New York City - 3-5* Hotel on Tight Budget, Apr 19-21, 2012

We are from Venezuela. It can be 3*,4* or 5*
Tight budget but would like superb accommodations per price in NYC.
-Priority is location

April: 19,20 and 21th

I'm looking for some good deals.
Thanks Fters

We are from Venezuela. It can be 3*,4* or 5*
Tight budget but would like superb accommodations per price in NYC.
-Priority is location

April: 19,20 and 21th

I'm looking for some good deals.
Thanks FtersIf you want 3* or higher on a tight budget, you will have to use Priceline.

Tight budget but would like superb accommodations... in NYC... Priority is location... April: 19,20 and 21th

What magic powers do people think we have here? :confused:

You can have "superb," cheap, and/or well-located, but not all at once.

We are from Venezuela. It can be 3*,4* or 5*
Tight budget but would like superb accommodations per price in NYC.
-Priority is location

April: 19,20 and 21th

I'm looking for some good deals.
Thanks Fters


Welcome to the NYC Forum! :) Please let us know the specific dollar amount you are willing to pay and what locations you consider desirable.

Also, for general advice, see this thread, which is linked from our Sticky:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/new-york-city/995855-how-find-good-hotel-deals-nyc.html


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I've split this out into a separate thread so that we can give you specific advice for your trip. :)
/Moderator

What magic powers do people think we have here? :confused:


Problem comes from the Mileage Running/FD thing. People think this website is about uncovering mistake fares/rates.

Hotwire (www.hotwire.com) is showing rates as low as $136 for a 3.5* property, and $158 for a 4* property. Both likely are in the Financial District, although for a little more they are offering properties in other neighborhoods.

What magic powers do people think we have here? :confused:

You can have "superb," cheap, and/or well-located, but not all at once.

I need magic, i need to let it happen. I just travel once a year with our limited currency control policies.

Currently i don't know what i want nor where. This is because i have to yet research and i'm not familiar with New York areas or environments. I need FTers experience and help, pretty please. :)

Location should be a generally regarded as great. (I don't have a clue what is regarded as a great location in NYC, you be the judge). Ideally i'm looking for a location that is convenient,safe and upscale. Something that is pretty to walk by with lots of shops/stores nearby.

I'm really open to anything.
I just want something that screams deal. That i get the sense that every penny is well spent and i couldn't be happier to use Priceline (and the FT NYC forum!!!). I'm VERY flexible, as long as it is a good deal being a 3*,4* or even 5* i would be happy.

I have to ask my parents about the top amount they are willing to spend.
I believe its $100-250ish range.

Currently i don't know what i want nor where. This is because i have to yet research and i'm not familiar with New York areas or environments. I need FTers experience and help, pretty please. :)

Location should be a generally regarded as great. (I don't have a clue what is regarded as a great location in NYC, you be the judge). Ideally i'm looking for a location that is convenient,safe and upscale. Something that is pretty to walk by with lots of shops/stores nearby.

I'm really open to anything.
I just want something that screams deal. That i get the sense that every penny is well spent and i couldn't be happier to use Priceline (and the FT NYC forum!!!). I'm VERY flexible, as long as it is a good deal being a 3*,4* or even 5* i would be happy.

I have to ask my parents about the top amount they are willing to spend.
I believe its $100-250ish range.

It sounds like location is more important to you than the hotel's star rating. Judging from your post you want to be in midtown Manhattan. I can tell you right now that unless you use Priceline, $100-$200 is out of the question. If you can rise to $250 you can book passable places like (rates off Hotel.com test search for 19-22 April):

** The Radisson Lexington Avenue, near Grand Central ($242)
** The Doubletree Midtown East ($239)
** The Edison in Times Square ($252)

These are all 3* to 3.5* places. 4* or higher will take you over $300 / night.

In mid-April a Priceline NYOP deal on a 3* or 4* will likely run you close to $200 / night with less control over location. FYI I never bid less than 4* on a Manhattan hotel on Priceline.

Currently i don't know what i want nor where. This is because i have to yet research and i'm not familiar with New York areas or environments. I need FTers experience and help, pretty please. :)

If you can give us an idea of the types of things you're interested in, then we can help you with some suggestions. For example, you mentioned shopping - are you looking for upscale (Fifth Ave.) or something else? How about museums, parks, tours, theater, opera, dance, food, sporting events, landmarks, zoos? Of course, we can best help you if you start by doing some reading in our Sticky, which has information on some of the major attractions in NYC.

