I need help. My sister and I are trying to arrange a trip to NY on a budget. I would like to divide up my time between two different areas. I'd like to know if there are any decent places to stay for about $100 per night (or do I need a reality check?. I'd really prefer not to have to share a bathroom. Any suggestions? This is our first time to NY, we are in our 20's and would like to experience as much as possible. Any replies are greatly appreciated!

Hi, Crystal!
The idea of splitting your accommodation between uptown and downtown is, I think, a good one...in fact, it's exactly what I did with my family last December. One hotel we scored for $79 a night (for the four of us)a few blocks from Central Park was the Howard Johnson on 8th Ave and (I think) 59th, but that price, they told us, was a one-off because a contracted airline had let them down with pilot accommodation, so there's not much point looking for that rate in that hotel now. There are, however, several other hotels around 90th to 102nd which were advertising similar, or even better, prices, and I am sure that a websearch will turn them up. One, I think, was a Quality or a Comfort on 90th (sorry that I can't be more specific).
However, I can be VERY specific with help for your downtown choice. We found this the bargain-basement accommodation for the whole of our USA trip, and it allowed us to see New York UNDER budget. You can't book over the net (you have to ring them direct) but they do have a website, which I checked a couple of weeks ago, and found that the rate we got last year is still current. How does $88 a night for four people, including breakfast, sound... and it's a NICE hotel (but not fancy, mind!) on Madison Avenue (corner 27th). It's called the Madison, and its website is www.madison-hotel.com. Since returning from our trip I have recommended this hotel at least a dozen times on this site, and not so long ago I got a private email from someone who followed my advice, saying what a great choice it turned out to be. It's close to a subway, not far from Macy's, and you can walk to Battery Park or Times Square. You will do even cheaper than my price if you want a room for two, and, no, you won't have to share a bath.... so you don't need a reality check, you are right and all the people who think that you have to pay twice that to sleep well in New York City are wrong! Not that you will want to sleep much in New York, anyway! Wow! It's a hell of a town (but I think somebody already said that). Good luck!

The Howard Johnson Hotel mentioned above is at 53rd and 8th Ave. The Quality Hotel is at 94th and Broadway.

You can certainly walk most anyplace if you don't mind treks of 3 or 4 miles. From the Madison Hotel to Battery Park is 3 or sp miles. It is a walk that would take you through Greenwich Village, SOHO, Tribeca and the financial district.

Manhattan just isn't that big, why bother finding TWO budget hotels? You can take the subway or a cab to another part of town. Or just walk -- that's the way to see a lot.

I liked the Comfort Inn Midtown on W46 between 6 and 7, vey handy to Times Square but off the beaten track a bit.

You can often get relly nice 3-star hotel via Priceline for under $100, but you should read the FAQ at www.biddingfortravel.com first.

Jen, Crystal has kind of a neat idea and it's a good way to really experience the flavor of different neighborhoods if you have the time to split your visit and use 2 hotels - why are you pooh-poohing her?

The Madison as previously mentioned is a great idea for lower Manhattan. For a location a little further north, try Habitat on Lexington, they do have rooms with a private bath and I think you can do it for $100/per night. Priceline is also a great way to go as Jen mentioned. Be sure to read biddingfortravel.com and then just go to the Priceline.com site to place your bid - you might get "badgered" into bidding via biddingfortravel.com because the administrators profit from your bid, but this is not necessary.

I didn't mean to "pooh pooh" her idea, it just seems like a lot of trouble to check out, lug your stuff to a new place and check in again when you could just as easily visit the second place without all your luggage. You aern't "experiencing the flavor of different neighborhoods" while you're asleep. And since one problem Crystal is having is finding even ONE hotel in her budget, finding two hotels is doubling her work.

Jen, I take it that you don't think an early morning walk to a cafe (before the tourist "hit" etc.) for a coffee, or a nice quiet stroll at night is experiencing something special? It's great that Crystal is being adventurous and switching hotels is not that big of a deal if you don't cart everything you own with you. Leave the first hotel in the AM, go to the second, and they will hold your luggage until you come back and check-in. Simple.

