Two friends called me, trying to stay four nights in New York (Dec. 1 to 5). Since they'll be seeing six shows in four days they want to stay right in the theatre district. It is amazing. Belvedere, Days Inn, Comfort Inn and a couple others are sold out. Quality Inn on 47th is $439.95 a night. The Broadway Inn is $299 one night and $375 the other three nights. Super 8, which people often recommend at $100 is $329 per night all four nights! That new Hampton Inn is $399 a night. Even the Milford Plaza which I told them to avoid at all costs is $300 per night. Travel Inn is $190 two nights and $275 the other two nights, which so far seems to be the best. With such high rates and many hotels sold out, it seems doubtful that they'd have much luck on Priceline for that weekend and they really want two beds.

Any other ideas?

There is a new Residence Inn opening up in November. It appears that it abuts Bryant Park. That might be worth a try...

Well - you know this is the most expensive time of year - and most tourists want to stay in Times Square (god only knows why) - so they might have better luck trying another area - downtown or the upper west side. Not that prices will be low - but might be something a little less. And since it's only 10/15 minutes on the subway - the difference might be worth it.

Hotwire and Tripadvisor are showing very little availability - and anything decent looks like over $350.

I would book something cancellable - and then try calling some of the hotels directly - to see if they have any other reductions (AAA?) or cancellations.

(Also - note that many of these places may not have all - or any - rooms with two beds.

Also checked inns and others - (B/Bs, hostels etc) also sem to be full.

Yeah, I think your friends are in for an expensive weekend.

I just checked my faves and they are booked up.

Hotels.com starts at over $300. They even had the Hotel Pennsylvania for $340!!! It is the most flea infested, disgusting hotel in the world!

Patrick, book that Travel Inn hotel and then start shopping.

I've found some off the beaten path hotels on www.PlacesToStay.com.

Have you tried getting out of Times Square? The Upper West Side would have subway access within 5 minutes (two stops in some cases???) to Times Square.

You do know that is one of the busiest weekends of the year right?

What about way downtown? If you can stay on a good subway line, it will not be that big a deal.

Patrick, it has been a couple of years since anyone has won anything on priceline for that weekend.

Did you check the Affina.com hotels?

Patrick,

I'd book the Travel Inn, We've stayed there 3 times and have never had a bad experience - plus if you're lucky you get a view of the ESB.

The Travel Inn is getting harder and harder to book, mainly due to people like me who keep recommending it and the fact that is not a large hotel.

Happy hunting

Patrick,

I just got back from NYC yesterday. I had sticker shock when I saw how rates go up after Labor Day. I went ahead and booked a reservation directly with one of the more affordable hotels (the Belvedere). I made sure that it was cancellable.

Then, as I got a month away from my trip, I started bidding on Priceline to try to get a better deal. I checked biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com regularly to see what rates others were getting on Priceline.com and Hotwire.com so I would know how to bid. I finally got the Grand Hyatt (very nice) about 10 days before the trip. The hotel posted a rate of $445 on their site and I got it for $185. I then, of course, cancelled the reservation at the Belvedere.

I thought that it was necessary to stay in the Times Square area but I found that the walk from the Hyatt wasn't bad (about 6 blocks). We walked it several times.

Patrick, I've never booked through here, but have you looked at hotelclub.com?

Thanks for the suggestions folks, but most of them have dead ended -- places newly mentioned mainly don't have rooms available. And while the Hyatt deal on Priceline sounds good in theory, as GoTravel mentions it just ain't gonna happen for the first weekend in December. And Margie, I have looked at Hotelclub and never had any luck. I just tried it. The least expensive hotel they offer for these dates is $392 a night for the Eastgate Towers. Meanwhile tons of them say "on request" but as soon as you enter those dates it comes up "not available".

Meanwhile I may have solved the problem. On a longshot I emailed the owner of the apartment we rented this past May on 51st and asked if it might be available. It is -- for three of the four nights and he's checking about the other people coming a day later as he thought they were flexible(?). Anyway, if it comes through -- a full one bedroom apartment for $200 a night and no tax -- that's the real deal.

Fingers crossed

If that doesn't work or they need a place for one night, check rentals at the Manhattan Club on tug2.net. There are a few listed that might work, one at the very end of the listings.

check out the mayfair.My Boss stays there all the time for 149.He loves it.rooms are small but clean and nice with internet ac. and a great staff.
Check ou trip advisor.com

nice, thought cindymal, but the Mayfair is $319 a night for the first weekend in December. I'm quickly learning what people pay "all the time" and what they'll pay for a weekend in December are two vastly different things.

Thanks for the Manhattan Club tip, mclaurie, I've already emailed the owner to see if it might be available for their last night if the apartment is not.

Why is it so expensive that weekend? Start of Christmas shopping?

Patrick, I hope the apartment works out. The night you might be having a problem with is the 4th - right? Did you look at applecorehotels.com? The Super 8 has a room on the 4th for $209 (one queen bed)or $219 (two doubles). They also have a room with 1 queen bed for $209 at the Comfort Inn Midtown. I realize that these budget hotels are overpriced, but if you're stuck it might not be bad for one night. Let us know how you do.

Patrick, most tour groups haven't dropped their room blocks yet.

I'd book a cancellable backup and start looking again around the begining to mid October.

Whereas so many hotels are showing 'sold out' a lot of those are tour groups.

That may be, but when Super8 is already charging over $300 a night, I sure don't look for any of those others to be offering their rooms if they become available for any less than that! Someone shocked me recently when they told me they were paying around $300 for the Belvedere, a place I always thought of as a "budget" hotel.

Patrick, that Super 8 is $209 for your 4th night - I know, I know, waaaaay too much for that property, but if you are stuck, it's better than $350 and up somewhere else! Check the applecore website I mentioned above if the apartment doens't work out for the last night.

I agree with you, I wouldn't count on blocks of rooms opening up, and if they do, they sure won't be at the hotel's "usual" rate. It's December, it's NYC, and it's expensive.

No, I didn't mean to imply that when some of the room blocks started opening up the prices would drop I just meant that when the room blocks open there may be some more availability.

Well, that's all resolved. The owner of the apartment we rented last May is renting it to the girls for the first three nights at $200 a night. On the last night they will move to the apartment right next door -- thanks to a friend who is out of town. The owner of "our apartment" has made arrangements with the owner of that one -- as it is where he stays in New York when his own apartment is rented out.

I didn't hear back yet from the owner of the Manhattan Club timeshare which is advertised for "one night only", but the girls would rather just move to the apartment next door early on the last day then move the several blocks to a new location.

So 4 nights for a total of $800.