My friends and I are planning a surprise birthday trip to NYC for one of our pals. We're stuck as to which hotel to choose. Has anyone stayed at either the Pan American in Queens or the Travel Inn in Manhattan? We'll be on a budget and need a good, cheap hotel to stay in.

You sound like nice friends. When are you going, how many rooms will you need and how many of you will be in each room?

we'll be there march 30 thru april 3 and there's 4 of us, so we only need one room with two double beds.

We also need help with packing our clothes! hahahaha.. we're from AZ so we have no idea what the weather will be like in NY during those days

Hi
Last time I was in Tucson at the end of March, I just needed a light jacket at night. In NYC you will need more like a light wool coat. Scarf and gloves. It can still snow in March too My birthday is at the end of March and I remember one year getting snow ... ick.
I would stay in Manhattan, budget or no, you don't want to be trying to get back and forth from Queens every day.
I have no idea about 'cheap" these days in the city but friends of ours from London like the Warwick. And I think they were on a budget.

Travel Inn is a good choice for a budget hotel. Much better than staying in Queens. Rooms are small and area is noisy however.

Try the Hotel Grand Union, the rooms are larger and you can request 2 double beds.

Also check www.hotels.com for more suggestions on hotels in your price range.

The Hotel Grand Union is right off Madison Ave on 32nd St, I think, and it's easy to get around the city staying there by bus and subway. Also there are several restaurants and fast food places for quick meals.

Have a great time.

Please do not stay in Queens - taking the subway back and forth (30 minutes each way) just to get into the City will be a major pain.

If you cannot afford any of the hotels in the City i would go for a hostel instead. (If you do a search above there are reference for listings of hostels in NY) You really want to be able to enjoy the City and the nightlife - not wonder if you'll be happy taking the subway back to Queens at 3am!

I agree staying outside the city, ESPECIALLY at that place in Queens is NO OPTION at all. What is your budget per night per person? You might be better bidding for 2 rooms on Priceline.

Agree with the others to stay in Manhattan, not Queens.

Even though Queens is NYC, from you post it sounds like you want to sightsee in Manhattan.

Thanks for all your help. We've had a helluva time trying to find hotels under $200 a night with 2 double beds. It seems like they're all full, but we managed to get a room at the Marriott East Side with a King bed and a sofa bed. I guess that's the best we can do!

Can you guys tell me if there are any advantages to staying in New Jersey? We found a nice hotel in Weehawken, but don't know what it would be like going back and forth every day

Leslie, there are NO advantages to staying in New Jersey if you are sightseeing in Manhattan.

Keep your reservation at the Marriott.

Check out Super 8 Motel - apple corehotels.com - I think they had availability those dates for $149 incl breakfast when I checked a few days ago.

Oops - address is applecorehotels.com (no space between apple and core). Check tripadvisor.com for hotel reviews.
Good luck!

Super8 gets good reviews - definitely stay in the city. I am from Calif (and originally from AZ) and you need to be prepared for the weather to be cold. I was there two years ago around April 15 and it had just snowed. The first couple of days we were there, it was very cold and windy. I had a turtleneck, sweater, heavy coat, scarf and gloves and managed to keep warm. However, every day it warmed up and by the last few days I was wearing a sweater and light jacket. This year I will be there a few days before you (March 25) and plan to take my heavy coat. Keep on eye on the weather reports and bring clothes you can layer.

The only hotel I know of in Weekhawken is the Sheraton. There is an advantage of staying there as it's an all suite hotel and you get a kitchenette so you'd have more space. You also have great views of Manhattan. However the downside is it will waste a lot of time getting to/from NYC. There's a ferry in front of the hotel that costs $5/person each way. That means if you want to change clothes for the evening, each of you would spend $20/dayx4=$80 and that's just to get to/from the city. That ferry only runs M-F. Over the weekend it's even more inconvenient. You have to take a shuttle bus to a different ferry.

There are also suite hotels in Secaucus that may even be less than Weekhawken. From Secaucus there are buses into the city. But none of these options is as convenient as staying in NYC. The Marriott East Side is not a bad option. You should have a look at the Best Western Hospitality which has apt style suites. Also check the Radio City Apartments. You don't say when this is for, but Radio City apts were running a $99/night special. Don't know if it's expired.

hands down to you and your friends!!
is there room for one more?

the ramada has no availability for sat.
what to do, what do to?

As others have said, keep your reservation in the city - you will not regret it.

You guys have been very helpful, thank you very much. Just ONE MORE question! We wanted to go to the Yankees game on Sunday april 3, but of course, they're all sold out of tickets. We found a guy selling 4 tix on Ebay, but I'm very nervous about buying tix online. Do any of you think it's wise to buy these online?

We have been very successful buying tickets to Yankees games on eBay. Check the sellers ratings and make sure the seller is reliable. another option is to buy tickets from scalpers who will be there the minute you exit the subway or cab. We actually have traded up our e-bay tickets to scalpers for a lettle extra $$. If you wait to buy from the scalpers, you wont have to buy tickets if the game rains out (which would leave you with tickets you cant use in the future).