Coming to NYC for the first time, you will probably want to stay in Manhattan for the experience, although the rest of the city (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx) has a great deal to offer as well. The tradeoff for staying in Manhattan will be price - this is a very expensive hotel market, and there are often high-profile events and conventions that keep prices high - that makes it very difficult to find bargains of the sort you're looking for, and most of the time, all we can tell people is to search the usual hotel websites.

One of the things you can do to reduce your costs is to use public transportation, especially on trips within the city - the subway and buses cost $2.25 per ride with one free transfer (using pay-per-ride Metrocards) while taxicabs start at $3.00–4.00 (depending on time of day) before the meter even starts running. Of course, if you are always traveling with >2 people, sometimes a cab will make sense.

What airport are you flying into?

If you can give us an idea of the types of things you're interested in, then we can help you with some suggestions. For example, you mentioned shopping - are you looking for upscale (Fifth Ave.) or something else? How about museums, parks, tours, theater, opera, dance, food, sporting events, landmarks, zoos? Of course, we can best help you if you start by doing some reading in our Sticky, which has information on some of the major attractions in NYC.



Agree. Every neighborhood has its own characteristics that some might like and others might dislike. Totally depends on what you want to get out of your trip and what kind of atmosphere you prefer.

Hows the Yotel, and it's location?
Total for 3 nights is 836 USD

dstan,i'll reply properly when i'm home.
I arrive via La Guardia and depart via JFK. Thanks for the AA forums folks, for my award ticket!! It's not my first time in NYC...
I already been in 1996 and 2005. Sadly in 96 i went to all buildings less The Twin Towers... we told ourselves to leave it for later...

Hows the Yotel, and it's location?
Total for 3 nights is 836 USD

Yotel location is mediocre at best (on 10th Ave, West of Times Square, kind of in a no-mans land), and the rooms are REALLY small. Seriously, look closely at the website. Think cruise ship cabins.

For $279 a night, you very likely can do better.

Hows the Yotel, and it's location? Total for 3 nights is 836 USD.

The Yotel location is just OK. It's not "in Times Square," no matter what they say, it's at 42nd and 10th, in behind the Port Authority Bus Terminal. You can walk to some good restaurants in Hell's Kitchen, and Times Square is three long blocks east (15 minutes on foot), but put glamour, etc. out of your mind.

The Yotel concept is kind of the Japanese capsule hotel idea made minimally acceptable to Westerners. It's automated, machine-like lodging. You check in at a kiosk, as if you were buying a train ticket, and there's a reason they call your room a "cabin" rather than a room. Very small.

If this concept appeals to you you might also check out the Pod Hotel at 51st and 2nd (www.thepodhotel.com). But with your dreams of 4* and 5* luxury, I bet creeping into a little plasticky sleeping-module won't fit the bill.

If three nights at the Yotel is $836 all in and three nights at the Doubletree Midtown is $717 plus tax, or about the same, I'd pick the latter in a heartbeat, especially with parents in tow.

Booked
Trump Soho 3 Nights, 3 Guests. Refundable $336 daily rate
If it's that bad i'll cancel. Hope i didn't make a biiig mistake

Its been about an hour since i made my reservation in their own website. Reservation went through and i have my confirmation number as i print screened the site. I haven't received my confirmation email from these guys. Booked with Venezuelan CC to make use of the exchange control. None email to my Gmail as yet, checked and it isn't in spam folder or similar.

I'm used to get my confirmation emails automatically to my inbox. Strange.

Trump Soho 3 Nights, 3 Guests. Refundable $336 daily rate.

That's fine, but six posts ago you said $250 was your probable upper limit and you wanted "something that screams deal." This isn't it. It's fine, but you can do better. Did you even look on Hotels.com or Kayak?

That's fine, but six posts ago you said $250 was your probable upper limit and you wanted "something that screams deal." This isn't it. It's fine, but you can do better. Did you even look on Hotels.com or Kayak?

Not Kayak. I looked at the top 100ish ranked hotels per tripadvisor. Watching every traveller's picture out there. Saw many *4s that appeared to be a bit rundown or in need of maintenance, so sticked with the modern ones. This is why i was a bit hesitant to go the PL way. Made a list about the top 20-30ish i liked and then quoted the total wit tax 1 by 1 on the hotel's official website.

A very few where booked (Casablanca,Hilton Fashion Street etc), a few didn't allow 3 persons and asked for 2 rooms instead or larger more expensive room for 3. The cheapest quote came from the Yotel at $200. Then a competitive quote $250ish for the IC Barclay and then the trump about $330. So i had a viable rate at a 3*,4*,5*. Upon looking closely at IC Barclay, they charged $50 more per night starting the 3rd adult, So i was about to match the Trump's rate for the 3 ... for an older, lower category hotel.

