Howard Johnson Inn Queens
 

My husband will be in NYC Mar 22 - 28 for a convention and all of the hotels are sold out. We're paying for this one out of pocket, so trying to go cheap. Anyone have thoughts on the Howard Johnson Inn Queens Village? Trip Advisor has fairly positive reviews, but I can't find much info on the area - want to make sure it is safe, and there's bonus points if there are restaraunts he can walk to. I'm nervous, because the total for the 6 nights is only $575. Too good to be true? We're not looking for much, just clean and safe...

Thanks!

Trip advisor reviews look like fakes to me.

The biggest problem with some of the hotels/motels in Queens is they may not be near any transportation. Go to hopstop.com and get directions to go from the hotel into Manhattan (pick any place as your destination; Times Square, Grand Central Terminal) and then see how they direct you (select subway or bus).

I can't believe ALL hotels are sold out for the convention. Where is the convention? At the Javits Center??? If yes, you'd be better off staying in New Jersey. Post back with budget and location of convention.

No, I would never stay in Queens Village if you need to be in Manhattan every day. It's far too inconvenient (it's pretty close to JFK, which gives you some idea of how far it is from Manhattan); transit time into Manhattan would probably be at least 45 minutes to an hour. It might be safe, but that just doesn't seem reasonable to me.

Try one of the Long Island City hotels to see if there is some space available. Or there's a Howard Johnson in Woodside, and that one probably has a better location. If not, then you'd actually be better off staying in NJ so you can come right into the Port Authority on a bus.

Of course, this depends on where your convention is. This is pretty much the world's worst convention date since it's over Easter. However, I assure you that all hotels in NYC are not sold out (perhaps all your convention hotels). You can probably still find a room under $300. You might also try Priceline.

I see some great options for you. If you want to stay IN Manhattan, Gild Hall is a brand new hotel in the financial district but it's still under construction. If you don't mind doing without a restaurant and completed lobby, they're selling rooms for $99/night on quikbook.com You'd have to take a subway then a bus to get to the Javits center, but it won't take any longer than traveling from Queens and will be a lot nicer. Worst case scenario, you could take a taxi which would not be possible from Queens.

The Sheraton on the Hudson in Weehawken, NJ is directly across from the Javits Center. You can get a room there for $200/night. During the week, there's a ferry that takes you across the river and then deposits you by shuttle bus wherever you want to go.

The NY Helmsley is on quikbook.com for about $210/night plus tax. The crosstown bus that stops right outside the hotel would take you to the Javits Center. This is all assuming the convention is at the Javits Center.

First - that hotel is nowhere near Manhattan - about as far as you can get and still be in NYC - requiring a bus ride to the last stop of the subway line.

Second, I'm not familiar with that hotel - but it's not in an area in which a hotel makes sense - unless it's being used to house welfare families or similar.

If you want to stay in Queens have a look at Long Island City. The area is semi-industrial and quite dreary at night - but is perfectly safe. And you can be in the city in 20 minutes.

Separately, I can't believe that all of NYC is sold out - although the convention hotels may be. Have you looked at kayak.com to see what they have in Manhattan?

Or, if you look at one of the hotels in Jersey City right near the PATH train you can also be in the city in about 20 minutes.

Thanks for all of the help...it's not that the entire city is sold out, it's the the hotels that had great prices associated with the convention are sold out.

DH's company is not paying for this, we're out of pocket, and with a 6 night trip in NYC, we're trying to do it on a shoestring.

Proximity is not that important - he's only attending the convention on Sunday, Monday and Friday (the hazards of presenting when they spread you out over the entire week).

I'll check out the Gild Hall option...not to sound cheap, but this is the third convention in less than 6 weeks that we are paying for on our own, so we're trying to do this as reasonably as we can - and while I know it is NYC, my checkbook doesn't seem to care :)

Thanks again for all of the help!

By the way, if you have to take a bus to 179th Street in Jamaica and then the subway, the trip is actually about 90 minutes each way. If you can take a bus to Jamaica Station, then you can be in Manhattan in about 20 more minutes on the Long Island Railroad (total travel time of about 40 minutes). Still, Queens Village is a no-go for me.

I understand cheap, but it's not reasonable to travel 90 minutes into the city each way. There are many closer options in NJ at the Meadowlands or Seacaucus areas.

The other part of the issue is that there are a lot of areas in Queens Village you don;t want to be on the streets alone at night. (I know, I had an elderly family member that lived there - and there was a lot of crime, mostly drug related.)

Let's put it this way, Howard Johnson is not a respected name in the hotel industry.

Wow!!!
Queens Village.
I say no,no,no.
Just try one of these.
I had good luck.
Clarion park ave.
Radisson Martinique on Broadway.
Best western seaport inn.
Just try.

Try Priceline for Manhattan hotels....

I guess you don't need another person telling you not to stay in Queens Village. A 90 minute commute would be generous, not figuring in mass transit delays, etc.

I would second the suggestion to Priceline a hotel.

Good luck!

Thanks to all...I went ahead and booked Gild Hall for the first two nights at $99/night - it goes up significantly from there on the other nights. I'm off to try Priceline...wish me luck!

Just wanted to say thanks to all that helped...we ended up breaking it into two trips, bringing him home for the 3 days he doesn't need to be there and sending him back for one night at the end of the week (side note, is it sad that it's cheaper to get two flights than it is 3 hotel nights in NYC??).

But I am SO grateful for the Gild Hall tip - now he's staying in Manhattan for less than $450 for 3 nights, and at a nice place!

Erika