In May my sisters and I along with our mother(76) are planning our first trip to Manhattan for 4 days. We are trying to decide between Le Merdian or the Westin at Times Square for value and location for us to do the usual tourist activities such as Broadway show,Bus tours etc and make it easier for Mom. I would really appreciate help with this.

You have picked a wonderful time of year for a trip to New York. I cannot answer you about the hotel, but key in the hotel names under New York and information should come up. Throughly Modern Millie", "Hairspray" or "Man Of La Macha" might be good choices ,if you can get tickets. Go on the Playbill web site and check out the ticketmaster number to call and call now for tickets. "42nd Street" might be another good choice, if it is still running. The bus tour will give you an overall view of the city. The Met Museum is wonderful. The Playbill site will give you a description of the play. Make reservatins now for what you are interested in seeing.

Forgot to tell you that the address is playbill.com. It is free to join this web site and they have special offers on theater tickets for longer running plays. Check their site often and they issue codes for discount tickets on some productions.

I would choose Le Meridian over the Westin. It is much nicer, and the rooms are good size as well. It is just off 6th Ave and close enough to Broadway that you can walk. Also there are several good restaurants in the immeidate area as well.

May should be perfect time to visit, the weather should be nice and warm, and everything will be in bloom.

There are several new shows that will be opening in the next few weeks, so you should have some great choices for shows, and of course look for something at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall (which is just around the corner from the hotel)

Have a wonderful time while you are here.

There is a great restaurant in the ground floor of Le Meridien - Norma's. It is a breakfast only restaurant but they've elevated it to a dining experience. If you go there too soon, you'll freak out at the prices. But after a few days in New York you'll think it is a bargain. They have this wonderful dish Waa Zaa Waffles - unbelievable! Plus it is a stunning room. One other hint - get there early. On weekends between 7-9AM is good. After that the wait can be an hour or more and people get testy in the lobby waiting area.
Another plus for this location is that you are much closer to Central Park.

JoeG