After going through with my parents if the Yotel or the Trump, they decided to splurge me. Of course an intermediate option such as a solid 4* located in Midtown would probably made me change my mind. But i really went directly to the hotels websites ... in about 20 options ... and the daily rates for 4/19-4/22 for the 3 of us were frequently in the $350+ range. No first hand experience with other booking options. I'm afraid if i use other site that it is not the own's hotel, the rate i book would be not honored upon check in.

Sincerely maybe on heart the correct choice would be a well located, 4* Midtown hotel in a $250 range rather than the Trump, but i didn't find one. Distrikt Hotel starting at $319 daily was one of the cheaper options along with the Barclay, but if i am paying $320 for these, why not $330 for the Trump which is a 5*?

Others hotels in the 5* range that i liked were (i like modern): The Setai,The Mark, The Chatwal and maybe the Mandarin Oriental. All of these options were super expensive and out of range. Starting at $660 .. if given the choice i would prefer to pay that for the FS Hualalai.

I did provide my "I prefer" membership to see if i am getting the complimentary wifi, welcome amenity (supposedly it's a bottle of something in the room) , late check out (blah blah) and room upgrade if available (i think everyone get's a room upgrade nowadays). Read a review on tripadvisor that this seems to be working. I would like it to be working as the hotel charges $15 per wifi- per device not room, if not i'll buy a cheap prepaid data plan on any of the USA carriers: t-mobile,sprint,att&t for my GSM unlocked phone.

So far dad wants to go to a Baseball game at the Yankees stadium and mom wants to go to a broadway musical/show and a nice dinner somewhere. We like museums, events,food, shopping -All :p

I already been in NY 2 times before, i guess we just want to relax and walk around the city before arriving into Venezuela. I've already visited Empire State, Statue of Liberty and all the landmarks. We are not too big on tourist tours as we already done that, but yeah maybe i can go to the Empire State again - if we have time. Why not.

So now that i'll be based in SoHo ... what things i can do around there ... anything special, trendy, nice place to visit? Of course i think i love Midtown, almost everything is there. We don't mind exiting the Trump tower with our Metrocards... hehe. I need some help here... Transportation plan if going to Central Park,Times Square etc etc.

Also i'm arriving in LGA at noon with plenty of luggage. Cheap/better way to get to the hotel? We will be departing in JFK around 4PM.

Thank You Guys

Please read the tons of information already posted in this forum that answers all your questions about NYC activities and ground transport.

Please read the tons of information already posted in this forum that answers all your questions about NYC activities and ground transport.

Thanks dstan! I read the sticky, and found some useful links along goldstar.com. I booked for the 3 of us Audi Club Seating at $125 each. My dad is such a baseball fan (here in Venezuela baseball is big). He so wanted to meet the new Yankees Stadium. Got the tickets for the only date that the Yankees where playing home in our stay. Supposedly the buffet is very good and the place looks nice! This would be my third time in my life that i go to a baseball game. (Marlins,Pittsburgh Pirates and now Yankees)

I hope this one is a deal. ^

So far dad wants to go to a Baseball game at the Yankees stadium and mom wants to go to a broadway musical/show and a nice dinner somewhere. We like museums, events,food, shopping -All :p

I already been in NY 2 times before, i guess we just want to relax and walk around the city before arriving into Venezuela. I've already visited Empire State, Statue of Liberty and all the landmarks. We are not too big on tourist tours as we already done that, but yeah maybe i can go to the Empire State again - if we have time. Why not.

So now that i'll be based in SoHo ... what things i can do around there ... anything special, trendy, nice place to visit? Of course i think i love Midtown, almost everything is there. We don't mind exiting the Trump tower with our Metrocards... hehe. I need some help here... Transportation plan if going to Central Park,Times Square etc etc.

Also i'm arriving in LGA at noon with plenty of luggage. Cheap/better way to get to the hotel? We will be departing in JFK around 4PM.

Thank You Guys

Many in this forum recommend Top of the Rock over the Empire State Building: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/new-york-city/551755-empire-state-building-esb-vs-top-rock.html

For musicals, be sure to check the TKTS booths for discount tickets on the morning of the show - show up early, they are first-come-first-served. If you want tickets in advance, it will generally cost considerably more, but then you can be sure of what show you get to see: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/new-york-city/392113-helpful-sites-search-broadway-other-nyc-theatre-tickets.html

Analise can tell you all about the baseball tix :)

From your hotel, the closest subway stop is Spring St., where the C and E lines stop - the C will take you up to Central Park - you could start from Columbus Circle, where the more touristy stuff is along Central Park South, or perhaps head further up to the area around 72nd St. where there is Bethesda Terrace and a small lake, or 86th St. where there is a large reservoir with jogging path. Note that Central Park is very large, so plan your walks accordingly - the reservoir is about 2.5 km all the way around.

