lincasanova

I am helping some friends try to get two rooms in Manhattan for dec. 5-10th. There are 5 adults (2 seniors)and one child.

The prices this year are very high that week. We have tried priceline for THREE rooms up to $260 down to 3* hotel.

Hotwire also is not working out.

I am not familiar with the NJ area for lodging but do see an array of hotels with free shuttles to trains/busstop transfer centers at $200 or less with breakfast, etc.

The savings, it SEEMS, might outweigh the distance factor.. and even allow them to take more taxis than usual and still be ahead.

Any thoughts regarding this idea?
Are you familiar with any particular hotel that would be more convenient there than another?

Thank you for any input.

clarkgriswold

We got stuck and had to do that once a few years ago, it wasn't bad at all. There was a bus stop in front of the hotel and it took us right into the Port Authority, I think it took less than 15 mins. I think it was the Amerisuites that we stayed at, but they've become "Hyatt Place" and the rates have gone up. (If you have AAA it may fall into your price range). We did not need a shuttle, the bus stop was right out front. The Hampton Inn was pretty close by.

lincasanova

thanks.. seems like this option is looking feasible... i doubt the ny prices will come down at all. crazy week.

nytraveler

Secaucus to Manhattan that week is 15 minutes only by helicopter. By road it will be 45 minutes to an hour, And to come back by taxi - if you can find taxi willing to do it will be at least $50.

If your hotel has a shuttle that takes you to a train it can be faster, depedning on how often the shuttle runs. Also check how late at night it runs.

If you want to stay in Jersey you're much better off in Jersey City, right on top of the PATH train - which will get you into the city in 20 minutes or so.

hikrchick

Secaucus hoels are convenient, but during the Christmas season the traffic to get into the Lincoln Tunnel can be a nightmare, at any time of the day or night.

Another suggestion other than Jersey City is the Sheraton Hotel at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. This is right on the water (Hudson River). It is a good choice because there is a free shuttle to the NYWaterway ferry boat (5 minutes away) that leaves every 20 minutes or so from 6 a.m. to midnight. www.nywaterway.com. To get back to the hotel, you call the shuttle to come get you when you get on the ferry boat in NYC. Very convenient.

The area around the hotel has some restaurants and a nice walking area if it is not too cold when you are hear.

I don't know how much it costs but you might want to check it out.

Cousin_Scott

Hi,

I am a tour guide in New York City. I regularly go to Secaucus hotels to pick up guests. Commuting to and from Secaucus into Manhattan is extremely easy by bus. The Lincoln Tunnel has a special bus lane, so you just zoom in and out of the City (20 minutes), even if car traffic is backed up. The buses run very frequently from early morning until late at night. You are dropped at the Port Authority in Manhattan, which is very central at the corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. The one word of advice I would offer is to choose a hotel on Harmon Meadow Blvd or Plaza Drive for easy access to the bus. One more thing - your friends are going to love New York!

clarkgriswold

Well there you have it.....get out of your cars, people, and TAKE THE BUS!

lincasanova

thank you so much for the detailed reports. they have been very helpful, and "cousin's" especially encouraging.

i am sure i will be working on this for awhile but hope to get them a back-up cancellable hotel over there in case we can´t do something a bit more reasonable in manhattan.

thanks again.

lincasanova

any ideas about the doubletree at ft. lee? they have a scheduled shuttled to midtown for a nominal fee. The room price is only $143 pus tax. Is this less convenient than secaucus?

bmw732002

I would not stay in FT Lee. The area is safe, but it is very far to NYC (Midtown Manhattan)

It is right near the GW Bridge.(187th street Manhattan equivilant)

Now if the hotel offers shuttles to the Bus Terminal at the GW Bridge then you can take the A-Train Subway down to midtown

This is not to be confused with the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 33 street Manhattan.


