My husband and I are trying to plan a "special" 5-day trip to NYC in early July with about $300.-$325. per night cap lodging budget? Does anyone have suggestions as to good sites to get "specials" on nicer hotels. . .like the Sofitel, Meridien, Grand Hyatt etc., preferably located near Times Square or the Theatre District? Or smaller boutique-type hotels that have nice amenities would also be good choices for us.

Also, for first-timers, what is the best way to purchase tickets for Broadway shows? And are Friday nights more expensive?

Would really appreciate suggestions on these or any other helpful tips to make our first trip to NYC special.

Just my opinion, but you might want to rethink staying in Times square or the theatre district. Of the many many times i have stayed in NYC my worst experience was staying in that area. If there are hotels specifically that you are interested in, many offer free "memberships" on their websites where they will email you special offers-- i.e. the Alex hotel does that. le Parker meridien is part of the Starwood group, so you can check www.starwood.com to see the lowest rates of their resorts-- meridien, sheraton, etc.

Check travelzoo for specials on hotels and on theatre tix. sign up for their weekly emails to get up to the minute info on specials.

Others i'm sure can chime in on some good tours. have a great trip!

Regarding tickets, no nights are more expensive than others. Friday night might be harder to get a ticket but the cost won't be more.

If there are shows you MUST see I would buy beforehand. If not go to the TKTS booth (which I think is currently at the Marriott -it's always moving around it seems) and see what leftover tickets you can get the day of.

Basically the tickets broadway can't sell go to TKTS discounted. You might not get a perfect seat but you might luck into something which is why it's a little more of a gamble.

Hope that helps.

Other tips - I would make sure you get out of the craziness of midtown and explore the Village, Soho, LES and other little neighborhoods to get a real feel of NYC. Midtown can be overwhelming so getting out of it for an hour or so would be nice.

Are you in town for July 4th?

If you plan to attend a couple of Broadway shows then IMHO it makes sense to stay within walking distance, just to make it easier to get back to the hotel at night; you won't have to worry about hailing a cab in a crowd, or trekking in the subway when you're tired. Midtown also has the best access to multiple subway lines for getting out and about earlier in the day and then back to your hotel if you want to change or rest up for the evening.

Thanks for the above ideas. We were thinking about staying near but not in Times Square area. Any ideas for "boutique" hotels within a few blocks? Thanks.