mrjanto

My upcoming trip has expanded to 5 adults and 2 children. I'm the planner, and I'm trying to decide where to stay. Based on budgets, preferences, availability, and available hotel points, I feel like I'm down to 2 choices: Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown or Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West (Hell's Kitchen). Brooklyn seems out of the way, but I wonder if it might not be the better choice.

Factors:
1. Our primary destinations include: day 1, Statue of Liberty. day 2, Times Square, Empire State Building, and the rest to be decided. day 3, American Museum of Natural History. For those destinations, travel from Brooklyn requires more subway time, and Hell's Kitchen requires more walking. With 7 people (and 2 of them children), I think our walking time is going to be significantly delayed anyway. I don't know that we're going to save much time by staying in Manhattan if that time savings assumes normal walking times. The Brooklyn hotel is only .3 miles away from the subway.
2. Who says that we're going to travel directly to our destination anyway? We may want to stop along the way and visit other sites.
3. I expect that the rooms may be somewhat larger in Brooklyn. I like that the lobby is larger. I hope the elevators are faster. (Are all the elevators slow or is that only in the reviews of the places that I'm considering?)

Is this a bad idea to stay in Brooklyn? I've been to NYC twice, but my family has not been. I'm concerned they're going to question why we're staying so far away, but it seems like it might be the better choice. At first, they were all wanting to stay in Times Square, but I don't see how we could do that with the suggested budgets.

Moderator1

If it has to be a Holiday Inn, there is one in Long Island City .3 mile from the Queens Plaza station. It would be convenient to most places in Manhattan.

doug_stallings

I agree with our moderator. Queens is almost always the better choice for most tourists because it has more subway connections and is closer to most of the things that tourists want to see (with the exception of the Statue of Liberty), and it's not really any farther than Hell's Kitchen from Battery Park and the statue ferry. Everything else on your itinerary is significantly closer to Queens. If you stay in Brooklyn, that's not a bad or inconvenient location, but it wouldn't be my first choice. You have the added advantage in Long Island City Queens of being within reasonable striking distance by taxi if you need one (or in your case two) for under $25. I think that's also worth considering. It would cost much more to Brooklyn.

mrjanto

I forgot to mention how I was measuring my travel times. I compared distances using Google maps and specifying public transportation. Doing that for Long Island City, the travel times are about the same as I get for the Brooklyn hotel. When I put in the Hell's Kitchen hotel, the times are about 20 minutes shorter than the other 2 hotels (except Brooklyn to Battery Park), but the directions include more walking. As I mentioned earlier, I'm thinking that walking time estimate will need to be increased for our group. I'm sure the subway time will probably need to be increased on our first day too until everyone figures it out.

I like the idea of Long Island City, but it's not showing available for all of our nights. I'll keep checking, but if it doesn't open up, what do you think?

5alive

I think there were several hotels in Long Island City. Were they all booked up? Or are you trying to stay with Holiday Inn?

marvelousmouse

Maybe post a budget and dates and we can help you better? Unless as already asked, you’re trying to stick to holiday inn.

i think I’d be looking at 1) proximity to subway and 2) frequency of trains. Not size of lobby or speed of elevator. Given your transit time, the concern of the elevator speed is a little baffling to me, to tell you the truth.

holiday inn Times Square seems pretty cheap, actually, but I’m looking at random dates in October and that is probably why.

janisj

It sort of sounds like you just want to stay in Brooklyn. If so, that's fine. But I think the Holiday Inn Mod1 mentioned in LI City would be more convenient for sightseeing most parts of Manhattan.

