walliemo

My husband and I will be staying for a week in New York City next October. I am trying to decide between the Affinia Manhattan or Hotel Beacon. Can anyone give me pros/cons for either property? Thanks!

nytraveler

The Affinia Manhattan is right near Penn Station - so also near Macy's and Empire State Building. but the area is basically business oriented and quite quiet and dreary at night. Not a lot of decent places to eat.

the Beacon is on the upper west side - a lively mid/upscale residential area with tons of great inexpensive/moderate restaurants, many dozens of them with outdoor cafes if the weather cooperates. You're right near Central Park and several of the major museums and there are two subway lines to carry you to other ares of the city quickly.

I find the area by Penn Station quite ugly and would grab the Beacon in a minute.

walliemo

Thanks, nytraveler, you've sold me. The Beacon it is!

MaureenB

Did you consider the Affinia Gardens, on the upper east side?
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mclaurie

Agree with nytraveler (and Maureen) but you should know most tourists like the convenience of the Affinia Manhattan location if shopping and sightseeing are your interests. The Beacon will put you in a better location for restaurants and feeling less touristy. I also agree many of the other Affinia.com hotels are in better locations. If these are the only 2 that fit your budget, I'd still go with the Beacon.

mdwest

We stayed at the Beacon last summer and it was perfect for our needs and we found it at a good price. It was close to the subway and restaurants. The area had a neighborhood feel. In addition our room had a tiny kitchenette facility which was nice because the wonderful Fairway Market was right across the street.We picked up some great fruit, cheeses and breads when we were to pooped to go any farther. We would definitely stay there again.

Aduchamp1

I go to the Affinia on 34th Street every quarter for a seminar, it is anything but dreary. You are a block away from the Lex Ave line and near such good restaurants as the Turkish Kitchen, the recently reopened 2nd Ave Deli, and Indian restaurants. It is off 3rd Avenue and four long avenue blocks from Penn Station.

You are much closer to most tourist spots than the Beacon.

nytraveler

The Affinia Manhattan is the one next to Penn Station - not the one on the East side - completely different neighborhoods.

walliemo

Well, I think we will concentrate on the Upper West Side. There is one other hotel that we might consider and that is On The Ave. Does anyone have any thoughts or comparisons between it and the Beacon? Thanks for your help.

mclaurie

On the Ave is much nicer (imo) and newer/fresher than either of the other 2, but it's not a suite hotel. At both the Affinia Manhattan and the Beacon you get a small kitchen in your room (even if it's a studio) and can get a 1 bedroom suite with separate bedroom/sitting room. If you don't need a suite with kitchen, there are loads of better options including On the Ave.

I think Aduchamp is thinking of the Affinia Dumont which is on east 34 st. in Murray Hill and a much nicer, fresher Affinia than the Manhattan if you do need a suite, but it's usually pricier. Actually I'd prefer any of the Affinias to the Manhattan.

Aduchamp1

I was thinking of the Affinia on 34th not the one across from Penn.

Unless you are a hockey team or the circus, I would not stay across from MSG.

nytraveler

On the Ave is much cuter and more trendy than the Beacon - which is more functional. So - it depends on how much time you'll spending in the room - do you want extra space and mini kitchen?

walliemo

Well, since it's only my husband and myself, I guess we really don't need the extra space. On the Ave has a special...stay 5 nights get the 6th free which is a great deal but I emailed the reservations department and they said it is only good from now until Aug. So that won't help me in October. I like the idea of staying on the Upper West Side away from midtown. I would like to keep the room under $400 a night. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

AustinTraveler

We are staying at One the Ave in May and taking advantage of the sixth night free. I asked the same question as you about nearby hotels. Here is the thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=35104830

doug_stallings

You probably won't find any special deals for October because that's typically when hotel rates start going up again. But having said that, I don't think you'll have any problem finding a hotel for $400 per night. I'd actually second the recommendation of the Affinia Dumont. It's in a convenient location, near many local neighborhood restaurants, but much more central than the Upper West Side, which I find fairly inconvenient as a place for a tourist.

jayne1973

Hubby and I stayed at the Beacon in May and enjoyed it. It's nice but not luxurious, and feels more like an apartment building in some ways than a hotel. There was some construction going on while we were there, and the elevator was sometimes a little slow.

The room was nice and fairly large. We shopped at Fairway grocery across the street almost every day, often stopping on our way home at night to pick up something for breakfast or some kind of snack. We kept our fridge stocked with orange juice (my morning must-have) as well as other beverages, fresh fruit and snacks.

There's a nice subway station nearby, and we enjoyed being able to walk to Central Park and the Museum of Natual History. Also nearby are Zabar's and Feline's Basement, plus plenty of great restaurants.

The neighborhood is neat because it's an area where people actually live.

We paid about $250 on Memorial Day weekend.

upstater

We just stayed at the Affinia Manhattan for a long weekend in January. It was ok but I think I'd try something else next time. It's a large hotel and feels somewhat anonymous. Not a boutique hotel by ny stretch. The kitchen was clean and stocked with pots and dishes and everything. Not that we did any cooking. Others obviously were though and the smells carried. That was a bit of a negative. Also, the room was loud. We faced onto 7th Ave and even 23 stories up the traffic noise was annoying.

Positives--Our room was very good size. The hotel didn't nickel and dime us for everything. They had complimentary toiletries on request (above and beyond the usual soap and shampoo). There was free coffee and tea in the lobby.