BaltoTraveler

Do any hotels in New York City offer a "day rate"... i.e., use of a room in the daytime up until around 6:00 p.m.?

We live in Baltimore, and you can get a day-trip charter bus up to NYC for $45 round trip. I've talked to people who've used the service, and they say it's a great way to get to NYC to see a Broadway matinee and do a little shopping (without shelling out for two hotel rooms for our family of four). The bus arrives in the theater district at 10:30 a.m., and leaves at 6:30 p.m. Movies and refreshments along the way.

It would be nice to have a hotel room as home-base, especially for those who didn't want to shop but just wanted lunch and a show. And for the shoppers, it would be good to have a place to leave stuff rather than lug it into the theater.

Anyone know of a theater district hotel that offers this?

mclaurie

I doubt that you'd find this in anyplace you'd actually want to lie down or trust with packages

There are plenty of options for checking packages though. Most dept stores will check bags. I have often left shopping bags at a restaurant where I've had lunch in the theater district and told them I'd be back after the show for a drink (no problem).

As for the non-shoppers where to go, what to do, you can sit in any Starbucks or similar coffee place for as long as you want. Many of the larger bookstores now also have places to sit and browse their books and mags for the price of a drink.

Ofcourse, the ideal scenario is one of the private clubs. If any of you belong to an alumni club in your home town or maybe even certain health clubs, they may have affiliations with a NYC club that would allow use of their facilities. The Harvard Club, for example, is in an ideal location for the theater.

wantsomesun

I would suggest the Travel Inn as a good option, it is on W 42nd St and the price is $100 a night, don't think you will find a much better price. They also have free parking and a pool.

I would suggest checking www.hotels.com for more suggestions.

Patrick

There used to be a number of hotels in the Times Square area that rented by the hour, but I think they've been closed down. Although I don't think those were the kind of place you're looking for.

HowardR

The easiest way to check your bags is to do at the theater!
If the bus arrives at 10:30, you're probably talking about an hour and half or so in the morning (before lunch). If you're not into shopping, you could take in a museum or perhaps the nearby NY Public Library which usually has an exhibit.
Another option is a self-guided audio tour. They start at Colony Records in Times Square.
After the theater--say, 4:30 or 5, a cocktail or two would be a good relaxing way to end the day.

suzanne

My friend has taken this Balto-NYC bus, and they let her keep things (cooler with some food, jackets) on the bus. I am not sure though if you can access the bus in the middle of the day...but there's a good possibility (because where else it it going to go?). I'd call the bus service if I were you.

BaltoTraveler

Suzanne - I don't imagine the bus stays around. They let off and pick up at Broadway and 46th, so my guess is that the bus spends the day somewhere in New Jersey.

Everyone - Thanks for the suggestions.

BTW, I've done a day rate before at an airport hotel when we had a long lay-over but not enough time to do anything. It was half the cost of the regular rate.

HowardR

After the buses drop off the passengers, I believe that they usually park further over on the West Side near the Hudson River. However, I doube very much whether drivers stay in the bus all that time between dropoff and pickup, so you probably don't have the option of going back to the bus to drop off your packages.

mclaurie

Day rates at airport hotels are not uncommon as many people have long layovers. But day rates in a city hotel would only encourage unsavory characters/activities.

You could always take a shot at bidding for a room on Priceline and setting a max budget. People have won the Milford Plaza (2* midtown west)for $75 according to posts on Biddingfortravel. While not a hotel I'd like to stay in, for a place to sit down and leave some packages, it's conveniently located.

nytraveler

I don't think this works in NY - where so many hotels are full all the time. I checked a bunch of different dates and for NYC it always cam up nothing available.

doug_stallings

The cost would be prohibitive. If you wanted to spend $150 for a day in Manhattan ... why not just spend a little more and spend the night? But I'm not getting why you'd need or want a day room for this kind of trip. You'd arrive no less than 4 hours before the matinee and would only have an hour after. That's hardly enough time to grab a couple of quick bites to eat and do a little shopping or sightseeing. There would be (quite literally) no time even to dash back to a room, even if it were in the heart of Times Square.

nyer

Doug and others, the OP was in 2004!
I think the original idea was to have a shared room that people could use as a drop off or resting spot. I don't think a hotel would be happy with that idea.

Also the idea someone suggested of using Priceline to get a room for less than the price of a day rate wouldn't work anyway. A regular room has check in time in the afternoon, and
check out by 11 am or 12 noon. Booking a Priceline room (or full price for that matter) would not necessarily make it available for the morning till early evening.

nytraveler

So - in fact the new post was an ad - for a service they don;t even have in NYC.