Central Park South or Times Square
 

I've read thru a lot of the comments on hotels and it's good to see comments coming in from people who have stayed in the locations I'm interested in.<BR><BR>As a result it looks as though I'll be heading to Times Square with either Crowne Plaza or Sofitel as my preferred options. I have been put off Central Park Intercontinental only due to the location (too far out) and the likelihood that getting a room facing the park for under $300 per night is impossible. I have to say I liked the idea of heading to Central Park South with my wife (surprise trip minus kids) but I'm not prepared to pay $400 per night for a good room in a hotel esp. if it's too far from the fun part of town. <BR><BR>The romantic part of me still says go for it but I would hate to find ourselves too far out from the entertainment and night life Manhattan is famous for? Any thoughts?

I live in Manhattan, so I'm probably not the best person to respond, but I definitely wouldn't call Times Square "the fun part of town." Yes, the Broadway shows are there or nearby, but other nightlife options are limited. The best bars and clubs are NOT in or near Times Square. If the romantic part of you says Central Park South, I wouldn't argue with it. It's a fantastic locations close to everything. Enjoy!

HI Mac,<BR>Central Park South is anything but "too far out". Once you come to NY and see you will have a good laugh that anyone every said that. It's walking distance to Lincoln Center, Central Park, 5th and Madison Ave. shopping, the Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center and Times Square... I could go on and on. If you want the romance of Central Park then by all means stay on CPS. Have fun!

I also agree that Central Park South is a very convenient location to everything you could want to see in Manhattan, and being near the Park can't be beat. Unless you want super-fancy, you might check out the Mayflower Hotel on the Park, where you could get a park-view room for around $200 and a suite for less than $300. We've stayed there several times and Times Square is a 10 minute walk away.

I have only been there once this past January, but next time I return I will try to stay at one of the Sheratons. They are between Times Square and the Park, near the Theatre and 5th Avenue--and the Sheraton Towers looked especially lovely. Just my opinion!!

Times Square, the "fun" part of town? No way. It's the crowded, most touristy part of town. This is NOT where the good bars,restaurants, and nightlife are...quite the opposite. As most New Yorkers know, it's the place to see a Broadway show. That's it. Then we get the hell out of there because it's so damn crowded with tourists! <BR><BR>I vote for Central Park - it definitely has the romance that Times Square lacks. You'd still be able to walk to Times Square from there if you wanted, in a mere 10-15 minutes.

We have stayed at the Sofitel on 44th St. and the Renaissance on 48th St. Both were very good, and essentially in Times Square. We have also stayed on Central Park South, and rarely got a room facing the park.<BR><BR>One hotel is not close to "everything," but everything is a walk or a taxi (if you can get one) or a bus ride away. I suspect that if you want "entertainment and night life," you want to be near Times Square. CPS may have a more "romantic" feeling, but in the spring love is in the air everywhere.