst of renovations (to a much fancier place)but no one seems to have a problem with noise there. I'm not sure if their suites have kitchens. Don't know if that matters to you.

One more thought, the Manhattan Club is a timeshare on west 56 st. Owners often rent out their weeks. I think the largest 1 bedrooms have 2 full baths. There are a few websites used for timeshare rentals. tug2.net is one of them.

Wow, my apologies, about my totally misunderstanding your post, mamadadapaige.

I read this &quot;DO NOT BOOK HERE EVER!!&quot;

Forgive me for not realizing that what that really said was &quot;I won't stay there, I didn't make reference to what anyone else should or shouldn't do...&quot;

How could I misinterpret &quot;DO NOT BOOK HERE EVER!!&quot; to mean, &quot;do not book here ever&quot;?

Again my apologies.

By the way, I'm not steamed at all. Sorry that you apparently are.

And no, I haven't stayed at Executive Plaza, mclaurie. I've researched it and visited it, but could only find rentals by the month there, not even by the week, so I don't think that's it.
Could that property be Radio City Apartments?

I think I looked into Righa Royal and prices were up there... will have to revisit.

here is the description they sent me by email about #30 (I will email them to ask location or name of property, however, I only just got a response from them this morning from the email I sent two days ago -- although I really shouldn't be impatient as we aren't travelling for another 3 weeks):

MIDTOWN CENTRAL PARK RESIDENCE :
A modern and stylish Hotel style residence which is superbly located in a prime neighborhood close to Central Park, Carnegie Hall and 5th Avenue shopping which has a wonderful selection of very spacious and well equipped furnished apartments together with an on site fitness facility. This wonderful value option provides very comfortable short and extended stay rentals in the heart of central Manhattan with many services of a Hotel and easy access to transport links.

Superior 1 Bedroom Apartment -
Superbly equipped and exceptionally spacious accommodations with stylish elegance including a large double bedroom, luxury bathroom, separate living room / diner including work study desk together with a fully equipped kitchen facility
Daily Rate at $ 269 USD plus tax. To sleep up to 4 people.

NOTE - 24hr hotel style reception and concierge, daily housekeeping, business centre, air conditioned, CD stereo system, voice mail, high speed internet access, 24hr fitness centre with sauna and laundry service

ahhh, Neopolitan, now I understand...

You thought that I said DO NOT EVER BOOK HERE, but I didn't. What I said was to read the tripadvisor review - this was someone else's review that I copied and pasted into the thread. It was not my editorial - simply a review that influenced me about a place that I very well could have won on priceline had I bid for MTE.

And now mamadadapaige, I realize that my last post sounds like I was quoting you and not the tripadvisor quote that you gave. If I were making light of the single bedbug accident it was aimed at the person who wrote that report, not you.

Meanwhile if I eliminated every hotel that had a single crazed rant from a disgruntled guest on Trip Advisor, there would be no where left to stay. I have no reason in the world to believe that a similar bed bug accident isn't just as possible at every single hotel being mentioned in this thread!

Ooops, we were posting at the same time. But I hope my last post explained it better than the previous one.
Peace!

point well taken... there are probably more people motivated to write a review for tripadvisor after a negative experience than a positive one.