ab

I'm checking Orbitz right now and can't believe how few hotels there are closer to $150 per night. I'm concerned that the one's I see are dumps.

Any feed back on:
Sutton Place Suite 310 E 55th STreet
Metropolitan formerly Loews 569 Lexington Ave
Best Western President HOtel 234 W 48th Street
Helmsley Middletowne 148 E 48th St
Best Western Ambassador 123 W 45 St.
Algonquin HOtel 59 W 44th St.
Bentley 500 E 62 St.
Grand Hyatt Park Ave at G. Central
New York Helmsley 212 # 42 St.
Clarion Hotel Fifth Ave 3 E 40th St

I can't believe the prices for everything else. Unfortunately I'm trying to budget a low-cost, nice trip for 8 people over the Xmas holidays.

Any suggestions on these or other properties that would be closer to $150 per night would be appreciated.

Howard

Thew hotels you list are far from dumps, and in at least some cases, $150 is a good price!

ab

thanks, I understand all the $200-$400 per night hotels but I'm surprised there are so few on the lower end.

Tammy

Try the Park Central Hotel. Nice mid-town locale and the rooms have been recently renovated.
http://www.srs-worldhotels.com/usa/new_york/reservations_nycpar.html

xxx

The Christmas holidays are a busy time for travel in New York City. You're not likely to find much on the "low end" in NYC at that time of year. Your best bet is probably to go to biddingfortravel.com and see what type of rates people are getting through Priceline and at which hotels for that time period.

Jen

Try the Salisbury...excellent location on 57th, not far from Central Park. I paid $109 + 40 upgrade to suite, in August. I booked though Quikbook.com and for Xmas Holidays they're quoting rate of 129/room and 175/suite. Suites were recently renovated and have separate living area and kitchenette. It was quite large and we were pleasantly suprised with the size. Website is nycsalisbury.com and pictures give an accurate indication of what the rooms are like. Only drawback is that there's not a restaurant on site.

connie

Try the Warwick Hotel. I called the Warwick Hotel directly and was quoted $149.00 per night during Christmas week. Quickbook also has the Warwick for $149.00 per night during Christmas week.

suzanne

Grand Hyatt is not a dump. The hotels we normally stay at, Hotel Wales upper east side, and Empire Hotel, Lincoln Center, are probably closer to $200 including breakfast during the holidays.

Cindy

I've stayed at the Best Western President, and it's perfectly fine although not luxurious - it certainly isn't a dump. The Algonquin is a great hotel; I'm surprised to see that it's affordable. I'd also second the recommendation for the Salisbury; if you can get it for a good price, it's an excellent hotel and very well-located.

Donna

We stayed at the Algonquin over last Christmas and the one before. The hotel is wonderful, the service is friendly and efficient, and the location is teriffic. Rooms are compact and some bathrooms have showers only, though.

We've also stayed at the Helmsley Middetown which is just fine.

You might be able to do better with www.hoteldiscount.com, www.hotwire.com (my favorite, prices are a little higher than with Priceline, but we've liked the hotels better) or go to www.biddingfortravel.com and read the hotel FAQ's and recent winning bids, then bid on Priceline.

As the others have said, NYC is very popular over Christmas, so you must shop way ahead and with diligence.

Alan

If you can still get the Algonquin for around $150 a night, I wouldn't bother thinking about anything else.

ab

thanks, Algonquin and Salisbury (sp?) keep getting recommended. Beacon has also be recommended. Anyone familiar with it. 75 and Broadway?

Simone

I can only speak about Bentley. Stayed there on two occassions in July/August for 125 per night. The rooms were large by NY standards - very modern furniture in classic taupe/muted green colours. Very clean Nice view of the 59th Street bridge from our room. Comfortable king sized bed. Bathroom average sized - functional. Rate included continental breakfast. The location of the hotel seems to put some people off - the neighbourhood is very nice but it is not in the middle of everything. The closest subway is a bit of a hike at Lexington and 59th. Personally we loved the neighbourhood and did'nt mind the location at all and the walking around because we discovered alot that way and took taxis when we were not up to walking. Quite a few decent restaurants around the area and a nice variety too - Italian, Indian, Greek, French, you name it. Also discovered Rodney Dangerfield's comedy club right around the corner. At that rate, you simply cannot beat the value and I recommend it highly especially if money is a concern.

ab

Do the rates go up in Midtown just because of the location or is it a better part of town. It looks like the hotels towards the upper west side are more reasonable and possibly in more residential areas? Are they not as nice? Is the neighborhood not as safe? or is it just further walking distance to places? I'm getting a quick lesson on NYC and prefer to get the scoop from regular travelers rather than the stuff I'm reading in travel books and websites. A good marketing person can make anyplace sound inviting.

bart

if you can get G. Hyatt at 150, take it!!!! Nice. I have haeard alqonquin is nice but not stayed there.

xxx

Check out the Muse hotel on 46th Street between 6th & 7th. It's great!

Teresa

We have friends who stay at the Algonquin every time they're in New York. They say the rooms are fairly small but the service and atmosphere are wonderful. As a book lover, being around the ghosts of the round table (not that there are actually ghosts there) sounds irresistible. What a great location, too--next time I'm giving the Algonquin a try.

ab

I'm so tired....I could consider a travel agent at this point. Tempted to go with Embassy Suites but got talked out of staying over there during the holidays. Finally agreed to doubletree suites on times square. more $ but we can get two suites and fit everyone in.

While on the phone with the reservation agent and comparing with on-line the hotel sold out. I was able to book 1 room. A little while later I was able to book 4 out of 5 days for the second room.

I've checked tons of travel sites and there's no room.

I'm going to keep calling and checking the website for the last night.

I'm too tired to find anything else comparable. Maybe tomorrow.

Michele

After moving from NYC after 10 years, whenever we visit we stay at the Metropolitan. Great location and big rooms.

Lizzie

We have stayed at the Bentley - I agree with the comments posted earlier. Nice place, small rooms, $20 parking, not too close to a subway, but close to Bloomingdale's, Serendipity...I got a rate of $104. from HotelKingdom.com (several months ago).