Luxury Travel Diary, a high-end travel blog with great reviews based in the UK, has a bunch of travel auctions — some about to close, others extend into October — and there look to be some real bargains.
They wanted to highlight some of these, and offered to help organize a giveaway of a 3 night hotel stay in a suite at a top property in New York for readers of this blog. Details on how to comment on this post to win below.
I suppose that folks who already know about these auctions won’t like the added attention, because frankly there aren’t enough bidders relative to the value of the offerings and some of these items go too cheap.
Here’s an auction ending in 3 days for a private jet flight between New York and California – a transcon – going for 1000 British pounds as of this writing. There’s no minimum/reserve price, which is ridiculous.
Or 3 nights in St. Barts for 103 pounds as I write this:
There’s page after page of auctions to scroll through, generally nice places that appear to be selling for less than they should.
Prize: a three-night stay in a terrace suite at The William New York – subject to availability with no blackouts.
The property is currently rated 11 out of 189 ‘specialty lodging’ options on TripAdvisor, with 4.5 stars.
The William is a modern extended stay hotel located near Bryant Park in Manhattan. Stay for a month or more and be immersed in a lifestyle localized in culture, yet tailored in service. Thoughtfully crafted for our discerning clientele, The William features thirty-three guest suites that leave no detail unexplored.
These reviews look pretty typical:
To enter: leave a comment on this post with your favorite item up for auction at Luxury Travel Diary, or why you would choose to stay at The William over other hotels in New York. You may enter two times if you wish and answer those two questions one time each in separate comments.
Contest deadline and drawing winner: Entries close Friday, October 2 at Noon eastern. I will draw winner with the assistance of random.org.
The fine print: For avoidance of doubt I have no affiliation with either Luxury Travel Diary or The William hotel. I will put the winner in touch with the hotel for booking. They are solely responsible for providing prize to winner. All decisions made in the course of running this giveaway are final and unappealable and your entry signifies your acceptance. The goal here is to make readers aware of a pretty cool auction opportunity, and to give away a suite stay in New York. So please don’t make it hard on me for doing so!
Favorite auction item: Andaz NY
The William because it’s right near my office!
I would stay at The William because of the location. Location, location, location!
The William offers fully equipped kitchen, which is an amazing feature for a family! Location is nice, too.
6 nights for 6 at Shwari Watamu Villa, Kenya
Would stay at The William over other hotels for two reasons; one, it would be free if I won and two, my Dad’s name was William. Truthfully though, the free part is the real reason.
Great location and size for a NY room!
The two night stay at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay would be my favorite, but many of the items have potential.
I would choose 4 nights at Makunudu Island, Maldives. Thanks!
Andaz NY is my favorite auction.
Why stay at the William: Great location but the concept of color coding the floors and to have large spaces all in the same bright colors seems like something that should be experienced!
Favorite item – Rose Cottage in Scotland
I have to say the private jet flight is the best thing on there. Never flown like that before but would go for it for 1k!
Would choose The William for its great Bryant Park location and extra space.
Oh, my gosh. I would love to stay at the William Hotel. I will fly across the country for that.
A Terrace Suite at the William would be awesome. The convenient location of the hotel makes it great for exploring the city.
The color and design at the design at The William really make it pop
I love the look of The William. The use of different colors in every room and the location would put them over the top of a lot of hotels in NYC for me!
The 7 nights At Hotel Marinedda in Sardinia. I”m sold on that auction!
The 7 Nights At Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & Spa, Sardinia looks amazing and would be my top choice. Still have not been to Greece and it’s on my short list!
My favorite item would be the 7 night stay at the hotel in Sardinia. That would be heaven!
The William is a stone’s throw away from Grand Central.
The William is in a fantastic location for my personal requirements.
Grand Hyatt in Singapore or bust!
My favorite is the : 6 Nights For 6 At Shwari Watamu Villa, Kenya
My favorite auction would be: 7 Nights At Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & Spa, Sardinia.
Favorite auction is the 5 Nights At Ka’ana & Itz’ana Resorts, Belize.
I would choose the William for the kitchen. I used mine each night I stayed at The Element in NYC. Its nice to have the option of making something quick vs trying to find a restaurant.
The best thing about the auction is the Tree House.
The William is close to Bryant park, my favorite place in the city to have lunch and people watch
Luxury site: 4 night Kalimba Caribbean yacht charter
Its better than a hotel because you get much more space!
The William sounds great; I’d rather stay there than a traditional hotel. More room, more privacy, and I’d rather stay in and cook than go out to eat. Thanks for the chance to win!
What I like most about The William is its central location at 24 East 39th Street between Park and Madison Avenues.
I like to use 3 nights at the William for my new york trip next summer.
Appealing to the adventurer in me, my favourite auction would be:
7 Nights At Ettrick Cottage In The Isle Of Bute, Scotland
The William has a great location next to Bryant Park
Location, location, location, baby!
Favorite Auction: 7 Nights At Ettrick Cottage In The Isle Of Bute, Scotland
Been dreaming spending some time in the Scottish countryside, as I have been to the Scottish cities several times!
The William for location, style and comfort to those who are detailed-oriented and of particular tastes!
I’d stay at The William for their great location and their modern rooms! I love the straight lines and bright colors!
WOW! Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen. I REALLY don’t want others to know how great the Playa Del Carmen Area is or what a fantastic area of Playa this Hyatt is located in (everything within walking distance), so I am putting myself at risk for even saying this!
I’d pick the William over other hotels because it looks like a nice place where I could retreat after exploring my favorite city.
My favorite item up for auction are the 7 Nights at Ettrick Cottage in The Isle Of Bute, Scotland!
I’d have to choose the 7 Nights at Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & Spa in Sardinia! Looks amazing!
I like St Barts.
The private jet flight is the most interesting to me …. (but a FREE 3 night stay in NY sounds pretty darn good too!)
The William looks like it would be a fantastic location for a bachelor party I’m planning for next year in NYC!
I’d love staying at the Williams since Bryant Park is so close to theater and lots of trains. Besides you can stop into the Library for a browse.
So many great options but I would bid on 7 NIGHTS AT HOTEL MARINEDDA THALASSO & SPA, SARDINIA – a part of Italy I’ve always been curious to visit.