There are lots of hotels with apartment-style units. Radio City Apartments is one, and many of the Affinia hotels also have true one-bedroom apartment-style units with a sofabed for the kids. I'd try to stay somewhere close to 42nd street, whether you stay on the east or west side of Manhattan, simply because the 7 subway train is the one you'll take for the Open, and it runs along 42nd. If you're within 6 blocks either way of there, you'll be fine.

Look at the Staybridge Suites Times Square http://www.staytimessquare.com/
340 W. 40th

Your best price will probably be Radio City Apartments (really an apart hotel). Since you didn't mention a budet yuo may want to look at Affinia, which is a little above the budget category - you may find something in the range of $300 per night for a 1 bedroom suite for 4 people.

Agree to stay near the 7 line to get to the Tennis Center.

If you provide more info on budget and ohter sights you will want to see people may be able to make other recos. (The Beacon on the upper west side also has nice suite at a moderate price) - great for Central Park and the Mus of Nat'l Histo and other major museums.

We just went through the process of booking a hotel, but have not been on our trip yet. We will stay at the Affinia Dumont, got a decent price on it (for NYC). Like you we would ideally like an apartment, and the Affinia had a kitchen, which is what sold us.

What was hard for us was that we are a family of 5, and there are far less options; rollaways aren't allowed almost everywhere in the city. The rooms are too small per fire code.

Thanks for the advice. I am looking at the Beacon and the Affinias. Any thoughts on which one is nicer? We have family on the West side so being nearby would be great. We plan on doing lots of super touristy stuff including the Open (Statue of Liberty, Yankees game, MOMA, Empire State Building, Chinatown, Museum of Natural History, etc.).

Stuck in an airport yesterday and spent some time searching online based on the feedback here. The Beacon and Affinia seem to be roughly the same price (@$350/night). They both look nice. Wish they were less expensive but I would rather pay for space and a kitchen than go without. We will probably cook some breakfasts in and bring in a lot of take in for dinner so having a kitchen is key.

Thanks for the feedback.

$350 for a suite that time of year is a great deal. I prefer the are of the Beacon (live not too far away) - lots of great inexpensive/moderate restaurants of every possible variety. This is possibl ein midtown but more difficult, You don;t say hold old the kids are - but I would go for Central Parka nd Museums rather than midtown.

Also - note the Statue of Liberty is closed. Yuo can get a decent view from the free Staten Island ferry. Or a closer view from a Cicrle line cruise - or actually land at Liberty Island if yu take the Park Service ferry - which also goes to the Ellis Islnd Immigration Museun (which is brilliant). If you want to use that ferry definitely gat tickets as soon as possible - or the line can be an hor or more long. Also note that the ferry has airline type security - no backpacks or large packages - and the security line can take baout 30 minutes to get on the ferry.

NyTraveler, thanks so much for the advice on the SoL. I am going to work on tickets this week. Just trying to figure out the Yankees/Mets situation first.

My favorite Affinia is the Eastgate Tower in Murray Hill, have stayed there (and the Affinia Manhattan) many times. The rooms are huge at Eastgate Tower. Murray Hill is a nice neighborhood, and there are many restaurants and a good full grocery store within a block of the hotel (on 3rd Ave, D')Angostino's, and for $3 they will deliver your gorceries within an hr of you checking out, very convenient). Good restaurants on 2nd Ave (love Aquamarine, very nice Asain food, nice atmosphere and moderately priced, right around corner from hotel). 2nd Ave Deli nearby. Grand Central and the food choices there = a 5 min. walk, and the #7 subway line is there to get you to the Open. This hotel would put you in easy proximity re Empire State Bldg (walk), Chinatown (subway), MOMA (walk or short cab), and downtown on subway.

For dates at end of August during US Open, junior suite w/two beds and sofabed and full kitchen and internet = $292 (OUR PROMISE rate, refundable)

Another good value in Murray Hill is the Murray Hill East Suites on 39th. Very basic, but a real kitchen and big rooms. You are going in so many directions, don't worry too much about what you're close to. You can take a cab almost anyplace in Midtown for about the same price as 4 subway or bus fares.

I think the Beacon's neighborhood would be nicer given your family lives there and looked at it myself, but we couldn't get a room for our dates.

emd3, I was not too impressed with the photos of the Eastgate Tower in Murray Hill pm Trip Advisor. Take a look at the wiring photo that one traveler posted in photo 11.

