Ducking the bullets
 

Just passing the info along.
$279 isn't that obscene as rates go in New York these days.
May not be up to the 2006 Hilton winter special in NYC for 98 dollars on Sundays but as most of us know Starwood tends to price on the higher side these days.
I thought these might be helpful to somebody
As a famous philosopher once said "Don't shoot the messenger" :D
If they threw in 50,000 SPG bonus points then would everybody be happy? :p

yes.

Would I still get the massage? :confused: ;)

The Jan rate is pretty decent for NYC lately. I actually see it showing up as BAR for at least one date. The Nov/Dec rate is not that much more than some BAR rates. Scary prices.

$279 for a decent Manhattan hotel is not bad at all. I'll be there in November and by far the best rate I've found anywhere in the city is....12,000 Starpoints.

Well, that's not *entirely* true. I do see some of those oddball shared-bathroom single-twin-bed hotels on Expedia for $100/nt., but I don't want to risk a noisy fleabag on this trip. :eek: Of the mainstream Hiltons, Marriotts, Starwoods, and Hyatts I'd usually consider in most cities, there was nothing below $350/nt.

Yeah, New York is absolutely INSANE these days, and the hotels are filling up! My last stay at the Grand Hyatt was $519/night (without all these perks!) and the W was running rates north of $449/night for my upcoming stay.

A friend of mine just booked a hotel on priceline (4*, I think she said) in midtown for $190. The state of normal in NYC is different... :)

I remember when the Westin Times Square just opened, we stayed there for $199/night. I guess those days are over.

I remember just a few years back, this same hotel had a special rate during the summer, on Sunday nights only, of only $99 or $100 per night. :eek: (One rate was a newspaper promo, the other through TravelZoo.)

I made use of it. Those were the days! :cool:

These are the threads that make me very happy that I just bought a resale of a one bedroom, 2 bath suite at the Manhattan Club. Use to use Marriott points for our stays at the Rihga Royal, but they sold it and now regular rooms (forget suites) are sky high. But I love going to the city and apparently, I'm not alone!

Actually I stayed at the hotel with the rate of $259 a night last weekend. It was not one of those prepaid rates or anything - in fact, I booked through my Platinum Concierge two days before my stay and it was cancellable until 4pm a day before my check-in. I received all the platinum benefits, of course...

No doubt. Take advantage of the 2,500 point bonus for adding someone to your SPG Amex + some of these SPG promos they're running to stay in NYC on points. I try not to spend > $250 for a hotel room unless I'm staying in Bora-Bora.

Keep in mind the Grand Hyatt has a rate of approx 147 dollars per night based on availability however no points, miles or stay credit.......

I will be buying a property in another city shortly rather then paying the daily weekly ransom.No more checking in and out will be the best reward ;)
It just made better sense over the long haul........
I have business colleagues who are renting apartments and have cut down on hotels in a number of markets.They report good success.
I can't imagine doing so but then they stay longer then I at each destination and are not nearly as point and mile driven.....

Renovated W Times Square: Review & A Special Offer Starting @ $229/night with Bonus
 

No, this isn't another W Times Square question thread. I know better :D

W Times Square has always been my favorite hotel in NYC. Many FTers argue against this place in favor of W Court and Tuscany (which are two of my least favorite hotels in the city). I'm going to argue in favor of W Times Square again and here's my review:

Knowing TS is a pain in the neck, I got off at 50th St @ 8th Ave on purpose after taking the E train from JFK (instead of 42nd St). The subway station was 4 short blocks away from the hotel. I had a couple of luggages. No sweat. Walked through 8th St and turned left onto 47th. No people, no TS mess, easy.

Due to strong tail wind, I arrived JFK on a redeye from LAX almost 1 hour earlier than anticipated . I arrived at the hotel at 8:15 am EST hoping for an early check in. Unfortunately, the agent informed me that the hotel was sold out the night before and it might be hard to get me a room before noon. For some reason, they did not preblock me into a room :rolleyes: :confused: . Selling out the night before might be the reason. Nevertheless, agent looked up my reservation, recognized my platinum status and immediately told me she would try to upgrade me into a suite ^ She looked through her computer and told me that they had a few of designated platinum suites. However, these suites were on lower floors and explained that since they were platinum suites, they would most likely not be available until 4pm. She asked me whether I would rather take a suite on a lower floor, or take a corner room on a higher floor with great views, or take any room available as soon as one freed up (I told her I was really tired from my redeye). I told her I'd rather have a corner room on a higher floor with a good view than a suite on a lower floor ^ She told me she would do her best to assign me a suite on a higher floor but could not confirm immediately because she could not find her manager. She gave me her business card and told me that she would call me when the room was ready. She told me to call her if I needed anything.

