Flame123

Have any of you been to both or with of these hotels in New York City? One is in Chelsea as the name implies, in the Flower District (which I have read can be very beautiful but also a bit gritty) and the other in midtown around 48th and Lex.

Many thanks for any info or details about these two hotels.

qwovadis

MidTown always best for me for Tourists

www.intercontinental.com my fav join Priority Club for

upgrades which I expect you are already

Indigo is the newer "trendier" option though not as well located

booking.com will have honest recent reviews on both

www.betterbidding.com for best midtown 4 star deals

for me usually the Hyatt or Hilton from $120 if price matters

check calender of wins and bid priceline.com accordingly.

Happy Hunting!

nytraveler

Flower District is not gardens - it;s flower wholesalers - who sell to all the florists very early in the am. Not the best area and not esp convenient to most tourist sights, I would stick with midtown.

mztery

like apples and oranges...IC Barclay is an upscale hotel that acts like it..Indigo is a hipster type a bit more casual . SO location aside they are two very different experiences.

MichelleY

I stayed at the Barclay several years ago. Very nice, grand hotel. The location was easy to sites and the metro at Grand Central Station.

I would stay again.

mclaurie

They couldn't be more different. Weird combination. Why just these 2? Have you looked at photos on oyster.com?

nyer

I assume these two hotels are in the running since they belong to the same loyalty program, Priority Club. Are you getting especially good deals, or free nights, or you need the points?

As a local I haven't stayed in eithr hotel, but I can address the locations.I would rather stay in the neighborhood of the Indigo. It's also convenient to public transportation. The 1 train is around the corner (and gets you to Times Square in about 5 minutes)and the N/R trains are a block away. The block is crazy busy early in the morning, and then just a normal midtown block other times. But in the evening, you come back to a slightly more vibrant residential neighborhood. Not a pretty block ,but not a creepy deserted one either. 48th and Lexington is crazy busy much of the day, and then at night , in my opinion is a more sterile emptied out business area.

Of course, it all depends on your style. The younger you are (or feel) the more I think you'd prefer the Indigo

starrs

The Indigo is the Holiday Inn group's version of a boutique hotel. The one in Atlanta was the first one, their prototype, and it's a great hotel. I love it.

Yes, an Intercontinental is a different vibe - more luxurious and less "trendy". Personally, I could be happy in either one. I'd choose based on location. If that's a toss-up, I'd probably pick the Indigo because I like them.

If you are using points, I'd probably go with the one that uses fewer points.

Fra_Diavolo

Chelsea is pretty awful, though not as bad as Soho. I'd pick the midtown Intercontinental.

Flame123

Indeed these are the two hotels "in the running" because they belong to the same group of hotels and I can get a good deal. The difference in price is not the deciding factor either because the Barclay is only about $25 more per night than the Indigo so I cannot even use that as my decision factor.

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions, I am leaning towards going with the Indigo but still not sure yet.

Starrs - have you actually stayed at the Indigo?
Fra_Diavolo - I know the Chelsea neighborhood - what makes you say it is pretty awful?

Fra_Diavolo

Just a personal opinion, it's a little too fashionable for my tastes.

doug_stallings

The Hotel Indigo has closer proximity to good neighborhood (as well as trendy) restaurants. It's in a good, convenient location near a subway stop, but the street itself is pretty desolate and quiet. Still, it's not at all inconvenient. It's also almost brand-new. But this isn't exactly Chelsea, which starts a few blocks downtown. This is the Flower District, and I think of that as a distinctly different neighborhood. It's not at all scenic and feels more industrial than neighborhoody.

The Barclay is definitely a completely different style of hotel, and if you want full service, then it's a better choice.

I prefer the more relaxed Indigo vibe myself, and I like the idea of free Wi-Fi (you'll probably have to pay $30 per day to have Wi-Fi at the Barclay). There are some good restaurants near the Barclay, but for me, it's not as conveniently located except to reach the museums on Fifth Avenue.