Also, you can easily find hotels in NYC for under $100. I just stayed at Hudson for $99/night.

Crystal, don't give up, you will get a lot more out of your trip by seeing/doing as much as you can, and I know you can secure your hotel reservations - let us know how you do with this.

Crystal, I found these while looking for a hotel for our trip. I am NOT making a personal recommendation for any of these, they are just some hotels you might want to check out: Belnord 207/209 West 87th St. (~$85/night), the Belleclare 77th & Broadway (looks like you could get it for $100,) also try the DaVinci. You may want to take a serious look at Priceline, you can pick your areas and bid on a nice hotel for UNDER $100.

I Like the idea of staying in some diffrent areas. You can walk through a neighborhood in an afternoon or stay there for a few days - which do you think will give you a better idea of the neighborhood? You're on the right track. Have a wonderful time!

Try Priceline.

Go to "Biddingfortravel.com" and see what hotels are within your price guidelines in your timeframe.

In the past two years I've booked rooms for $80 per night at DuMont Plaza (listed as $300 per night at some of the discount hotel sites) and $90 at the Shelburn Murray Hill Suites.

I've stared using Pricelin for all of my vacation lodging - but in NYC I think it is a must. You can save money to spend on the things you really want to spend money on in New York.

Hi Crystal

I've just come back from spending 4 days in New York last week. My husband and I are also in our late 20s and this was our first trip too... We stayed at the Best Western President on W48th Str. I had heard dire stories about accommodation in NY, but we were pleasantly surprised (considering how little it cost us!). The double room was fairly basic, but it was bigger than we expected and it had a lovely modern ensuite bathroom. No view to speak of, but very clean and comfortable. No fridge, but it had aircon, a tv (with a wide range of tv & movie channels)and a hairdryer. It was brilliantly located - very convenient to all the sights, just 6 streets up from Times Square (about a 2-3 minute walk). I have to say that I don't think it will be necessary to stay in 2 hotels (unless you really want to). We found our hotel very convenient - we took in sights from as low down as Brooklyn Bridge, all the way up to Central Park. I also had a sprained ankle (very bad timing!), but didn't find the distances to be a problem at all. We did use the sub a few times, but only because we were very hot and the airconned sub was a welcome break. We found the subway system very easy to use and an all-day, limitless pass cost us only $4.50. Having said that, we only used it a few times, and found most things to be in walking distance. I would definitely stay in the Best Western President again. Good luck and have fun!

Bonnie, I was interested to read your answer, but after you said you were "pleasantly surprised" by how little it cost at the Best Western, you neglected to say just what that price was! Can you elaborate, please?

Alan, it was a package deal which included return flights from London and 3 nights accommodation - for £429! I'm pretty sure the flight took up the larger part of that cost, so I assumed the hotel must have good rates.

I've just gone and done a search on newyorkcity.com and hoteldiscount.com and I see that they offer rates of $70 and $72 dollars per room per night @ the BWP...

Bonnie, that's a really great rate, isn't it... and W48th St is very nicely placed for the "top" half of Manhattan. So I think we have solved Crystal's dilemma.... a double room at the Best Western President on W48th for $70, and another double room at the Madison on E27th for $74 --she gets a taste of the east side and the west side -- and even with the taxes, she and her sister have good accommodation for $40 a night each. It really is high time that this rumour about New York being overpriced was scotched, once and for all. Why, we paid that for a room in Philadelphia!

Alan you are SO right - I'm tired of people saying that you can't stay in NYC for under $150/night, etc. There are some great bargains to be had, as you and Bonnie have pointed out. I paid $99 for a room outside of Boston (couldn't get a Pirceline deal that weekend) the hotel was under renovation, dirty, and so shabby I tried not to walk on the floor without my shoes. I'll take the $75 hotels I get on PL or the BWP anyday!

ttt

As for the Best Western President--Do you book directly on the website, or on another "discount" site? The best I could get for one double bed averages $130-150 a night...

This website may help you:
http://www.hospitalityco.com/
I just recently heard about it, haven't used it, but it really looks good. In the past we've stayed at The Pickwick Arms and the Milford Plaza--both clean, neat, right downtown, and reasonable in price.