I can't seem to stay away-am already planning my next visit. I would like to bring my Baltimore family with me, but we would need 2 rooms, adjoining. This seems very expensive in New York. I would like to bring my grandchildren to see the Christmas windows. I think I have read that the best time to come is in January when it is less expensive and less crowded. Any input on this idea would be appreciated. How long are the decorations up? Where is a good place to stay with 3 small children? How do you find a relatively inexpensive but well located and clean hotel? If you use the discount websites can you request adjoining rooms and specify the number of beds?

Thanks in advance.

If you really want to see the Christmas stuff, the week between Christmas and New Years is actually reasonable in terms of hotel costs, as long as you aren't looking for to stay the 31st. However, the "touristy" areas are MOBBED - this year, it took me 20 minutes to walk 4 north/south blocks in Times Square. Jan/Fed and July/August are generally the least expensive, though hotel prices have dropped significantly for much of the year.

Hotels: if you use a discount site such as hotwire or "name your price" on priceline you can make requests re: beds or adjoining rooms, but there is no guarantee they will be honored (especially priceline, which only guarantees sleeping arrangements for 2.)

What is your price range per room per night? How many people total?

With 3 small children I'd look at a suite hotel - the Affinia Chai has one bedroom suites that include 2 queen beds in the bedroom an a pull out sofa in the living room. You might also want to check into the Embassy Suites and the Doubletree Suites. If you do need two adjoining rooms, I would book directly with the hotel.

Jan and Feb is the cheapest for hotels rooms. If you go the first few days in January (before the 5th or 6th) some Christmas decorations will still be up. Some of the discount web sites allow only 2 people per room and won't guarantee adjoining or connecting. But travelzoo often has good deals and you know which hotel and can contact for rates for extra people etc.

But you can often get very good deals directly from the hotels (and so pick rooms etc) in Jan and Feb.

Depending on how may people you will be altogether the all suite hotels may be an option - but they too have a limit per room and kids do count (and those 12 and up are considered adults).

How many are you in total and how many beds do you need? Does it have to be adjoining rooms? (ie are there other adults) At Xmas time the few days before Xmas and then including Xmas day are usually much less expensive; say from Dec. 18-26. While it's true the decorations stay up the first week in Jan., somehow the city just doesn't have the same sparkle.

Hotwire.com lets you indicate the number of people in a room but it I don't know that it will take more than 4. Can't really suggest options unless you explain numbers.

thank you for your responses. I think perhaps my idea is not good. If the time to come is between Christmas and New Years and that is a very busy crowded time, it isn't appropriate for the children, who are 8, 7 and 4. Maybe it would be better to wait a couple of years.

The 7 and 8 year old wold be fine. A 4 year old might be kind of overwhelmed - but it really depends on the kids and what they're used to in terms of crowds and busyness.

My parents took my brother and I to the city regularly from the time we were very small and we loved it. I started going alone - well either with friends or taking my smaller brother when I was 12 - but I was used to the City, the subway, dealing with casual restaurants etc. (That was wen you could still get lunch at Rumplemeyer's with incredible hot chocolate.)