The beacon is less convenient for the 7 train. I'd choose one of the Affinia hotels .... Except for Affinia Manhattan, which has smaller rooms.

All I can say is I have stayed at Eastgate Tower a half dozen times for 3-5 nights at a time in the last 4 yrs and have never had a bad experience. I have never had anything to complain about (and I am fairly picky about hotel rooms).

For the reasonable price (it and the Shelbourne are generally the lowest price of the Affinia group suite hotels, although the Manhattan can have low rates at times also) it provides a very large space and full kitchen w/all rooms. This was a former apartment bldg. that was turned into a hotel, and rooms were not reconfigured when it was transformed into a hotel, so these are really large rooms. It is not fancy, the furniture is basic but nice enough for me, and I have always found my rooms clean and well equipped. And have always been very happy for the place at the price point.

Any thoughts on which Affinia would be best? They all look good to me.

Good for what? The Affinia Manhattan is the most recently renovated of the group and is across from Penn station where you can catch a LIRR train to the tennis which is faster and nicer than the subway. The area is a bit commercial though. The Affinia Dumont is within a walk of Penn station, a somewhat nicer, more residential area but not as recently redone. Eastgate Tower is very tired but well run and closest to the 7 train. The Eventi is a newer hotel near Penn station that has some nice suites. Not sure if it will suit the budget.

I have not felt that the Eastgate Tower is very tired in my multiple stays there. The bldg. is an older one. But my rooms have always been nice, w/good paint (no major marks on walls or anything like that), clean carpets, good linens and pillows and very comfortable matresses, updated bedspreads, nice kitchens wnice cabinets, full fridge and stove and microwave and other kitchen needs, tile in the baths, blond wood furniture in good shape without any noticeable big nicks or gouges, carpet that is somewhat industrial (low pile) but clean and fine, good TVs (but not flat screens) with good reception and channels. Nothing very tired. It's not the Mansfield (upscale Affinia hotel) but it is pretty nice, like a comfortable studio or apartment.

Affinia Shelburne is also fairly close to the 7 line at Grand Central. I've stayed there twice. Shelburne has flat screen TVs and a pretty large gym. The rooms are more upscale decor than Eastgate Tower, bathrms are black marble, and furniture is black wood and kitchens are black appliances and countertops. And there is a rooftop bar w/great view. The rm. and suite I had there are not as large as Eastgate Tower. The rates are much higher also.

Thanks, Doug, then I feel better I didn't get the Beacon.

Regarding the Eastgate Towers: Here is a link from TA. Check out the picture on the right:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d93435-on118-Eastgate_Tower-New_York_City_New_York.html#UR119707046

The Eastgate is between 2nd and 3rd Aves and is about 10 minutes to Grand Central, not what I call a "long" walk from transit. The bus stops right on 3rd Avenue about a 2-minute walk from the hotel lobby.

For myself, I see nothing wrong with that room. It's not luxurious or brand-new, but it's not what I would consider grubby. I can't tell you specifically what that photo is, but it seems to be some electrical wiring up above the cabinets.

I think, unless I am wrong, that I am the only one on this thread who has actually stayed at the Eastgate, several times in the past 4 yrs. Will just reiterate that I have had absolutely no problems w/the hotel, no problems w/it being old or outdated, or grubby, or suspect wiring, or anything else. I've returned again and again when I want a rm. w/location (close to Grand Central, close to 6 line to get to the East Village and downtown for me), space, and full kitchen at that price point, even when I have had the budget to go higher in price.

The times I have stayed at Shelburne were on someone else's dime, for work, as it is quite a bit more expensive.

As I mentioned at the outset, I have not been on my trip yet. Emd3, you are right in that the rest of the photos look fine.

This one pix really did turn the tide for me, though. Since it's the ironing cupboard it could be regular electrical wiring. If so, this would not meet code and is a fire hazard. It could also be phone wire, and I would like to think so; phone wire is low voltage and not dangerous (but still not kosher).

I am sure this hotel is a comfortable place. I wish the management would have posted an answer to this entry on TA explaining it had been fixed or what the situation was. Without that clarity, I couldn't feel at ease staying there.

I'd suggest taking a look at The TRavel Inn on W. 42nd, good transportation options from there, close to Times Square, but more quiet at night.

Also in August, a welcome option would be the pool, not alot of hotels in the city have pools, and August will be HOT.

