NYC Affordable, Nice Hotel
 

Hi,

Looking to do a long weekend trip to NYC. I have been looking on all of the travel websites for affordable places to stay, but with all of the options, I'm not quite sure where to start. Two twenty year olds looking for something affordable within walking distance or a short cab ride to the sights of NYC. Would like to stay between or lower than $150-$200 in a nice, clean and safe hotel. Possibly take in a show and go to some nice dinners around NYC, shop and check out the sights. We are from Chicago so we are used to the big city, just not sure which neighborhoods we should be looking in. We have been to NYC before but have not checked out the other neighborhoods such as Tribeca and SoHo, which I'm sure will appeal to us. Are these neighborhoods within walking distance or would a cab be necessary? Any suggestions for places to go/things to see for twenty year olds outside of the NYC sights would be great, also!

Thank you for any help!! Enjoy your day :)

mschau ,hotel prices in New York vary by time of year--High season/specific dates could be 3 or 4 times the price of low season. When are you coming? There may also be an issue of hotels that won't accept under 21s to check into a hotel. Always check on that.

The "sights" of New York are all over Manhattan (at least).
We could come up with a list of HUNDREDS, but you need to be a little more specific ;) What do you want to see?

Also you mention "walking distance" or cabs.
Most people, escpecially those your age, travel by subway which is quick,safe, and cheap. I hope that's an option for your trip, because NO location will be walking distance from everthing you want to do, and taxis will be expensive if you use them all the time!

Nyer, Thank you for your response.

I forgot to include when we were planning on coming. Sometime this summer, most likely during the beginning of June. As for the under 21, I did think about that so I will have to check into hotels that would let us check in. The subway would be an option as long as we felt safe and knew where we were going. I know we want to visit Times Square, St. Patrick's, Macy's, Rockefellar Center, etc. I was looking at the Hotel Belleclaire. Is it nice, clean and in a good location, according to all of the knowledgable NYCers out there?

Thanks again!

The Belleclaire is in a nice residential neighborhood,always busy and there are lots and lots of inexpensive restaurants nearby.Good subway access to other parts of the city. It takes about 10 minutes to Times Square by subway from there, to Macy's is about 2 minutes more.
Some of my 20-something relatives havce stayed there and said it was fine. It's not a fancy place, but seems to be clean and comfortable. Many European tourists go there.

If just one king bed will work, Hilton Garden Inn Times Square has a $150 special the first wkd of June, it's on their website as the "Ny Super Special". It's for their updated "evolution room", details on the website.

Just checked Expedia.com on another post and weekend rate for the Grand Hyatt in Midtown was $139 a night!
Love the Benjamin Hotel and that is only going for $212 and that is an all suites hotel with kitchenette and living and dining room..gorgeous place across from the Waldorf.

Have you ever used Priceline? I always use their name your own price feature when we go to NYC. I was able to get a room at the Millenium Broadway Hotel in the Times Square area for early April for $124 a night. You can go to www.biddingfortravel to get more info on how Priceline works.

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I'm a little hesitant to try Priceline since I have not tried it before. I will look into everything!!

A good website to compare availability and prices for lots of hotels in New York at one time is www.quikbook.com. I usually check there first, then check the prices on the hotel's own website and reserve whichever rate is lower.

We go to NYC pretty often and have now settled on the Courtyard by Marriott Midtown East as our default hotel. The rooms are spotless and huge by NY standards, the internet is free, there's a subway station at the door (3rd @ E 53rd) and there are plenty of restaurants, shops, and transport alternatives within walking distance. The hotel restaurant is only open for breakfast, but that's no drawback at all. Walking to Rockefeller Center or MOMA takes around 10 min.

For the first weekend in June the AAA rate is $169, which IMO is a bargain for NYC.

There are some good rates from June this year. Look at Travelzoo.com and as already mentioned Quikbook.com.

If you want to try Priceline go to www.betterbidding.com and the people there will help you. They are very friendly!

Do check if Priceline can be used if you're under 21. I have no idea, but think it's worth checking.

Nytraveler - I didn't think about the age factor for Priceline. I think most of us here have reached the minimum age restrictions for most things already - LOL!

That is a good price for the Grand Hyatt and it's a really nice hotel.

One basic strategy that Priceline fans often use is to book a cancelable room, then bid as the date approaches, when hotels might be trying to unload rooms. Another good source of bargains is the Apple Core group of hotels, which often discount their rooms deeply a few days in advance.