new york city accommodations
 

I will be traveling to NYC (Manhattan) with my husband and 2 teenage children this Thanksgiving and am looking for a 1-2 bedroom apt or 2 room suite accommodations in the $250-$300 range. We are trying to avoid booking just 2 hotel rooms. WOuld prefer the Midtown area, not too far from theater but this is not essential as long as it is safe to walk at night. Any suggestions? Thanks.

lajolla,

The Best Western Hospitality House on West 49th could suit you. We stayed there in March & were very pleased with it plus it has excellent reviews on trip advisor. My only doubt is whether it would fit into your price bracket.

Here's a link to my trip report which includs all the details;

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34778469

Hope this helps,

Jim

You might try the Broadway Inn (www.broadwayinn.com). It is a cute B&B in the Theatre District on 8th Ave very close to lots of restaurants also, and they also have suites in your price range.

Also the Grand Union (www.hotelgrandunion.com) on E 32nd St would also fit nad from there you are close to shopping (Macy's etc) and bus and subway are within a block.

Have a great time.

I think wanting a 2 bedrm apt. or 2 rm suite is a limiting factor at your desired rate for Thanksgiving. Best West. Hosp. House is showing rate of $449 on their website. We also have two teens and go to theater. We settled on Affinia Manhattan. Two beds and sofa bed in the large one bedrm suites w/dining area, separate bedrm, fully appointed kitchen (500-600 sq ft). Good reviews on tripadvisor and here. We got a $270 rate btwn this coming Christmas and New Yrs. But the Thanksgiving rate is (gulp) $499!

For a two room suite or apartment, you are looking at $500 minimum per night.

Have you tried www.VRBO.com or www.Craigslist.com ?

You will not find what you need in your price range booking conventionally.

Have you even checked prices yet?

Thanksgiving is one of the most in demand times of year to be in Manhattan.

Try:

www.athomeny.com

It's a bed and breakfast reservation service. Gives you pics of places available in many NYC neighborhoods.

Thanksgiving weekend kicks off the Christmas shopping season (Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving). Rates will be very high in NY right through mid-December.

That's a tight budget for a suite. You can look nito the Affinia hotels (Affinia.com), Embassy suites (although this is down town) and doubletree suites. All of these are suites with some form of kitchen or kitchenette. You maight also consider bidding on 2 rooms in Priceline.

First of all, you have left it very late for Thanksgiving. In May I was helping someone look for a place and many hotels they wanted were already sold out.

Second, that budget simply will not get you a suite in New York at that time of year.

You might consider the applecore group of budget hotels which get decent reviews and have quite a few rooms with 2 double beds. (Many NYC hotel rooms are small - so you get either 1 double/queen bed or 2 twin beds).

The Affinia group of hotels is a good idea. A moderately priced chain they have many larger rooms as well as suites. However, their price point for Thanksgiving is completely different. Just did a quick check and they show some avaialbility for a 1 bedroom suite starting at $450 per night and going up to $560.

I think you will have to adjust either your budget or your expectations. And I would reserve quickly to be sure of having someplace decent.

Thanks for all the info. Both Craig's list and VRBO are great ideas. And yes, we are finding that Thanksgiving is an expensive time to get a hotel!

The Travel Inn on 42nd street?

It gets good recommendations here on Fodors.

I have stayed there and found it a basic clean small hotel.

If you are driving into NY they offer free parking

The Travel Inn is showing no availability.

Their partner hotels have:

Newton (very basic upper west side, smallish room with 2 queen beds) is $315 per night

Belvedere (less basic, upper west side, smallish room with 2 double beds) at $385 per night

Note that these rates are for one room - not suites - for which you would have to call to find availability.

Also - you need to check with each hotel on how they charge "children". I know in some places it is 17, but at many in NYC the cut off is 13 or even lower - or they may hust charge for the # of people regardless of age (except infants).

radiocityapartments.com
My son recently stayed in a 1 br. for $199, and the 2 br's are $249 I think. He liked it there a lot, and said the rooms were in good condition. The mid-town location is GREAT. For parking, it is $25.

That would be great if Radio City Apartments had any availability.

Exactly - Radio City Apartments were already full when I was checking in May.

Radio city apts looked great but unfortunately not available for our dates. Has anyone stayed in the Embassy Suites in Battery Park? I know that is reliable! Also craig's list is a great idea. Thanks for all the help!

The Embassy Suites is a great family hotel BUT it's all the way downtown near Wall St., not near most of the holiday activity. Just a heads up. Most everything (the parade, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and theaters) is midtown and you'll be spending lots of time either on the subway or in cabs. It's still a good option but you'd probably be better further uptown.

Please tread carefully with craigslist. People have a tendency to advertise places that are actually outside Manhattan in the Manhattan section.

If a 1 bedroom is ok (with teens sharing a sofabed) one of the other posters here stayed in this apt. and loved it. It's right near the theaters.
http://www.bigapplegetaway.com/

I think you'd be better in a 2 bedroom myself. An agency that people have used for a good 2 bedroom in the theater district (but it's a walk up with no elevator) is nyhabitat.com but I see prices have skyrocketed there too.

