I have some friends visiting NYC. Looking for a decent hotel up to $200 all in. The could go to $250 if needed. For 1 night, June 7th. Of course, cheaper is better. Prefer downtown location in Village, Soho area, but this isn't super critical since midtown or Financial District is easily accessible. No luxury needed -- clean, quiet room with good bathroom etc.

I'm told Priceline is the way to go. Any tips on how to refine the search to get the desired hotels?

I've lived in NYC for many years now, but don't know much about NYC hotels since I never use them here I can decide optimal location etc on my own once I have a handful of hotels to look into. Many thanks!

If your friends are a couple and are willing to spend the night together in a double bed, then Priceline is probably your best alternative, but there may be relatively few options, so they are probably not likely to be able to choose their location so specifically (there are relatively few hotels downtown in the Village or Soho compared to other parts of the city, and most of the hotels are expensive ... far more than $200 per night).

If there are rooms available, you can almost always get a room in Long Island City Queens (1 stop from Midtown on the E) for under $200 and sometimes for under $150. That is the best budget alternative.

They should also try Hotels.com and Expedia, but again, they are not going to have many hotels to choose from. That's a really low rate, and tourism right now is pretty strong.

Hotel prices fluctuate by date based on supply and demand and June is very pricey. For 1 night, Priceline or Hotwire is probably the way they'll get a decent place for $200 for that night. If you bid knowledgeably, Priceline will be cheaper than Hotwire. But know Priceline unforunately lumps the financial district/Soho/the village together so you're usually more likely to get a financial district hotel if you bid in that area.

The only thing I see on Hotwire right now to meet their needs is a 2.5* hotel in the Madison Square Garden/Chelsea are for $196/night plus tax (including breakfast) which could be the Holiday Inn Express MSG or the Best Western Convention Center. The amenity icons listed are "High-Speed Internet Access, Complimentary Breakfast, Free Internet" which sort of matches the last 4 hotels listed in that area here http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=88&
But as time passes, Hotwire may get more listings.

The win calendar on betterbidding shows 6 wins for that night on Priceline ranging in price from $130-180/night. The $130 is for the Marriott Downtown in the financial district. You can look at the others here http://www.betterbidding.com/index.p...dule=calendar&
In this case if they don't mind staying in the financial district, I'd give Priceline a try sticking with 4* hotels. If they feel uncomfortable bidding, they or you might want to post on the betterbidding forum for bidding help.

If this is all too much for them and they want to know what they're getting, there's a special on the Ace hotel (trendy) with prices from $179 for a tiny room to ~ $229 for a small room. http://www.travelzoo.com/hotels/new-...-399--1233618/

http://applecorehotels.com/la-quinta-manhattan/

Thank you, thank you!! I'll let my friend know. I've not been on the forum for while, but so glad to see stalwarts like mclaurie, starrs and Doug still going strong!! Cheers!

You're welcome. All of the AppleCore hotels are good options but I really like the LaQuinta. It's in Koreatown, but near the subway, Macy's and the little rooftop bar has a view of the ESB. Nice, clean rooms with free breakfast and free access to their business center with computer and printer - which I use to printout tickets. A family member lived around the corner for a while and liked the area. Check their AAA rates. A good place to book and hold - and then cancel if a better deal pops up.

By the way, my friends chose the Ace Hotel and were very, very happy with the room and the special Travelzoo rate they got. Super thanks to you all again.

I've been recommending The Ace for a while now, it's in a great location, and I toured the hotel and saw 3 rooms which I thought were well done and good size for New York, so glad they liked the hotel.