mrjanto

Yes, I'm trying to stay in the IHG hotel brands. I have enough points to pay for one room, so that's why I want to stay there. I've checked availability and budgets, and I'm down to 2 choices: HI Express Manhattan Midtown West or HI Brooklyn Downtown. The basic question is which would be a better location for 5 adults and 2 children. Brooklyn seems out of the way, but it seems like it might be more relaxing/convenient to coordinate a group this size. That's my thought, but I think my family may question my decision after we arrive. Is the commute worth the extras? That's why I mention elevators. On my last trip, we spent a lot of time waiting for the elevator in our hotel. Reading reviews of several hotels, people mention this on multiple hotels. The Brooklyn hotel is nicer and has more space. The lobby waiting area is better for meeting a group, and it might have a better elevator. On the other hand, being in Hell's Kitchen may be a lot better decision. I've never visited that area. Is it out of the way too? Is it a good area to stay?

marvelousmouse

I mean...the easiest way to get them not to question your decision is to discuss it with them (the other adults) before you book it. Lay out the options, and have them pick one. If they don’t like either, they might surprise you and expand their budgets. I go through that a lot with family. They give me a very low budget for somewhere like Times Square, and then when it comes down to it, they would rather fork out the extra money to be in their preferred location. If they wanted Times Square and I booked Brooklyn, I’d have a really miserable trip. If you’re paying for it, and you want to stay in Brooklyn, stay in Brooklyn.

But I’ve done a lot of these type of trips, and never has the size of the lobby for the meeting place come up. And seriously, you’re going to spend a lot of time waiting for the subway, so I don’t think the elevator is going to be an issue.

is the trip dependent on using the points? I like to use points so I get where you’re coming from, but it’s possible that you’re a little too invested in that idea.


ETA: if it were me, I’d pick the Manhattan location. I don’t understand why you think Brooklyn would be more convenient for group herding purposes. At the Manhattan location, you’re between High Line and Central Park, both great for kids. I’m sure the rooms are smaller—this is Manhattan after all—but you aren’t going to be in the room much.

5alive

Marvelous Mouse is right on many points. The Manhattan location is better by far.

• You are used to Manhattan. But your travel companions are not. They might be more apt to venture off on their own if they feel more comfortable with the distance from home base.
• Sometimes parents of young children can see that a meltdown is coming and may want to just take a taxi back to the hotel for a couple of hours for a nap. Do you all want to go?
• Or maybe someone wants to go back and drop off some purchases.

And you should consult the family. You might want to present a third option, perhaps non IHG, just so they know what it would cost without the points. But do let them know that if--after a reasonable time to think it over--they come to no decision, that is in itself a decision. Basically, they are leaving it to you to make the arrangements.

doug_stallings

I guess the only thing I want to add is to disabuse you of the notion that Downtown Brooklyn is relaxing a less hectic than Manhattan. Not at all. Downtown Brooklyn is congested and busy, with a lot of traffic and noise. Ironically, West 48th Street is quieter in some ways because it doesn't get as much traffic. And that hotel is nice and new. There are good restaurants near both locations (along 9th and 10th Avenue in Manhattan ... try Pio Pio if you stay in Manhattan for great Peruvian-style chicken ... good for groups). If you stay in Brooklyn, though, do go to the original Junior's on Flatbush Ave. It's within walking distance of the hotel and a great place for brunch on the weekends.

My office was in Downtown Brooklyn before, and now we are in Midtown near the Manhattan hotel. I can assure you that you won't have a different or more relaxing experience in that part of Brooklyn. It's not the Promenade or some quaint, brownstone-lined street ... it's a busy commercial corridor, and it's much further from most of the things you want to see and do.

mrjanto

Excellent, thanks everyone for your replies. That's really what I needed to know. One family member recently told me to relax and that they really appreciate all that I'm doing, so there's not as much pressure. With them initially suggesting Times Square, I didn't want them to be too disappointed when they arrived somewhere else. I don't think they can quite picture what it's like compared to their previous vacations.

marvelousmouse

Best of luck!!

Please report back and let us know how it goes! Interested to know what you think of the HI. (And what your family thought Manhattan!)

mrjanto

And to everyone who suggested talking with them and letting the family decide, that is good advice. That's one reason I'm here. Some of them asked if I had asked anyone for advice.