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Hotels outside of Manhattan still workable for NYC day

Hotels outside of Manhattan still workable for NYC day

Old Jan 19th, 2008, 03:15 PM
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Hotels outside of Manhattan still workable for NYC day

I knew I would have to endure some harsh criticism with my last question I asked on here, and you guys gave it to me pretty good.

So, here goes again.

There are hotels in Queens, Brooklyn, even in NJ that are down in the neighborhood of our budget. What are your thoughts, especially since we are going to try to conquer our fears of public transportation? What hotels would you recommend in Queens, Brooklyn? We would like something close to subway or something like that.

Thanks for all of the tough love so far. I'm glad everybody is being frank with me.
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Old Jan 19th, 2008, 03:20 PM
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The best options are the hotels in Jersey City near a PATH train. If you bid on Priceline for 3* Jersey City, people win the Hyatt Regency or the Doubletree Club. Both are right near the train (but at different stations).

Closest Queens locations to Manhattan are Long Island City which is not very attractive but safe. Quality Inn there is relatively new.

To my mind there are still no hotels in Brooklyn that are worth the trouble unless you can get a good deal at the Marriott Brooklyn bridge. There may be some b & b's in Brooklyn though if you're interested in that.

There are nice hotels in Secaucus/Meadowlands area of NJ but you need a bus from there which can be a pain. Some of the hotels are closer to buses than others. I THINK the Embassy Suites Secaucus is pretty near the bus stop.
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Old Jan 19th, 2008, 03:42 PM
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Magnum- I have stayed in Midtown many times over the last few years. Being right in the thick of things is the most optimal, IMO.

Last year I accompanied my husband on a business trip to New Jersey. I took the New Jersey Transit train into Penn Station every day (about a 40 minute ride.) I stayed out very late at night in Manhattan and several times had to make a mad dash back to Penn Station to get the last train back to NJ, very stressful! I sorta felt "homeless" in Manhattan during my 14-16 hour days , I MUCH prefer having a hotel room right there where its easy to pop in and out during the day to drop off/pick up coats, rest, use the bathroom, etc. I would make one last stab at finding something "affordable" in town!

Wherever you end up, by day #2 you will have conquered your fear of public transportation, so dont worry too much about that. Everybody I ever asked for directions was very friendly and quick to assist!

PS: The Hyatt by Grand Central and the Sheraton on 7th both have big lobbies with comfy couches and giant bathrooms, good places to plop down and rest if you are staying far away!
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Old Jan 19th, 2008, 03:48 PM
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Brooklyn does not have many decent options. And the nearby hotels in Queens, while only a few subway stops away are in semi-business/semi-industrial areas that are not very pleasant.

If you must stay outside the city agree that Jersey City with immediate access to the PATH is the best/most convenient way to go. If you go further afield (Meadowlands/Secaucus or even further you will have to be very careful about transport. Many are an hour of ore from the city by bus -which is really for commuters and doesn't run very often outside of rush hours (esp late evening) and may not even stop near the hotel. Contact the hotel for EXACT location of the local transit options.

If you do Priceline for Jersey City (check biddingfortravel.com or betterbidding.com) you might get the Hyatt for a decent price.
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Old Jan 19th, 2008, 04:00 PM
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Gard recently posted his report and they stayed at a Quality Inn in Long Island City. Here is his report with pictures and links http://gardkarlsen.com/NYC_travelogue_2007.htm
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 07:11 AM
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magnumholmes, why not list the hotels you were actually thinking of rather than have us guess? And what the absolute highest amount you are willing to spend for the night (including taxes etc)? And don't forget to include the dates of your stay on each posting. Not everyone has read your other posts and suggestions for hotels may be way off base with price for trips in December vs February or whenever...

Anywhere in Brooklyn or Queens is going to be easier than just about anyplace in NJ because subways in NYC run 24 hours a day. As people here mention over and over (and over and over) again the only places in NJ that make any sense--and especially for your short (one day??) trip are hotels right nrxt to the PATH train--which is like a subway from NJ to Manhattan.

Anywhere outside Manhattan, you will be spending more time on public transportation that you might like!
You have already been given so many options on your other posts (specific budget hotels, Priceline, etc)do any sound good to you?
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 08:02 AM
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I believe the problem is that the OP is trying to find a hotel for less than $100 per night total - which if you deduct taxes is only about $85.

And, frankly, that's hard even with Priceline.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 11:15 AM
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Wait a minute. Do I understand this is for only for ONE night? And in a previous post you wanted a place for less than $150/night in mid March and now it's less than $100/night?? What exactly is it you want/need and what are you doing here (ie theater? concert? sightseeing)??? What is the exact date? (is it a Sat. night?)

You can easily bid on Priceline for a room for 1 night and get a decent clean place to stay for about $120/night plus tax or ~ $140.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 11:29 AM
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mclaurie, just to enrich your understanding of this enterprise: The NYC jaunt is a side trip during a week-long stay in the Boston area, and was originally planned as a day trip.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 11:31 AM
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I now see you're planning a sightseeing trip. I would like to recommend you look at the all day tour from nypartyshuttle.com I think the tour you were looking at is a hop on/off tour in open buses (that can get pretty cold in March) that don't stay with you. Given your concern about getting lost, I would go with NY Party Shuttle who have very good guides that stay with you and cover a lot.