You are also close to the 1 line at Canal or Houston St., which will take you up to Times Square (or take the C/E to 42nd St. and walk across).

As far as transportation from LGA, honestly, with lots of luggage, I would suggest that you pile into a cab. You can take public transportation, but it will involve taking a bus and subway and take longer. See our wiki here: http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/NYC_Airports_to_Manhattan_Transportation_FAQ

Analise can tell you all about the baseball tix :)Looks like SHE already took care of that.

I booked for the 3 of us Audi Club Seating at $125 each. My dad is such a baseball fan (here in Venezuela baseball is big). He so wanted to meet the new Yankees Stadium. Got the tickets for the only date that the Yankees where playing home in our stay. Supposedly the buffet is very good and the place looks nice! This would be my third time in my life that i go to a baseball game. (Marlins,Pittsburgh Pirates and now Yankees)

I hope this one is a deal.Well, it's a "deal" if all of you enjoy yourselves. ;)

I am a she!!!!
I am a 22 year old, with 65 and 75 year old parents!!!

I am a she!!!!
I am a 22 year old, with 65 and 75 year old parents!!!My apologies!! Are you a baseball fan too like your father is? Not many of us of the female persuasion in Flyertalk who love and post about baseball. We are in the minority.

Thank You GuysSome of us aren't "Guys"! ;)

My apologies!! Are you a baseball fan too like your father is? Not many of us of the female persuasion in Flyertalk who love and post about baseball. We are in the minority.

Truth is i don't really like Baseball :D. It bores me, i think i prefer more fast paced sports with tons of action !! That is on TV, i just love being in a concert or in a stadium. The vibe, energy,people, music...

Nevertheless even if i don't have anything against baseball at all. I like a fine dine experience while watching a Yankees game in the brand new Yankee stadium, because it should be a fun & different experience. I'm pretty excited to be pampered in an abroad country. I love to be pampered everywhere! Thus this i read a lot in order to guarantee a nice experience in our travels.

So yeah, i'm going to enjoy it much because i know my father will :) Mom... well she is like me... she doesn't like baseball ... we don't eat muuuch... we like shopping...but seems like an unique experience given that we live far away and makes dad happy, hell yeah.

I'm doing this Miami,Honolulu,Maui and New York trip thanks to the fruits of my reading at flyertalk and the knowledge that i've gotten in the AA forum. I exchanged 90.000 AA miles total for tickets worth 7.500USD. I only have 39.000 program to date miles in my AA account, so it's quite a feat i'm a Platinum and could bank 90.000 miles ;)

Some of us aren't "Guys"! ;)

My apologies to you! I have always though 95% of these forum members are "Guys" ! 50 year old guys, but guys!!

Truth is i don't really like Baseball :D. It bores me, i think i prefer more fast paced sports with tons of action !! That is on TV, i just love being in a concert or in a stadium. The vibe, energy,people, music...

Nevertheless even if i don't have anything against baseball at all. I like a fine dine experience while watching a Yankees game in the brand new Yankee stadium, because it should be a fun & different experience. I'm pretty excited to be pampered in an abroad country. I love to be pampered everywhere! Thus this i read a lot in order to guarantee a nice experience in our travels.I don't know how much "pampering" you will get sitting all the way out at the Audi Club.

So yeah, i'm going to enjoy it much because i know my father will :) Mom... well she is like me... she doesn't like baseball ... we don't eat muuuch... we like shopping...but seems like an unique experience given that we live far away and makes dad happy, hell yeah.Your father regardless of the location will probably enjoy himself. He IS a baseball fan afterall. :)

I'm doing this Miami,Honolulu,Maui and New York trip thanks to the fruits of my reading at flyertalk and the knowledge that i've gotten in the AA forum. I exchanged 90.000 AA miles total for tickets worth 7.500USD. I only have 39.000 program to date miles in my AA account, so it's quite a feat i'm a Platinum and could bank 90.000 miles ;)^

My apologies to you! I have always though 95% of these forum members are "Guys" ! 50 year old guys, but guys!!Not all of us! ;)

My apologies to you! I have always though 95% of these forum members are "Guys" ! 50 year old guys, but guys!!

The NYC Forum is more diverse than you think. This is NYC, after all. :)