nyc hotel with young kids
 

Looking for a place to stay. Three nights with preschoolers. Will have a car. Thinking about outside of the city so parking isn't an issue and we can take the subway in. Is north like white plains best? Or over in nj?

Thanks. This is a lst minute trip. We were supposed to go to Baltimore but most of my vacation was cancelled due to the sequester.

You cannot take the subway from outside the city since it does not cross city boundaries. Taking a daily NJ Transit or Metro North train will be expensive.

If you give your EXACT dates, number of beds needed and nightly budget in USDs, someone here will let you know if you will be able to find something in your price range and maybe even make specific suggestions.

4/22-4/25. 2 rooms...one with two beds...the other is just for two adults. We can use AAA, AARP, or govt rate. Would love to stay under $200 which is why I was thinking outside of the city. But I think I can get some Marriott's for $240 govt rate.

You mean $240 per room - not $240 for both rooms - I assume.

Parking in the city is about $30 per night.

But trekking in from White Plains (MetroNorth trains) or Jersey (PATH or bus or NY Transit_ is time-consuming - not good with little kids and definitely not free).

The only hotel in Manhattan with free paring is the Travel Inn on the far west side. They also do have some rooms that will accommodate 4. Don;t know the rates for those dates.

Millenium UN Plaza has a large pool wich may interest you with young kids. You can walk over to Grand Central to access subways.

Yes, $240 per room. We were staying at the Inner Harbor for $145/night with $32 parking so I'm trying not to kill the budget for my inlaws.

I'll check out the Millenium UN.

How about a hotel in long island city like the Wyndham? I can get it for $174. It has good reviews and appears to be an easy subway ride to Manhattan.

I think there are two possible plans here since you are coming from Baltimore. 1) Park once outside the city and take NJ Transit in, staying in Manhattan or in NJ on a PATH line. 2) Bite the bullet and pay the tolls to drive through Manhattan (going over the Queensboro Bridge) and staying in Long Island City. Parking there is iffy, but the hotel rates are ok, and there may be nearby garages that would be a fraction of the cost of Manhattan.

The problem with Manhattan is that you are quite unlikely to find a hotel for $200 (really, even in NJ that may not happen). But staying White Plains and getting a bunch of adults and preschoolers into Manhattan every day would be both expensive and a logistical nightmare.

At your budget, I think it's going to be tough regardless. The Millennium UN Plaza is still $50 above your preferred budget before taxes, for example, and it's one of the cheaper hotels in Manhattan that will meet your needs.

We aren't coming from Baltimore...we were supposed to spend a week down there but part of my vacation was cancelled. We are coming from NH.

I know the budget is tough...I'm trying to keep it on the lower end so my inlaws don't have to shell out a bunch on money they hadn't planned on spending. I'll see if they are willing to up it a bit. I can get the Courtyard Manhattan/Soho for $241.

We aren't coming from Baltimore...we were supposed to spend a week down there but part of my vacation was cancelled. We are coming from NH.

I know the budget is tough...I'm trying to keep it on the lower end so my inlaws don't have to shell out a bunch on money they hadn't planned on spending. I'll see if they are willing to up it a bit. I can get the Courtyard Manhattan/Soho for $241.

I just checked Hotwire to see what "off price" sites have available and the <i>least expensive</i> 3* in Manhattan is $197 plus taxes, which takes it up to the $240-ish you mentioned for the Courtyard Soho.

With small kids I would definitely stay in Manhattan. You don;t want to be in LIC with preschoolers - you want access to an area where they can run around and be kids - and be fairly near the hotel, And an area with a lot of eating places.

LIC has limited restaurant choices and is semi-industrial in many parts. Not parks or green spaces or a lot of choices for dining - all of which you will find in Manhattan.

I can understand your need for a budget - but with little kids time and convenience also matter a lot.

Have you checked the Newton on the upper west side. They have double doubles (2 double beds) available for $212 - perhaps less with your government rate. It's in a great location right near central park and is a reliable budget property. And tons of good inexpensive eateries nearby.

Will check that out...thanks!

If you are coming from NH then Long Island City is an even better choice, so I don't see any problem there. You would be closer to most tourist sites by subway than at the Newton. So definitely look there. Exactly one subway stop from Manhattan on the E. it's significantly cheaper than Manhatan.

Yes, but do you want to be staying in LIC with 3 toddlers - versus right near Central Park, with nearby playground - and a dozen inexpesnive restaurants within a few blocks in a family neighborhood.

My kids are used to the Boston subway system so I'm not concerned about that part of it. They will do fine. Just need to decide if I want to spend $400/night for convenience or save over $200/night for a slight inconvenience.

We just stayed at the Travel Inn which has free parking. When I started watching, rates were about $300 per night, but they dropped to $160 for a Sunday night and $200 for M-W when I jumped on them. This was for a double or two double beds. A king was an extra $25. Wifi not included, but available for an extra fee.

Last year, we stayed there and did a trip report with walking times. It would be a bit of a walk with little kids for those not used to it. However, if you are, then it was an easy 15 or 20 minutes to the subway.

I looked up my notes from last year. I posted:

There was a CVS across the street and a Food Emporium a block away. Fast food such as Subway, Burger King, and McDonald's were passed when walking towards the theater district.

Walking distance from Travel Inn
Burger King - 6 min.
Subway - 7 min.
Circle Line - 10 minutes
TKTS - 20 min.
Theater - 15 - 25 minutes

rizzo0904:

Have a look at the Milburn Hotel on the upper west side www.milburnhotel.com - you could get a one bedroom suite with 2 double beds, queen sofa bed in living room, ideal for 6 people $339.00 night with breakfast included. Small kitchen. Close to subway.

Sandy