I would also recommend you reach deep in your pocket and book the Westin hotel which is currently on special on travelzoo.com for $199/night plus tax (assuming it's good for the night you need). If you take the bus from Boston (the train is better, but you decide...) the Westin is almost directly across from the bus station and a very nice modern hotel.

I would avoid doing this on a Sat. since many hotels don't like 1 night Sat. stays. If you arrived on a Sun. and stayed over Sun. night and did your touring on Monday, that might be the best idea. That Westin deal is available on March 16.

Lastly, if you're worried about getting lost, I can't imagine why you'd consider staying anywhere but IN Manhattan. Virtually any place you go there will be people to help you find your way not to mention taxis to take you wherever you may need to go.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 05:21 PM
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I realize that you want/need to economize in order to pull off your day trip to NYC from Boston. But, your plan is getting even more impracticable.

If you get to NYC from Boston by Greyhound Bus - what will you do with your bags while you hop on/hop off, visit the ESB and SOL?

I'm wondering why you booked a trip to Boston with a rental car, then plan to spend a night on a bus and another night (hopefully) in NYC (with prepaid nights in Danvers) and pay to park the rental car in Boston for two days.

You say you "don't mind driving". Why not just drive to NYC and spend the Greyhound savings on a hotel that's nicer and better located?

I just don't see the point of spending a night in NYC. You can get your must do's done in one day, return to Boston on a late bus, and spend the night in your hotel room in Danvers.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 05:51 PM
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djkbooks, while I agree that magnumholmes's plans seem to be hard for any of us to understand, I have to disagree with some of you suggestions.
If someone is coming to NY for just overnight, how much luggage do you need? Surely you've taken an overnight business trip with just a bag with papers, a toothbrush, underwear and a spare shirt. No need for luggage that needs to be stored while touring
Also gas driving to and from NY and parking in NY is likely to cost about as much as a Greyhound bus for 2, so no real savings to add to a better hotel room.

So, magnumholmes, which way are you leaning? Doing this as a hectic daytrip, staying overnight at a cheaper but out of the way hotel, or saving some time and energy but spending more for a somewhat better hotel?
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 06:33 PM
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To my recollection, the bus was going to be $120 for two plus $50 to park the car for two days. Then, another $134 total for the hop on/hop off bus (including ferry to SOL and maybe ESB). Plus under $150, now under $100, for a hotel room.

And, the Greyhound ride was 6-1/2 hours each way.

Excursion is planned for mid-March when the weather could be dreadful.

There are any number of ways to redistribute the expenses and get this done.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 07:21 PM
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$120 for the bus??? What's the point? The only reason to take a bus vs. the train is to do it cheap. I can't believe there isn't a better chinatown type option (that's safe). I continue to think the hop on/off tour in mid March is probably not a good idea. There's probably a one day exursion from Boston to NYC that includes a tour if they're really trying to be economical.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 08:06 PM
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I took the Greyhound/Peter Pan bus from Boston to New York last weekend. Online tickets are available for $38 round trip per person for a total of $76 (not $120). The trip took us about 4.5 hours each way.

Many of the Boston/NYC Greyhound buses make an additional stop at a shopping mall in Framingham, which would save the OP the hassle, time and cost of parking in Boston in order to board the bus at South Station.

The Gray Line is offering a 48-hour ticket for their All-Loops hop-on-hop-off tour for $35 per person.
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Old Jan 21st, 2008, 08:40 AM
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I don't have time right now to respond to these great responses. I will try to do it later on this afternoon.

Thanks again for the replies.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2008, 12:46 PM
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If you were to drive (I don't know if it would be cheaper than the bus given gas and tolls though) the Travel Inn hotel is the only one in NYC with FREE parking. As long as you picked a night other than Fri/Sat., they seem to have rooms for $200-215 plus tax and the car parking would be free. The hotel is well situated for touring, whichever bus tour you chose.

Btw, the Westin sale on travelzoo.com is gone but there are some other options there. The Mela is a nice hotel although rooms are very small.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2008, 01:57 PM
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I found a couple of hotels in Manhattan that seem to be reasonable.

The only I remember is the Murray Hill Inn. The guest rooms are $129 to $169 if booked online. Plus tax, of course.

I was just wondering if anyone has had any dealings or knows of anybody who has had any dealings with this location?

It certainly is more affordable for us. But what about the safety and location and things like that?

The location, I believe is 143 East 30th Street.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2008, 02:00 PM
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magnumholmes---would you consider a bed and breakfast?
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Old Jan 22nd, 2008, 03:48 PM
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Sure, I would consider a B&B. In fact, that's what we've done a lot of places we've been, when they aren't completely outrageously priced.

The problem with B&B's I've seen in Manhattan is that they either are way too expensive or have shared baths. I want a private bath.

But if you know of one that is reasonably priced like I have stated, by all means, let me know.
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