Try for:
-Manhattan Proper
-Jersey City near Path trains
-Jersey City/Hoboken near Ferry Terminals
-Secaucus, North Bergen Park and ride area
Brooklyn (just outside manhattan)
Queens (ditto)

New Jersey can be a value and it might be easy to get into Manhattan during the morning rush hour, but you are on your own in Manhattan with no 'access to hotel' to take a break. Getting in and out and then back in for dinner..and then back out and hope the bus is still running... would be a real pain.
We folks who live in New Jersey just do it "once" each way per day!!

lincasanova

thank you. will discard ft lee. it did look too far north.

hope something works out ..
thanks to everyone.

clarkgriswold

Found good reviews for Holiday Inn Express in Carlstadt, near the Giants stadium and racetrack. Most everyone mentions the great quick bus into Port Authority, including one couple who stayed Dec 1- 7th. Price is right! Check in as one-senior in each room to get the senior rate twice!

Notice some other hotels near the "Secaucus Train Station" and not sure how much more convenient that would be than the bus, but the reviews of the bus are very good from this Holiday Inn Express.

hamlet

I'm nearby but I'm not clear on how the transportation options work from Secaucus. If you can find out from the hotels which, if any, NJ Transit buses run nearby then you can check out the bus schedules on njtransit.com.

Nearby Secaucus, on the otherside of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, is East Rutherford which also has several hotels. There are buses to/from NYC that run right outside the hotels on a fairly frequent schedule. The only downside is that in the AM the bus may be SRO since the hotels are the last stops, but then it isn't much of a long ride to get to the city from there.

I don't recommend the Ft. Lee hotel because although transportation to upper Manhattan (Port Authority 178th Street) is quick and easy, it's not where tourist will most likely spend their time.

There is a Marriott in Teaneck NJ that is closer to the bridge, but there is a bus that stops there and goes straight to Port Authority 42nd Street in midtown, so that is an option to consider.

Will your friends have a car at all? If not, they may want to weigh this also when selecting hotel location... Without easy transportation it's always helpful to be near "civilization" in case you need to run out and get something and many of the hotels mentioned in these posts sit by themselves.

djkbooks

I think that Fort Lee is more convenient than Secaucus if they will have a car or shuttle service is available. Without a car, transportation is not convenient. With a shuttle service, you would want to check availability and hours and also check hotel reviews to ensure that the shuttle service is reliable (and not unavailable, say, if the driver calls in sick that day).

We have been very pleased with the Holiday Inn GW Bridge, which really is about a 20 minute drive from Midtown, only a few minutes more during rush hour. The restaurant within is excellent and cheap. Rooms are very large and nice and have refrigerator and microwave. And, there's a Senior discount.

You're probably correct about those dates. Betterbidding.com has a search by date for wins feature - and there are no Priceline wins for any of those dates in NYC or NJ.

lincasanova

still working on this. appreciate
all the input.

CAAA101406

Look into Jersey City. There is a relatively new "suite style" hotel right near the Path train. I looked into staying there a few weeks ago. It may be a Staybridge.

travelbuff

Have you tried the Hotel Grand Union on E32nd St. It is quite cute, well appointed, and close to transportation and restaurants. The rates are under $200nt. Some suites are also available for a bit more.

www.hotelgrandunion.

The Big Apple Inn on 8th Ave might also be a good suggestion.

I will repost if I can find the webaddress for the Big Apple.

travelbuff

The Big Apple Inn now seems to be the New York Inn, and looking at the website it looks like rooms are going for under $200nt. The Inn is on 8th Ave close to everything.

www.newyorkinn.com

GoTravel

lincasanove, you'll pay one way or another for the rooms whether you stay in Midtown or New Jersey.

My suggestion is to shorten your trip and stay in Manhattan if you are going to sightsee in Manhattan.

By flying in early day of arrival and flying out late night day of departure, you can save yourself two hotel nights.

If your hotel room is $150 a night, you can easily spend any money you'd save and a ton of time commuting.

lincasanova

Overseas flights bought so no reducing stay that way. The grand union has not answered yet, but i doubt they have availibility for the dates ( dec. 5-10) as this name has not come up on my extensive searches.

The new york inn also full.

We have found a 2 bedroom/2 bath suite/apt. in eastgate towers that looks doable. it is about $680 a night plus taxes, which is cheaper than 2 rooms anywhere nice.

still lurking at hotwire..

and will try priceline again before we book. thanks for ideas. i think manhattan will be best, of course, but we shall see how important it is for the group to save "2,000 in 5 days.

( i could be inconvenienced a lot for that)