Just looking for input on using the "Top Secret Deals" that Travelocity does.  It's where you don't know what you're booking, just the hotel vicinity and star rating and can read reviews. 

Also, experience with Hotwire since it works the same as the top secret deals setup.

C and I would like to take a long weekend somewhere this April.  We'd both enjoy staying and seeing Manhatten and but it's pricey and since we don't have a specific hotel in mind, it wouldn't matter so long as we were in the general Manhatten area.

JM

Not to avoid the question, but have you tried Air BnB?  I know a few people who have (and one who is a provider) and they have generally had good experiences.  Different way to stay in a city, but definitely offers a cheaper alternative to Manhattan's ridiculously high hotel prices.

NYC is trying to shut down AirBnB because of tax issues.

I had heard of AirBnB, but as Ducatiz mentions, I wasn't sure if it was still active. 

JM

Quote from: ducatiz on November 01, 2013, 08:14:35 AM
NYC is trying to shut down AirBnB because of tax issues.

Oh so tempting.

Quote from: the_Journeyman on November 01, 2013, 08:18:03 AM
I had heard of AirBnB, but as Ducatiz mentions, I wasn't sure if it was still active. 

People still offer AirBnB here because the law is confusing and sorta uneforceable.  Plus, the ruling against AirBnB that made news earlier this summer was just reversed:

http://publicpolicy.airbnb.com/huge-victory-new-york-nigel-warren-host-community/

That said, I understand your apprehenion to not roll the dice on it.  However you get a hotel, let me know if you want any restaurant or bar recommendations for when you're here.

I've got some pretty good deals through booking.com   Might be worth a look.

The last time I was in Manhatten (chaperoning a middle school trip...) we stayed near Times Square.  The place was called The Edison, and I would go right back there if it wasn't for the $400/night price tag.  It was half a block off the square.  It even had a dandy little diner on the same block for a quick and cheap breakfast.

Other areas of Manhatten would be fine too, we can use the subway to get around.

JM

So, here's what we did, in case anyone wanted to know.  We booked a Hotwire "Hot Deal" which is just like Travelocities "Top Secret" deals, but Hotwire had overall better prices. 

We chose the neighborhood(s) which were Times Square, Midtown East, Midtown West & picked a star level, four star in our case.

First, we researched the cost and locations of hotels to get an idea of what was there using Hotels.com since Hotwire does direct comparisons to them for you.

Then we got on Hotwire and were able to narrow each offering down to two or three hotels using the list of amenities and features.  This let us make the decision of "are we happy with any/all of these hotels" for each star level and neighborhood.

We wound up with a hotel 1.5 blocks east of Times Square, two blocks north of the NYC Public Library (the cool, massive stone building one), an easy walk to Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building, as well about a 10 minute walk to the southern end of Central Park.

All for a bit UNDER (even after taxes) $200/night, which saved us around $60 per night, even with a 4-star hotel.  It works ok using these sites, but it's not foolproof, and you have to do your homework.  Will I use this type of service in the future?  Absolutely.

JM

I use Hotels.com a lot.  They have some neat options if you are certain that you will be staying there and not cancelling I have managed to save huge cash. The downside of that deal is that you lose your money if the travel plan falls thorough.  Stayed at a Wyndam in the Dulles area and paid only 100.00 a night for a 200.00 room.

Poke around, the deals can be great if you are certain you will be there.

Quote from: the_Journeyman on November 05, 2013, 08:11:19 AM
So, here's what we did, in case anyone wanted to know.  We booked a Hotwire "Hot Deal" which is just like Travelocities "Top Secret" deals, but Hotwire had overall better prices. 

We chose the neighborhood(s) which were Times Square, Midtown East, Midtown West & picked a star level, four star in our case.

First, we researched the cost and locations of hotels to get an idea of what was there using Hotels.com since Hotwire does direct comparisons to them for you.

Then we got on Hotwire and were able to narrow each offering down to two or three hotels using the list of amenities and features.  This let us make the decision of "are we happy with any/all of these hotels" for each star level and neighborhood.

We wound up with a hotel 1.5 blocks east of Times Square, two blocks north of the NYC Public Library (the cool, massive stone building one), an easy walk to Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building, as well about a 10 minute walk to the southern end of Central Park.

All for a bit UNDER (even after taxes) $200/night, which saved us around $60 per night, even with a 4-star hotel.  It works ok using these sites, but it's not foolproof, and you have to do your homework.  Will I use this type of service in the future?  Absolutely.

JM

Nice work.  I will use this technique for my next travel destination.