Does anyone have an opinion on the Hampton Hotel on 8th ave at 51st?? I am holding a reservation for there as well as a junior suite at the Affinia 50. I need to cancel one soon but am undecided as far as location. I have read a lot of good comments about the latter hotel but have only read one message regarding the Hampton. Travelling alone with one pre-teen and two teens if that helps to make the decision.
Thanks

Is this the Hampton Inn? I like HI's and the reviews have really been good for the new one in Midtown. Free breakfast may be one reason to choose it. Does the Affinia offer breakfast?

Check out the reviews on www.tripadvisor.com. They are very good.

A friend of mine has an apt at 53rd and 8th. She's had a few visitors stay at the Hampton and they recommended it to other visitors. The free breakfast was definitely a plus.

The free breakfast isn't a big plus for us as we eat lightly in the morning. My end decision lies in the location. We have a suite at the Affinia 50 and just a regular room booked at the Hampton, which of course brings our cost down. Is it worth having a kitchen as we do at the Affinia ? What I mean by this question is would we be able to locate a grocery store near by? It may be nice for the kids to be able to have something at night without having to go out or order room service.

I'm not sure I understand your question. My favorite pre-theatre meal is a picnic in the room after dropping into a deli where everyone chooses their favorite sandwich/salad/etc. These "picnics" are usually in a 2 bedded Hilton room.

I've had a kitchen in NYC, but never cooked it it. Even when staying in friends' apartments, I usually order delivery or take-out. Are you planning to cook in your jr suite?

You're going to have to decide which location you like better and whether or not you want to pay for the suite vs. a regular room.

Hard to believe the breakfast option isn't a plus with three kids (including two teens) but mine really enjoyed the variety of choices. The tripadvisor reviews say there are hot items at breakfast - as well as cookies in the lobby.

Delis and shops abound in mid-town. Full fledged grocery stores may be a few blocks further away. I was amazed when shopping for a Thanksgiving dinner at how SMALL the grocery was and how tight the aisles! Talk about crowded. But, cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner in the stereotypical Manhattan apartment. My favorite? Having the groceries delivered to the apartment door.

Enjoy your trip.

I mapped the two locations. I prefer the location of the Hampton if Broadway theatres are part of the mix. It's a mile walk between the two hotels. Choose based on what you plan to do and how you plan to get there.

The Affinia 50 is a terrific hotel and the suites are like apartments. The kitchen is good for snacks/breakfast/take out. It will also give you more space (and 1 more bed I'd assume. The suite can have 2 double or queen beds and a double or queen sofabed. The regular room at the HI will have 2 queen beds at most. So it's space/beds vs. location. Only you can pick.

Thanks for everyone's advice and you're right mclaurie I do have to make the final decision. I guess because of all the good comments that I have read about Affinia I'm am hesitating to stay anywhere else.

I'm curious then why the Hampton Inn is even in the mix. Is it the money savings? How much is it, and how important is that to you. What is your opinion of the location of the Affinia?

I'm thinking that if you like everything about the Affinia and can afford it, why not stay there?

You're right jlm_mi, it really is as easy as staying at the Affinia 50. Price wise they are about the same. Thanks for knocking some sense into me and for making me quit spending so much time trying to figure it out.
P.S. I rebooked through their website today at a lower rate than I was holding for the same accomodations. Funny how that works.

You're welcome.

I, too, spend too much time agonizing over hotel decisions. It's always easier to say "just do it" when it's someone else's vacation.

I also keep checking my NYC hotel rates for an upcoming trip to see if they'll go down. So far, rates at the same hotel aer about $100 more expensive than my current reservation, so I guess I got a deal! Never hurts to check though.

There are usually the rare deals to be had - and often decent rates in Jan/Feb - but the last time NYC hotle rates were seriously reduced was right after 9/11.

Once the recovery started they have been on a steady rise ever since - helped by the greater number of european visitors (the $ is pitiful vs the euro or pound) and the number of large hotels being converted into co-ops or condos (which are MUCH more profitable).

So - if you ever get a rate you're happy with - grab it - don;t wait - the chance of it going down are minute.