Hello all! Thanks in advance for all of the GREAT help I get from this site. Now, I need you all more than ever.

You see, I am asking my girlfriend of 3 years to marry me in New York next weekend. I will be checking in to a hotel on Friday, March 31st and checking out April 2nd. I am excited that we are going to be taking this trip first class all the way except one thing...I haven't booked a room yet. Now, I am not a slacker at this stuff, but it turns out that my girlfriend has a week off before starting her next job so I am moving up the big day by a month...what better way for her to start off her new career!

Anyway, I am looking for a hotel that has great access to the pulse of New York. We like shopping, dining and nightlife so we really want to be in the "hustle" of it all. As for my budget, I don't see us spending a ton of time in the room, so I would ideally like to be under $300/night. I have looked at the W Union Square and Soho Grand to give you examples of my taste and style. Maybe you know a gem that is not often talked about. In any event, I want someplace nice. I have saved and saved and saved for this weekend and want it to be as memorable as it can possibly be.

Thank you for your help in this Fodor's community!!! And wish me luck!

Jeremy

Well - this may not be helpful - but Msrch 31 is almost here. So my advice is to reserve something cancellable NOW that you can live with - so you don;t get shut out. Then you can take a little more time to find what you really want.

For instance - the Soho Grand doesn;t have many rooms left and the least expensive is the basic queen - at about $360 per night.

Congrats in advance! I just got married myself and it is such an exciting time! NYC should be a great place to propose.

Last time in NYC I stayed at the Hudson Hotel. I think the site is morganshotelgroup.com. We got a deal with a room and free overnight valet (we drove) for $235 per night. The ambiance of this hotel is very cool, the food and service are amazing. I like the location, it's around W. 57th and 9th (i think) near Central Park and there were lots of great restaurants nearby.

The only drawback...our room was about 150 square feet. So, you should probably get the most expensive room you can afford, i think if you spend another $50 you can get another 100 square feet which should be worth it. My husband literally had to leave the room so I could change and put on makeup.

That aside it is a very cool place and I'd definitely stay there again. Since you're not spending a ton of time in the room, the small size shouldn't be too bothersome. And your girlfriend will definitely be wowed by the entrance and the amazing lobby

Best of luck!
Bokchoy

Thank you...great tip, going to check that out now! Ambience and location are definitely the two most important things to me. I want us to walk out of the hotel and "feel" the city. From my previous stays in New York, small rooms seem to be the norm. My budget is defintitely flexible, probably up to $400/night TOPS if it means that much better of an experience. Thanks Bokchoy!

Jeremy...I usually stay @ The Helmsley Park Lane, you can get Park View King $300, City View King $250, or tell them you are me and get City View King @$240 and get upgraded as I always do.....

Try Le Parker Meridien (parkermeridien.com). My husband and I stayed there after getting engaged and loved it. The prices are right in your range...although somehow we got a junior suite for about the price of a regular room now. The location is perfect--right on W. 57th in the heart of it all. Congratulations to you.

Hi Jeremy. I did a search for you on kayak.com (a site that searches lots of other sites) and here are some hotels I found for your dates that I think either fit your description or are great, romantic places. I'm staring the hotels that aren't trendy but that are nice and romantic

70 Park Ave. $295 on kimpton.com

W Tuscany or W Court $309 whotels.com

*Omni Berkshire $337 onetravel.com

*NY Palace $345 onetravel.com

Royalton or Morgan's $349 onetravel.com

W Union Square $379 whotels.com

*Plaza Athenee $395 lhw.com

You should read reviews on tripadvisor.com

The Bryant Park Hotel is another place to check.

In terms of places already mentioned, the location of the Park Lane is great and a park view would be awesome. Just read reviews on tripadvisor. I think the hotel might feel a bit dated. Parker Meridien is a nice idea. The location of the Hudson is not very convenient imo and rooms are miniscule. Just remember the trendy places often have very small rooms.

Just a heads up, your girlfriend may feel a bit anxious or stressed starting a new job. Hope you're picking the right time to do this.

I second bokchoy choice in hotel except that I got lucky and did it through priceline and only paid $135 per night , central park is really close by too, do you know where you will pop the question?

You all are doing better than ever for me today!!! I am searching these fast and furiously. Mclaurie, great question, but I am positive this is the right time. Her new job is a big time step up and something that has been in the works for awhile. We have been to a few dinners with her new colleagues over the past few weeks and even they know I am about to pop the question, so I think it would be a nice surprise but also a great way for us to start our life together.

Right now I am thinking of popping the question on Friday so we can enjoy Saturday night engaged. I have a reservation at Daniel on Friday and am still not sure if I will do it there or somewhere else in the city.

All of these hotels look great. The park lane sounds great (park or city view?) but i definitely prefer trendy and hip to something old and "antique" feeling.

