B & B in New York City
 

I have a gift certificate for Bed and Breakfast.com and would like to use it in NYC. However, there are so many choices, I just don't know where to begin. I am looking for economy but need first or second floor or elevator, in-room bathroom and convenient location to either Times Square or the subway and parking (or close by). Help!!! If someone has a great small hotel that would be fine as well. I don't know what prices are in NYC anymore, but I really would like to find something under $200. This is for the weekend, so it should be a little cheaper (I think). Thanks.

Have no idea what this gift certificate is - doesn't it tell you which places it applies to? (Manhattan doesn;t have very many B&Bs.)

When are you coming to the city (rates differ tremendously by time of year)? How many of you are there? Will you be bringing a car (figure $35 to $40 per night for a garage in Manhattan)?

Go on the bedandbreakfast.com website and it will tell you which bed and breakfasts take the card. I have read reports that sometimes the B&B's don't take the cards that were bought at Costco. Ask them ahead of time.

Something under $200 per night? Not likely in Manhattan in a b & b with private bathroom. Most b & b"s in NYC by definiton don't have elevators and I cn't thinkof many that are centrally located. There has also been some discussion on another forum that the city may be loking to close down the b & b's. I'd say NYC is not a good place to use this gift. You'd be better off going to a proper hotel in Long Island City or possibly Brooklyn for less than $200/night or bidding on Priceline for a bargain.

If you really want to attempt to use this for NYC, YOU need to go to the website, figure out which places in Manhattan or perhaps Brooklyn would accept the certificate and whether they fit your budget. Then list them here.

There are subways every where in Manhattan.

There are residential and commercial areas. Why don't you pick three or four places below 86th street and the we can tell you the advantages and disadvantages of the neighborhood.
And maybe someone will have stayed at that paricular b and b. I must say there are more b and b's in Manhattan than I thought.

Some of the B&Bs may actually be illegal hotels. There is a huge amount of discussion on this board and elsewhere about what constitutes illegal hotels. It's not always what you may think.

I suggest you ask a lot of questions here and look into any specific B&B that you're considering

"This is for the weekend, so it should be a little cheaper (I think)"
It depends on the weekend. When is your trip? at this time of the year, many hotels have specials under $200, Not the case in the fall and leading up to Christmas.

Weekends are NO cheaper in a b & b in NYC. if anything they're more but most charge the same any day of the week.

I would rely on the reviews on the website to help narrow down the choices. Someone wrote a trip report recently after staying at Allie's. The Park Slope Inn in Brooklyn has gotten good reviews over the years. If it were me I'd consider those with good reviews (on the B&B.com website) in Manhattan or the Park Slope.

This one is AAA approved and has a lot of good reviews - including by Fodor's -
http://www.gracieinnhotel.com/

Thanks for the Gracie Inn suggestion. It asks for two nights but we are hoping to go this weekend so if they are not full maybe we will get lucky. The upper east side isn't a bad spot for us either as we hope to do some museums. I guess I will use my gift certificate some other place some other time.

eznmomma, it's on the B&B website so you should be able to use your gift certificate there.

Even better thanks so much.

Gracie Inn is in my neighborhood and tho it seems waaay out in the boonies to some people, it's really not that inconvenient. For example. It's just around the corner from the 79th street crosstown bus which you can take over to 5th ave to get to the Met Museum ( and others) or thru the park to the Museum of Natural History. There's also a a bus on York Ave. that goes south to 57th street and then west to 11th avenue. That will take you to Tiffanys -:), Rock. Center, etc. On either of these buses you can get easily to subway connections. or other bus lines. Plus, from the Inn you can walk over to the East River promenade, Carl Schurz Park and Gracie Mansion. If the weather is decent. Hope you have a great trip.

The only 2 I recognize as legitimate are 1871 House and the Abingdon. Others may be fine but these are the only 2 I can recommend as legitimate.

How can a hotel on the list that is AAA rated, recommended by Fodors AND Frommer's (as well as others) not be considered "legitimate"?

I've actually been to Gracie Inn to check it out for friends. It was recommended by a woman who stays there when she visits her daughter in the nabe. It is legit and quite nice.

starrs: AAA, Fodors, Frommer's, TA don't vet their advertised lodgings. Anyone staying at a B&B in NYC should practice due diligence to make sure the building is up to code and operating legally.

Bowsprit, it's a hotel. It's a hotel listed in the most respected B&B website in the industry. I disagree with you that the listing is suspect.

ok, starrs, whatever you say.


Here's a list of B&Bs that are reliable and could be considered:

west-eleventh.com

gvhabitue.com

1871house.com

www.wymanhouse.com

Also take a look at jacksbandb.com