Honestly, if a single photo from a single poster on Tripadvisor is turning you off on this hotel, then you shouldn't stay there. But there aren't that many suite hotels with full kitchens. The Beacon, Radio City Apartments, and the various Affinia hotels are among the best choices. Affinia has many other hotels beside Eastgate Tower. The Shelburne was recently renovated and has nice suites, but it's quite a bit more expensive than the others. The location, however, can't be beat. The Tuscany and the Court have big rooms, but not suites (at least not ones you could easily afford). The Benjamin has many suites with small kitchens, but it's also much more expensive.

Doug, you are right, and that was my conclusion too. $60/night more for the Dumont was well worth the peace of mind.

You may think me irrational (fair enough), but lots of people on Fodor's post questions about bedbugs quite regularly. In my mind a fire hazard is more serious--not that I want bedbugs either.

I've looked at that wire again. I'm pretty sure it's a telephone wire and would not be a fire hazard. It may technically be against code, but it's also a question of normal wear and tear over 20 or 30 years. Again, if that single photo bothers you so much, then you've made the right decision.

The Dumont is probably a better location anyway. Dunkin Donuts is next door and there are two really good delis on the corner (and it's across from a giant Duane Reade). It's a bit further from Grand Central, but only 5 minutes more, and there are many more good restaurants nearby. However, if you really want some of the best Cantonese food in the area, so walk up to Phoenix Garden on East 40th St. It's truly excellent (and closer to Eastgate).

OP here. I am going to absent myself from the whole wiring discussion above. I have narrowed it down to either the Affinia Shelbourne or Dumont. Both are about $40/night cheaper than the Beacon. Is one or the other obviously a better choice?

We will be cooking a lot and eating a ton of take out (sampling all the noodle shops that are non-existent in the Twin Cities) so I am not terribly concerned about being close to good restaurants.

Thanks for all the help!

I have not stayed at the Dumont (and I do not like to recommend or not rec. hotels where I have not actually stayed), but the Shelburne was really nice the two times I stayed there. One time w/suite w/full kitchen was really really nice, as I described above.

The rooms at the Shelburne have been redone more recently, and it's closer to Grand Central. However you have marginally better access to restaurant deliveries at the Dumont. There are also more grocery options by the Dumont. There's just one grocery store near the Shelburne ... A D'Agostino and not my favorite. I think the Dumont kitchens are more complete. The Shelburne has a good hamburger place in the hotel.

Sorry to derail your post, taitai. Thanks for the restaurant, recs, Doug. I also found a deli near the Dumont that appears to be well regarded...Second Avenue Deli? I have the exact name in my notes.

taitai:

I hope you will report back on this thread as to your hotel stay.

For anyone else searching and looking at this thread we have stayed many times at the Eastgate Tower and would do so again in a heartbeat.

We have also stayed at the Shelburne and it was very nice.

Sandy

By "deli" I mean a small convenience store that sells a variety of items, including coffee, soda, breakfast sandwiches, and some groceries (at inflated prices). Second Avenue Deli is a delicatessen restaurant, a very different thing. It's quite good, though Sarge's between 36th and 37th on 3rd Avenue is a lot cheaper and is pretty good too. Sarge's also has a regular diner-style menu, though I don't particularly like to eat there; I usually get take-out.

If you want to cook/eat in a hotel suite in NYC the delis is your friend. Midtown, since it is primarily a business district, is very short on supermarkets. And those anywehre in Manhattan are much smaller and more expensive than you would find most plaes - due to the very high cost of real estate among other things.

(When I worked in Jersey I would do a major shopping every 2 or 3 weeks for all of the stapls, paper products, household and not real food stucff - cereals, water, soda, OJ etc - and would generally save at least $100 over what I would have paid in out loca D'Agostinos.)

I think first timers to NYC are always pretty shocked at the size and furnishings of hotel rooms. Unless money is truly no object, be happy if you can get a clean, quiet room in a decent neighborhood. Be thrilled if you get a view, a stylish room , and a shower big enough to spread your arms!

I think most moderately priced NYC hotel rooms are a reasonable size, clean and have all the basic amenities. The problem is the definition of "moderate". People need to realize that property costs, real estate taxes and salaries in NYC are higher than elsewhere - and hotel prices will be nothing like the chain motel out by the interstate.

IMHO hotel prices in NYC are no more than in Paris or Rome and probably less for an equivalent property than London - just don;t expect them to be anything like a small city or town. I think people who are surprised or disappointed are looking at $ rather than equivalent properties.