So I wondered around SOHO, had some Dean and Deluca coffee and squared creme filled donuts and did some shopping :D Just as I was about to head to Lexington Ave for my favorite Sushi place for lunch, W called and informed me that my room was ready (@12:06pm). So, I headed to the hotel and found the same wonderful agent again. She explained to me that all of the higher floor suites were occupied and that she had put me in a corner room on the 52nd floor with one side of the room facing Times Square and the other side facing the Hudson river with a amazing view. She apologized for not being able to secure a suite on a higher floor and asked me if that was okay or would I rather have a suite on a lower floor. I took the higher floor ^ I loved the fact that she went far and beyond to make sure that I had a room/suite that I actually would like, and not just randomly placed me in a room and told me that nothing else was available because she was too lazy (this happens all the time) ^ for W TS and ^ for the agent.

Now, granted I took the corner room instead, I knew I was going to love it more than the suite because I had stayed in a corner room before. It wasn't too big, but spacious enough for 2. Everything was in excellent shape: fresh paint, clean carpet, clean curtains, clean bathroom, spotless floor, spotless windows, new sheets, new comforter covers, and a new touch: 32 inch plasma TV on the wall. Like Westin TS, the W is putting plasma tvs in most of its rooms and renovating all of them. Although small, W TS rooms are 10 times better than W Court and Tuscany rooms. W Court and Tuscany have loud and nonworking A/C units hanging on the wall. The carpets are dirty and falling apart. There is no ventilation in the bathrooms. Yes they put Plats in suites but their suites are close to embarassing and in terrible shapes. Last month, I was upgraded to an urban suite at the Court but actually took a regular room instead because the sofa bed was broken.

I am actually sitting here right now typing with an AMAZING view of NYC and quite honestly, it is so quiet on the 52nd floor. I can't hear anything down below. What amazes me is the excellent service and attitude most of the employees here have. After arriving my room this morning. I called Whatever/Whenever and told them I had checked my luggages earlier in the morning and if they could have someone send it up. I went to the bathroom to freshen up, then the phone rang and the agent apologized profusely for not having the luggage up immediately and promised it would arrive within 1 minute, then DING DONG, there was my luggage. I was a bit confused that she was apologizing because it took them less than 5 minutes :confused: to bring up my luggage. I was really impressed.

Later on in the evening, I ordered a wonderful meal from room service (from Blue Fin restaurant downstairs). The menu looked great and I ordered Cioppino with mussels, prawns, lobster, and clams. It was excellent and fresh. I also got a free dessert of my choice and a glass of momosa (part of the deal i got, see below) ^ for the food!

Here are some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkind...7594541839501/

This is why W TS is my favorite hotel in NYC: great rooms, great views, great platinum treatment, and great service. You can get away from TS if you avoid certain streets.

Here's the special offer I booked:
(Valid for Sunday nights only) The Commuter Package starting at $229 per night until the end of the year. This is really really cheap. I was only able to get a room at $300's but was worth every penny. Here's what you get with the package:
*1,000 bonus Starpoints®
*Upgrade to next available room type
*A copy of the Sunday New York Times
*A Bloody Mary or Mimosa
*Garment Pressing of suit and top
*Sweet dessert with in-room dining
*Monday Morning coffee service

A great deal. To book, go here:
http://whotels.destinations.starwood...OMPKG_1234_NYC

FWIW a lower floor can give you a better more intimate view of Times Square than a high floor.

Thank you and others for the detailed comparisons between Court/Tuscany and other props ^

Seems like a decent rate, but when you say renovations, what do you mean? i didnt see any references to them in the post. did i miss a previous discussion?

excellent and passionate review (and use of symbols). :) ^