Flame123

Thanks Doug. It has always amazed me that even when paying huge NYC hotel rates, along with the mind-blowing taxes that add about $40 to EACH night's stay, most of them have not yet gotten to offering at least free WiFi for their customers. I will check on the Barclay and their deal/or not regarding WiFi although on this trip it will not be as important as others. As to the Indigo neighborhood, I appreciate the heads-up. Indeed I wondered about the actual neighborhood and when looking at pictures, for instance, taken by previous customers, from the rooftop terrace, one can see what looks like a VERY industrial view. Don't know whether that will bother us or not. Will continue to ponder and eventually I will have to decide !!

nyer

As I said before, it's not a pretty area, but "industrial" is hard to distinguish from residential in some parts of NYC. There's virtually no industry in these areas anymore. A friend lived in a building around the corner from the Indigo in what I always assumed was just an office building.
This location is also across the street from the Fashion Institute of Technology college, so you have students dorming and milling about at all hours.

starrs

I've stayed at the Indigo in other cities, but not NYC. I was addressing the focus of the brand. It is more like a Kimpton group boutique hotel. In fact, I think the ichotelgroup modeled the Indigos after the Kimptons - but that's just my impression and not based on fact. The Monaco in SF is my favorite hotel and feedback from folks who have stayed in other Monacos describe similar experiences. They aren't cookie-cutter (examples - Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn) but provide consistent experiences.

If you want to consider other options in the group, look at HIXs or -
http://www.staytimessquare.com/

Which is THE best option IMO if you are looking for a very nice hotel experience that includes wifi and other amentities that are normally not free in NYC. It also provides a kitchenette in the room and in a newer hotel. It would be my first choice.

Flame123

starrs - my trip was postponed and now that I have new dates for March I did indeed look at the Staybridge Suites and see that they are also highly ranked on tripadvisor.

I am now debating between it and te Barclay - Indigo is out of the running since for some strange reason it is even MORE expensive than the barclay for this time period. Can anyone tell me why first week in March is way way WAY less expensive than first week December in NYC? And I mean less than half what the price was quoted for December!!!

Anyway, I am a bit worried about the location of the Staybridge and others have also commented about it. What would you say to that?

Thanks in advance !!

ekscrunchy

I would say that you could do better on location. It seems to be hard by the Port Authority bus terminal and there are some types usually hanging around that you might not want to invite for dinner. Of course that can be true anyplace, and I don't mean that you would be in any danger, but unless you have a compelling reason to stay there, or really want the proximity to the theatre district, I think you can do better. I walk in that area a fair amount since there is an excellent Greek food store on 9th Avenue nearby. It is not one of my favorite errands, at least not the getting there part!

That said, it gets good reports, so perhaps I am being too fussy...

Do you need to be in midtown? Would you consider a hotel like the Cosmopolitan?

Flame123

eks - you seem to be following me everywhere on this board (I love it!!).

Thanks for your input re the area around the Port Authority. I don't know the Cosmopolitan but the reasons I am considering the hotels I wrote about above is because they are in the same Priority Club and I am getting a good deal on any of them. Others in the Club are more "down-scale" places I would say, like Holiday Inn Express and the like.

So given these two above which would you choose?

starrs

Hey flame, I'll send bwino over to comment on the location. She spent a month (or almost a month) at that Staybridge location). It's a busy location, yes. Re the Intercontental - check the reviews. They are the luxury brand of the ichotelsgroup but another fodorite recently complained that one hotel was "well-worn" (in a completely different city). I'll check a map to see which I'd choose for PC points.

Re the rates - December is perhaps the busiest tourist season for NYC. Everything is decorated for Christmas. A family member always went up with the girls for their annual shopping trip (staying on the park). It's just a fabulous time to be there. March (and really Jan through Mar) is less expensive because the weather is cold and folks travel less in those months. Things pick back up in spring.

Flame123

Hey starrs - much obliged. Can't wait to get your and bwino's replies!!