Posted By:
MiguelI recently visited NYC and went on an expedition to find the best hotel deals possible. I ended up discovering that Priceline can pretty much always be counted on to find you a good deal -- usually right around 50% off the "rack rate" (i.e., the rate you'd get if you called the hotel up or reserved on their website).
Hotline has one major disadvantage -- you don't really know what the right amount to bid is, or what you are likely to get for various amounts bid. Luckily, there are some sites that have solved this problem by allowing people to post what hotels they got for which amounts. To wit, see:
http://p198.ezboard.com/New-York-State--New-York-City/fpricelineandexpediabiddingnewyorkcitynonewjersey
I managed to stay at a 4-star Hilton in Manhattan for about $140/night. If you could live with a three star, you could do a lot better. Of course, the summer is a popular time for NYC travel, so you'll be up against that.
Anyway, that's my contribution to traveling cheap to NYC.