So, after much studying, I finally got this place for $242 a night, plus tax. Anyone have any reviews on this place, good or bad? I already read tripadviser but I thought I would ask here as well.

Am not familiar with it - but the reviews and the fact that it is a Best Western would tell you all you need to know. Don;t mention when you're coming - but that is distinctly a bargain rate for most of the year.

I stayed there 5-6 years ago and have recommended it to friends / family. However, I was only paying $100 or less a nt. I realize NYC hotel rooms have skyrocketed the past cpl but I would be hard pressed to pay $200 for a rm at this hotel.

Here are/were the pros:
1. Location, location, location
2. Price
3. Room / hotel was clean and well kept

Cons:
1. Room was very very very small

Yes - but due to recovery from 9/11 fears and how pitiful dollar is vs the euro NYC rate are back to what they were before 9/11 and even higher. The average rate is now over $300 per night (not lux at X-mas - but average place for most of the year).

Still - I would look for another choice - but then I don;t like that area.

Did your studying include TripAdvisor reviews?

We stayed there in Sept of '03. Booked a non-smoking room and when we checked in, we had a smoking room. After a hassle, got that changed. The desk clerk was quite rude. The room we finally got was unbelievably small.
I would not stay there again.

I did check out tripadviser which had good and bad - mixed reviews but it appears they recently had a renovation so I was hoping to also hear thoughts on that as well. I've been searching religiously for a hotel for 5/16-5/18 and many, many places are already booked or prices $350+ a night. I've also tried priceline for the past week and have gone up to $180 a night for a 4* and $160 for 3* with no success.

Sorry I don't know if you need to stay in any particular area but on quikbook.com the Eastgate Tower is showing avails for $239/night. This is a suite hotel so you'd have a kitchen which might come in handy if you're not feeling well. (easier to do take out etc.) I think it would be nicer than the Best Western.

Hope your surgery goes well.

Radio -- just quickly perusing Expedia and Travelocity for your dates, I came up with a number of cheaper choices than the Best Western President, including the Pickwick Arms, the Salisbury, the Thirty Thirty, etc. You might want to check.

The ADR for hotel rooms in NYC for 2005 was $240.

That figure is expected to climb for 2006.

thanks all. how are the eastgate tower, salisbury, pickwick arms and Thirty Thirty? I can't believe I'm saying this but the finding of hotels has become more stressful to me than the surgery I'm having!

Radiofanatic (and fellow Roanoke native), try Hotwire for a NYC hotel. Friend and I stayed at the Roosevelt, which is very close to Grand Central Station, in April for $157/night. See what's offered on Hotwire for your dates and search the info at www.betterbidding.com for the name of the hotel. If you can't figure it out, ask the moderators for help with identification. We'd stay at the Roosevelt again.

I would eliminate Pickwick Arms (rooms very small and I think many there are shared bath). I would also eliminate 3030. The others are nicer.

So you're left with EAstgate Tower (a nice Affinia hotel) or the Salisbury, another nice hotel, probably more central location with large rooms but not as up to date looking as Eastgate Tower. Where is the surgery/Dr.'s office. Any of other plans that would help narrow location?

Yikes! Just checked Hotwire for your dates and found prices ranged from $214 to $387 in the first four areas on their map, East side, Times Square, etc.

Thanks Betsy Roanoker! I tried hotwire and the least expensive I found was more than $200 for a 4* and close to that for a 3 - I will check again. Also, I checked out Eastgate Tower and Salisbury and both have no availability for my dates - 5/16-5/18 - I swear something is going on in NYC then! Salisbury has some rooms but tripadviser has mixed reviews. Picwick Arms seems too much like a dorm to me which I don't really want to deal with after surgery. It also has very mixed reviews.

My parents practically live at the Salisbury Hotel and my mother who is the pickiest person on the planet loves the Salisbury.

I can't imagine the complaints but I've spent a lot of time there and didn't notice anything odd.

I checked quikbook.com just this morning and there was availability for your dates at Eastgate at that rate. It now shows $279 for the first night and $239 for the 2nd. Beekman Towers shows $259/night for the 2 nights, another Affinia hotel. Did you check quikbook? It's possible Eastgate pre-sold rooms to quikbook and may not have any themselves, but quikbook does.

wow, this gets more and more confusing. Oh, I meant to say Thirty Thirty had mixed reviews, not salisbury. Salisbury said it was booked.

I'll check quikbook.

well, just bid up to $210 for 4* and $170 for 3* on Priceline with no success.

And you seem to be refusing to at least book (it's cancellable) the Eastgate Towers or Beekman on quikbook because? The longer you dither, the less likely you are to get something decent.