The Salisbury hotel has very spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apts. but may already be booked.
nycsalisbury.com

Thanks, mclaurie. I am trying your suggestions. Unfortunately the 2 specific ones you named are not available but I am trying the nyhabitat. Looks interesting. The thing about Embassy Suites is that you know exactly what you are getting. Have you stayed in any other apts?

It's absolutely true, with the Embassy Suites you know what you're getting and it's good. What sort of price are you looking at there? If you don't mind having to travel uptown for many things, it may be your best bet. And I believe they include breakfast there.

It's unlikely you'll find an apartment at Thanksgiving in midtown for a bargain price. One thing that's worth checking is any rental availability at the Manhattan Club. This is a timeshare property in a very central location in midtown. They have some 1 bedroom apartments with 2 full baths. Owners often rent out nights. Here's a page with 2 listed for $275/night. YOu might check avail. dates.
http://www.tug1.org/tugads/1-3dname1.html#ad47101

To MCLAURIE and others that have responded. Have any of you used the website www.apartments2book.com ??? It is out of London and found it on Google. Unfortunately, Manhattan club 1 bdrms not available so far for Thanksgiving in NYC. Thanks, all.







thanks

We just returned yesterday...stayed at 40th and 5th Avenue...love the location...near Bryant Park and the Library...walking distance (easy) to Broadway...2nd time there but the hotel has changed hands 3 times..it is now a Courtyard by Marriott...same employees for 20-30 years! Under $300.00 this time of year...VERY CLEAN!

That Marriott is booked for Thanksgiving. the one on the East Side is showing a special for $330 (including taxes) for 4 people in a room with 2 doble beds. But it must be prepaid and is nonrefundable.

I have not personally used apartments2book but know of many who have from England. Have heard no stories recently, but earlier in the year was hearing that their prices for apt/hotels were often better than the hotels own prices. Here is a list of what I believe are the hotels on their NYC map.
1=Affinia 50
2=Affinia Manhattan
3 San Carlos
4-Best Western Hospitality
5=the Blakely
7=Radio City apts.
8=Eastgate Tower
9=Murray Hill East Suites
11=Beacon
12=Lucerne
16=Benjamin
29=Elysee
30=the Buckingham

Would be curious to know whether they have availablitity at a hotel that's NOT showing availability on their own website.

mclaurie,
thanks for the info on apts2book. How do you know these names? THey did not give me specific names of properties which worried me. I will investigate with your info. Will let you know! Thanks again.

&quot;<i>How do you know these names?</i>&quot;

Some from looking on the map, knowing which hotels are where and then comparing photos from apts2book and the hotel's own website. Try it. Others from reports from other travelers (ie I picked #7 and it turned out to be Radio City)

I've done the same thing as you are planning, many times &amp; during all parts of the year. THE BEST place I have found for family accomodations is the Doubletree Suites at 47th &amp; Bway, right on Time Square. Great hotel, boatloads of space in the room, close to everything. It will be pricey at Thanksgiving, though.

Well, I have booked the Eastgate Tower (a 1 bdrm) on E. 39th St. for Thanksgiving. Does anyone have any first hand info re: this hotel? For a little more we could get the Affinia 50 or the Affinia Dumont. ($250 total more) Are these any better? Thanks, all!

A little more is $250? That's a Broadway show for the family.

The Eastgate Tower will feel more like an apt. building than a hotel (although you'll have daily maid service). I'd read all the reviews and look at the photos and decide. Biggest complaint seems to be dated furnishings. Will this bother you?
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html

Both the other 2 hotels have been more recently renovated and are nicer. Hard call.

Curious to know whether you're booking through the hotel directly or apts 2 book or elsewhere. Doublecheck prices on quikbook.com

I've stayed at Easgate Tower in a two bedrm suite. The rooms are very big, like a large apartment. Mine went from the front of the bldg. all the way to the back- it was huge. Furnishings are not as upscale as some of the other Affinia hotels, but they are fine. My room had blondish furniture that was akin to what you'd rent to furnish an apartment. Kind of basic looking, but fine. The large space was wonderful. Lobby is small and it feels a bit like an apartment bldg. I was there on business for a week and liked it very much, esp. having the full kitchen (full size fridge) for that amt. of time and all that space.

Oh, and I am on the way out the door this morning to NYC for a long weekend. Very excited about this trip. I LOVE NY.

Ask around and cehck other posts about the Affinia Dumont and Affinia 50. I don't have experience w/those but there have been prior posts on them. I am not sure they have the extreme kind of space my 2 bedrm. suite at the Eastgate had. I think they list the square ft. of their rms for each property on the website.

Hello, You might want to check www.1291.com. They are centally located on 55th and 8th. They offer studions and duplexs (up stairs and downstairs)for your price range and also have a wider varity of accommodations. Although it is not fancy, but roomy. www.1291.com

Again, thanks MCLAURIE and others for replies. I actually booked the Eastgate Towers thru their own website which they could not match by phone nor could the other online hotel sites. The www.1291.com is very interesting!! They offered me a duplex that sleeps 7 for less money than the suite at Eastgate.($1340 for 4 nts including tax) Have any of you stayed in their apts in NYC? I worry when things sound too good to be true. Any comments? Thanks!