L Brewer

I hope there's help for me out there! First trip to NYC this coming Oct. Narrowed search to three hotels--all same price (w/in $10): Broadway Plaza, Broadway at 26th or Hotel Beacon, Broadway at 74th, or Embassy Suites on North End Ave (near Battery Park I think). All have kitchenette/micro. I don't have a 3-headed coin! Which would you choose? Thank you SO much.

Peter

I live in the city, but, as a general observation, Broadway from 32nd down to 25th is deserted in the evening. All shops are shut down, no pedestrians, little traffic (garbage trucks mostly). That area looks like a ghost town at night. This may just make you feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, the Upper West Side location of the Beacon is greay. Can't say anything about North End Ave. Hopefully, someone can give you a more substantive report on the hotels.

patty

I wanted to second Peter's opinion that just going by neighborhoods, I'd go for the Beacon also. It's in my neighborhood of the upper west side. You have Fairway Market across Broadway, the subway and several bus lines right there, lots of reasonably priced restaurants on Amsterdam, Columbus and Broadway, and both Riverside and Central Parks within walking distance.

Suzy

Check out www.biddingfortravel.com It seems that the Embassy Suites is the only 4-star hotel in Priceline's Financial District, so if you do decide on that, you might want to try bidding for it on Priceline.

Cindy

I've been raving about the Beacon on this site for the past few weeks. I stayed there for the first time last month on the recommendation of friends who live on the upper west side. They were absolutely right. The location is wonderful and Fairway Market, across the street, is a treat in itself. Zabar's is only a few blocks away, too. I found the hotel staff very friendly and helpful and really felt that I got extremely good value for my money.

Statia

I can't comment on the second two hotels you mentioned, but I do know for a fact that the area of Broadway Plaza is deserted at night (as previously mentioned) and not somewhere I'd want to stay.

I can, however, recommend two hotels that aren't too far from there, yet are on a much safer and busier street. Red Roof Inn (fairly new) runs about $100 per night, and Hotel Stanford runs about $140 per night. Red Roof is on 32nd off Fifth Avenue and Stanford is on 32nd off Broadway. Both are near Macy's, Manhattan Mall and not too far a walk from Times Square.

Enjoy your trip and report back on what you decided for accomodations.

LindaB

Thanks, all, for your help. I booked at the Hotel Beacon for $145/night (HotelWiz.com)Hotels.com was $170. Priceline scared me, I was afraid I'd get stuck with a hotel I didn't want. I'll report back after October!

Harriett

I stayed at Hotel Beacon on my first two trips to NYC and loved it. Earlier this month, when I took my daughter for her first NYC trip, I bid on Priceline and got Hilton & Towers (Midtown/Rockefeller Center) for a great price. The hotel was fine, but I much prefer the Upper West Side and will definitely stay there again -- much more interesting neighborhood, convenient to everything. Be sure to add Citarelle to Zabar and Fairway Market if you're a serious food shopper!