I am traveling to NYC in Momerial day weekend with two female coworkers. We want to stay in the time square /broadway area. I have reservations for the Milford Plaza and the Courtyard Marriott Timesquare South(a very small hotel on 44th and 8th Ave) they are both the same price. Does anyone have any suggestions on which is better. I know the Milford is in an ideal location from my last visit. We want something clean and a good location in the middle of everything.
How about Jo Jo's to eat? thanks

I had friends who booked a week at the MIlford Plaza (through a travel agent in London). They arrived and thought it was the dirtiest, most horrible place they'd ever been. They wanted to check out, but were told that there were no refunds and they had paid in full on booking. After one night, they moved out anyway, forfeited their entire week's stay and went to a Best Western. They said it was worth it. I have never heard anything good about the place. And CLEAN is the one thing that it wasn't that really upset them. Do a search here and read about the used condoms under the bed, the cockroaches, the torn sheets, and various other issues.

Assuming you're all planning to stay in one room? Though Priceline and Hotwire guarantee a room for only two, if you stick to 4*'s or above, I'd bet you'll either have no problem getting a room with two doubles or one with room for a roll-away. And, for a similar price. You may want to wait until about a week before to check Priceline and Hotwire - for the leftover rooms. (Despite the high rates you see in advance, occupancy is WAY DOWN so far this year.) (I too have noticed horrendous reviews for the Milford Plaza). If you really want to book directly, try the Travel Inn. It's three "long" blocks from Times Square, but gets great reviews for clean, spacious rooms. Or, try the Edison (small rooms, but nice, clean). Another budget place to avoid is the Days Inn on 8th Ave (everyone mentions the bathrooms are awful).

And, you can skip HoJo's, too. For the same prices, you can do much better. HoJo's is filthy, especially the rest rooms, the food is positively questionable, and the service is horrendous. The food from the street vendors is magnificent (and cheaper) just outside the door! (We were lured in there totally by accident once with the "Meatloaf Special" in the window, not even realizing it was HoJo's.)

If you are talking about the HoJO in the Times Square area across the street from the Marriott. I have to say I would NEVER go back there, even if they paid for the dinner.

I have traveled alot all over the country and the rest room at HoJo was the WORST I have ever seen. I went back and got the manager and complained loudly and even wrote a letter to the owner. It was so filthy and poorly maintained. If that how they kept the bathroom, that all the employees used too, I don't even want to THINK about the kitchen,,,,,,

There are lots of good places to eat right in that area, a favorite is Cafe 1,2,3. Great Creme Brule and deserts.

Also Olie's for good chinese food and not expensive.

Have a great time.

As stated earlier, you'll do much better at Priceline or Hotwire. Just keep the star rating High - if not 4 stars, at least go for 3. You might want to give it a try now.(you can rebid after 3 days so you have plenty of time) You can familarize the bidding proceedure at biddingfortravel.com, and find the prices for hotels that others have obtained. Go to biddingfortravel.com and click on New York City.

I have the New York Marriott East Side (3 stars) at Lexington at 48th for $82.00 a night for 8 nights the week before Memorial Day.

The last time I was in NYC I was around the Milford Plaza a few times and it looked fine to me, but from the posts on this forum, it sounds like you can do much, much better. I would avoid it.

Also, I think djkbooks misunderstood. You asked about Jo Jo's. I believe he djk thought you meant staying at HoJo's.

I never really plan meals very seriously when I'm in NY. There are so many great places you just wander into and so many treasures you find just by being hungry and being at the right place at the right time. Of course, if you have a certain upscale, or midprice restaurant that you just want to go to, that would be different.

I have a copy of the latest "Mr. Cheap's Guide to New York City" I plan to use in May.

Good luck with everything.

Zig

With 3 people, I would be wary of Priceline in NYC (unless you are very good friends) as you may get a room with only one bed and no space for a rollaway. I went to New York in October with a female friend. We won a room at the Mansfield with Priceline, which is a lovely (3*) hotel in a great location (44th and 5th) but had one queen bed and no extra space in the room. I contacted the hotel beforehand to request 2 beds, but this would have required upgrading to a suite and paying the extra. We were fine, but 3 people would have been too many in that room!

Quikbook.com has some good deals and at least you can specify the number of beds required.

Does anyone have info on the Courtyard Marriott Time square south? On 40th and Broadway, is that location good?
Being three girls we do need two beds. I will cancel the Milford Plaza and check out Priceline also. thanks alot. (The courtyard has a price of 199.99 first night and 99.00 the next two night I thought that was pretty
good.Just no room service just a 244 room hotel) thanks

The Courtyard is a nice hotel in a very good location. It is like a basic motel, it is the more moderate class hotel than a Marriott. No Courtyards have room service, that is one of the reasons they are moderate price. They will have a mini-bar however.

Call them and make sure that they have "double doubles", that is, two double beds in each room. If they don't, ask them whether a roll-away would fit and whether there is room for it in the room.

You can keep checking in priceline or hotwire, but the above advice about room size and # of beds is good, watch out for this. Most bidding is based on 2 people per room. Hotel rooms can be pretty small in New York.

thank you. We just want a central location to time square area and clean room. The HoJO at our last stay was not clean. Thank you again