sunbabe

My husband and I want to spend two nights in Manhattan August 10 and 11, 2016. We will be driving from Illinois with a final destination of Maine, but want to see Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Central Park, The Met, Empire State Building, and Times Square on the first leg of our trip. I am overwhelmed looking for a hotel with available parking (fully understand parking is not free) that is within our wishful budget of under $260 a night.

We desire a clean hotel and safe area above all. It would be nice to be centrally located around the areas we wish to visit with easy access to public transportation. We have never been to New York, so all comments and ideas are appreciated!

tomfuller

Would you consider taking the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York Penn Station and using taxis and the subway once you are settled in the hotel room?
Going onward to Maine would be on a Northeast Regional train to Boston and then renting a car from there.

sunbabe

No, we are committed to driving. We're not fans of taking the rail system on longer trips, but thank you for your input.

BigRuss

Check New York hotels in the search function, there have been a lot of threads on this because visitors always want to avoid paying 300 per. There are various apartment hotels (Radio City Apartments) that have been recommended here.

The "areas we wish to visit" are not close to a single hotel location. The Park (and especially The Met, which is in Central Park) is not close to the various ferries for visiting Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty (if you really must visit Liberty Island, I wouldn't bother - just take the Staten Island Ferry for the views). If you're in midtown or downtown Manhattan, you will be close to public transportation by default.

>

Other than tomfuller, who's an Amtrak enthusiast, few would blame you.

nytraveler

I'm sorry - but your car alone is going to cost $40 to $50 per night to park. When you take that from your $260 goal and then deduct the 15% hotel tax you are trying to find a place for $ 190 per night - which is really very unlikely for Manhattan in August.

You can certainly look on the various discount sites but I very much doubt you will find a place you would like to stay. I hate to say it but I would look for hotels in NJ right near a PATH station (for cheap and easy transit into NYC) that have free or low cost parking.

There is one hotel on the far west side, Travel Inn, a reasonable budget property, that has those 2 nights for $520 including tax (on booking.com) but it does not include the cost of parking. You would need to check with them to see what the parking will cost.

sunbabe

Thank you everyone for your comments. I had searched Fodors for a couple of days to no avail. I think we will have to pay more to get a hotel and parking in Manhattan and I'd prefer that to staying in NJ.

Appreciate your input.

tomfuller

Which route are you taking? Via Buffalo - NYS Thruway, via Corning - Southern Tier Expressway or via Clearfield PA - 1-80?
I've driven across IL, IN, OH, PA, NY and NJ enough times to know that I prefer the overnight train.
Last March I took an Amtrak trip from Chemult OR to Galesburg IL.
I rented a car for a week in Galesburg, drove it 3300+ miles returned it and came back home on Amtrak via Los Angeles.
I could have driven my own car over 7000 miles and spent 6 more nights in motels that I spent in Amtrak Roomettes.

scdreamer

We stayed at Affinia Dumont last September and loved the hotel and the location. I don't think parking is included, but you could possibly find a place nearby for your car.

We really liked that the room came with a full kitchen, which saved us money on breakfasts, snacks, etc.

https://gc.synxis.com/rez.aspx?Hotel...668.1456532873

doug_stallings

Every hotel in Manhattan has a deal with a nearby garage where you can park. Most of the big hotels have valet parking, albeit for about $50 to $60 per night. (You can get parking a bit cheaper in a more residential area like Murray Hill, where there are a lot of mid-sized hotels, including the Affinia Dumont). For example, there's a garage directly across the street from the Dumont and a larger one around the corner on 3rd Avenue. Don't worry so much about finding the parking. Instead, find a hotel you like that you can afford.

The cheapest hotels in NYC are typically in Queens. But if you are driving, especially if you are driving to Maine, it may make more sense to stay in NJ. Look at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City. You can take a rather expensive ferry to get into Manhattan quickly and simply, but for just two days it may be worth it. The hotel charges $38 for parking, and you save by not paying the $14 toll for the Lincoln or Battery Tunnel. If you get a nonrefundable room, it will be within your price range.

sf7307

There are a number of hotels listed on Hotwire that would be in your price range for your dates if you're willing to go the "anonymous" hotel route (which I have done on a number of trips to NY).

laurie_ann

www.booking.com has one of my favorite NYC hotels for your dates for only $389 total for 2 nights. 6 Columbus. It is right off Columbus Circle but still quiet. So right by entrance to Central Park, the subway, a big Whole Foods (they have seating so you can grab a quick healthy breakfast or other meal). Service at the hotel has been especially nice. I have stayed many places high and low in NYC and would go back to this one anytime, especially at this price. Note your room at that price will likely be miniscule but lots of NYC hotel rooms are "European" small. For parking check out one of the websites or apps for parking like www.bestparking.com or www.parkwhiz.com. Some of them let you reserve a spot even.

sunbabe

Thanks to all. Laurie, I have booked 6 Columbus for two nights. We're not intimidated by the small room, as we don't plan on being in it very much. I also used ParkWhiz to secure covered parking close to the hotel.

Looking forward to our trip!!

Skiergirl

I live one block from 6 Columbus so I can vouch for the fact that you are in a nice hotel in an EXCELLENT neighborhood. You are across the street from Central Park and the Time Warner Center, in addition to the ABCD1 trains that will get you everywhere. There is Blue Ribbon sushi in the lobby but down the street a tiny bit is Sushi Damo, which is excellent. There is also a small rooftop deck at that hotel (been once). This is a great option! Have fun!

sunbabe

Thank you, Skiergirl, for the confirmation! We enjoy sushi, so good to know about Sushi Damo. We can't wait to visit NY!