I am planning to go on a girls weekend Jan 1-3 with a friend. We got Algonquin Hotel on Priceline. It's 4 star, in a good location but I am concerned about the small rooms. I know NYC overall has smaller rooms however it just seems that the Tripadvisor reviews consistently mention smaller for standards. I have stayed in NYC hotels prior and never felt the rooms were too small, but we'll see.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what may be going on that weekend? Our plan is to take it really easy. Stroll around, eat at nice places, visit a spa and just enjoy the city. Perhaps catch a show if one catches our eye. I used to live in the upper east side years ago and regret not taking advantage of a lot of things that out of town people come to see.

thanks.

Well of course there always something "going on" any weekend, but since it is after New Year's and people are recovering and/or traveling back home, I suspect there aren't many special events. I assume you're not thinking along the lines of the Polar Bears swim at Coney Island

Whatever is usually on will be on--shows, museums, walking tours--whatever you might be interested in. Look at TIme Out New York or New York Magazine and see if something stands out for you.
newyork.timeout.com
nymag.com

Well, the 1st is New Year's Day so a lot of places will be closed. I would check out what you're interested in to see which will be open then.

The rooms at the Algonquin are small, but you're only staying there for a few nights, not buying it and moving in! The hotel was recently renovated but keeps its "old NYC" charm. Read a little about the hotel before you go lots of history there, which since you used to live in NYC you probably already know!

We were there in August for 4 nights, small standard room, closet with lots of hangers and a shelf, but there is no dresser. Decent sized bathroom, lots of fluffy towels and nice amenities. Bed was very comfortable. There is a desk & chair and 2 small tables on either side of the bed. Room was spotless.

The lobby and bar areas were comfortable, the staff was outstanding. I would not hesitate to stay there again! The restaurant across the street, Figaro, was inexpensive and a nice place if you want to something casual.

Thanks for the hotel info.

The Algonquin is a historic, classic NYC hotel. The rooms are small as are many of the bathrooms, but you presumably won it for a very good price and it's not cancelable/changeable so don't worry about it. The service is great, the lobby lounge a popular spot for a drink and the house cat is a charmer. Since you say you're traveling with a friend, you can try phoning/emailing to request a room with 2 beds (those are usually bigger) but a Priceline win only guarantees one room with one bed for 2 people so they don't have to accomodate that request.

Here are some New Year's Day ideas from Time Out. http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/...years-day-2010

Here's a list from last year from a good website. http://www.newyorkology.com/archives...open_new_1.php

Thanks so much for the links. I did get the hotel for a good price overall compared to nyc prices. $120/night.

The Algonquin is one of our favorite hotels in NYC. We love the location with Times Square only steps (but seems a world) away in one direction and 5th Avenue in the other. Especially nice are the bar, lobby lounge, and breakfast in the Round Table Room. We also enjoy Gaby's at the Sofitel next door, and Red Flame (typical NYC "coffee shop") in the same block.

We've found the rooms cozy, but spacious enough. Only problem was the time we had a room facing the courtyard - on a day with no sun, when you wake up, it's so dark, you think it's still nighttime and go back to sleep!