Barry1973

Will be traveling to NYC December 17th-23rd. I'll have my family with me, so they'll be 4 of us. Looking for a hotel that's family/kid friendly with rooms that can accommodate 4. We'll mainly be hanging out in Manhattan, with a possible trip to the Brooklyn Zoo. Trying to stay in the $225-250/night range, if possible. Will be flying in through JFK. Any suggestions? Thanks.

LGANightOwl

I've a relative staying at the Grand Hyatt NYC (on top of Grand Central Station) around that time and it's about $250/night with AAA. May want to check it out. Subway is right underneath.

It'll be holiday season, and rooms may book out faster. So I would pick a hotel, reserve a cancellable room so you know you have at least a place to stay, and then shop around for better rates/locations if you want.

Out of my Element

Brooklyn has a nice little zoo, but it's the one in the Bronx that most people travel for.

You might want to enhance your subject line to catch more eyes. A bit generic as it stands.

erik123

Maybe look at a one bedroom at one of the Affinia properties. Should be about $250-300 but you get a kichenette so you can save (quite a bit) on breakfast.

AMflier

Take a look at the Hotel Beacon or the Newton on the upper west side. They are not at all elegant, but some of the rooms are closer to apartments.

Blumie

Consider Airbnb, and consider a location outside of Manhattan. For example, here is a really good looking two bedroom apt in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for $215/night. (And unlike with hotels, you don't have to figure in an additional 15% for taxes and fees.) This particular location is a lively area in its own right and only two stops from Manhattan by subway.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14426680

Out of my Element

Just make sure it's a legal Airbnb! Most of their properties in NYC are not legal and many are scams. If it's in a building of more than 3 units it's almost definitely illegal unless you are staying with the owner onsite.

Blumie

Do you have any support for the assertion that "many are scams"?

gfunkdave

I think he's conflating "scams" with "illegal". The people renting out the properties are doing so illegally but they're not scams. You just won't have much in the way of legal protection if there are issues.

Blumie

Airbnb stands behind its service. They're not going to leave you stranded. Tens of thousands use it successfully every day. I personally have had great luck using it around the world.

Yes, it's a controversial service and communities around the world are grappling with how to deal with it, just as they are grappling with other sharing economy services like Uber. But for the consumer the risk is remote. And staying in a real home is so much better than staying in a hotel, particularly a cheap hotel. I stand by my recommendation.

Out of my Element

Scams? Yeah. Read TripAdvisor. Dozens of reports there (which mean hundreds of victims) who show up after paying for an airbnb to find the address doesn't exist or the place isn't available or the REAL landlord/tenant has no idea there's supposed to be a guest arriving. It's a huge problem, and airbnb can't find these folks similar accommodations on zero notice at the scam price the travelers were promised.

I'm all for the sharing economy, Blumie. But I draw the line at encouraging folks to break the law. And the law is in place to protect housing stocks for those who need it. Apartments being turned into hotels by absentee owners limits housing stock for folks who need homes and it also pisses off the neighbors who find their coop/condo has a revolving door of tourists who don't care about the needs and peace and quite of the other owners. There's a reason most condo/coops don't allow sublets.

Blumie

I don't get what the scam would be. If someone doesn't provide the accommodations they advertised, they don't get paid.

I hear you on the argument against airbnb. It's not an easy issue, and I think each of us who considers using it needs to grapple with the problems it can create. But those who choose to use it generally do so quite successfully, so while we can debate the merits, I think the suggestion that one is setting themselves up to be ripped off is a red herring.

UKtravelbear

New York Times 19/10/2016 - airbnb proposes cracking down on new york city hosts