I'm going to keep searching through all of your recommendations. My first thought was the W Union Square. I have heard good things but really am learning about so many spots from you all that NEVER crossed my mind.

I am even having a friend pack for her (her best friend in the world so don't worry, she will have the right outfits) and having a sedan pick her up friday morning and take her to Unions Station (Washington, DC) to meet me for our train trip!

Jeremy...When I stay @ The Park Lane, I am the trendiest,hippest,hottest, and youngest one in the hotel...hip too!!But it is a bit "Old World" but not overly so...There is, IMHO, something so very magical about a Park View room.....Best of Luck!!

Ok, this is not fair, stuff the hotel. HOW are you going to ask her??? lets get to the juicy bits. Are you aware of the diamond district in NYC and are you going there? I picked up some fabulous diamonds there and its a great place to go. But details - we need DETAILS....... If her work colleagues get to know, then dammit so do we!!!!!!!!! I've been married 20 years so I hope yours will be as happy as mine.

Okay....i don't know about you all, but I was unable to access fodors over the past two hours....anyway, I booked at the W Union Square. In searching through their special offers on the starwood site, I found the $379 room for $329 PLUS: Unlimited 1 day NYC Metro Card
1,000 bonus Starpoints®
Upgrade to next available room type
A copy of the New York Times daily
A Bloody Mary or Mimosa
Garment Pressing of suit and top
Sweet dessert with in-room dining
Morning coffee service daily

Instead of booking online for the standard room, I called and explained my situation, obviously in a nice voice because she upgraded my room and put in for early check-in. Thanks to all of you, I decided to dig deeper in my search...thank you so much for the help!!!

If you have any hip restaurant recommendations that are compatible with my weekend, would love to hear. I have the Daniel reservation but am still open for anything fun and trendy.

Okay jjah, I must confess that I do not yet know how I am going to do it. I flew to the Tucson Gem Show last month and purchased a beautiful ring. Diamonds around platinum with a 2 ct. princess cut in the middle. I think she is going to love it. Anyway, I am going to tell her that I am taking off at lunch on Friday so we can spend the weekend before her new job together. At 9 am next Friday, a sedan will pull up to her place, she will be surprised, champagne and a drive to Union Station in DC for the 10:30 am. Acela to New York (Penn Station). The second I pick her up she will know what is coming I think and that is totally fine. Any advice is welcome.

I am VERY excited and the ring has been killing me over the past month, but I didn't want to ask because she had been hard at work planning an engagement party for a mutual friend and I thought it would be a little rude to do it a week before our friends engagement party.

In any event, I am excited and I know our weekend is going to be amazing. I still need to figure out where I am going to ask. As for what I will say and she will say, I think I have that pretty much figured out.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Jeremy

This is very sweet!

Best wishes to the both of you!

Jeremy-

Sounds like a great plan. She'll love it. Best wishes to you.

=D>

The other restaurant to consider is Bouley. It's downtown.

http://thestrongbuzz.com/belly/belly_search_results.php

Oh I am so excited just hearing about it! The Hudson is a fun place for lunch or drinks if you decide to check it out. I recommend at least hitting their bar "The Library" in the early evening for a quick drink.

Don't forget to post a report after the big weekend!

SO EXCITING

Love it! Good luck and an early congratulations!

Last time we were in town, we were told the Spice Market in the Meat Packing District was a hot spot. Make reservations. We also went to a Battali's restaurant, forget the name, starts with a B. We were impressed but stuffed. Apparently just because they offer 3 courses doesn't mean you should try and eat 3 courses. They have "walk in" dining at 5pm. Just a few spots. Reservations, I understand, are gone as soon as they are available.

That all sounds wonderful, Jeremy. What a lucky lady!

Below is a link to a very long thread about different proposal options. Perhaps this will be helpful to you?

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34698230

I am a bit biased, because my husband proposed to me in NYC (on a carriage ride at Christmas!), but there are just so many wonderful, romantic, memorable ways to pop the question.

Good luck to you, and congratulations on beginning your new life together!

It always amazes me how helpful all of you are when someone has a great question like this. I really feel that this site is more like a loosely organized volunteer group, doing something helpful all the time, 24/7.

All that said BRAVO FODORITES.

jliven:

Congrats on your upcoming trip, I know you will have a great time while you are here.

I would suggest staying at The Palace, which is in the heart of the city on 50th St and Madison Ave and they usually offer a very good weekend rate. I can probably also pull a string or two and have a nice basket in the room.

Other than the palace, you might try www.hotels.com, you can plug in your dates of travel and find out which hotels are available and what the rates are so you can compare location, amenities and rooms very easily.

Hope this helps and have a great time.

You have made some great plans and you are extremely thoughtful - have a wonderful weekend!