NYC Hotels to Beware Of
 

Many of us who live in New York have long warned travelers to avoid certain hotels in the city. Add three more to your list, all of which are on the Upper West Side of Manhattan: The Marrakesh, the Broadway, and the Royal Park. All three are illegal hotels that are actually what we call in New York SROs (Single Room Occupancy). In these hotels, you'll find many long-term, rent-stablized tenants who live there permanently with other rooms being rented out by the night or week. This is a highly illegal and unsafe situation that tourists ought to avoid.

I've told many posters in these forums that virtually all short-term apartment rentals are illegal, and this story that ran on Fox 5 News last night explains why. It's useful listening. Regrettably, there are a lot of scams out there in NYC, and you need to be aware of them to have a safe trip to the city.

I can't post a link directly to the video from last night's news, but it's at www.myfoxny.com. Look under "Local" stories and search for "New Yorkers Not Welcome at Local Hotels."

Really good information, Doug.

The Marakesh is notorious for this. They have operated under a couple of different names, use some rooms as hotel, some as hostel - and many as SRO. Completely illegal and an awful place.

Topping so this good information will be read.

Doug, I've never read the NYC guide, but is this information in the guide ? I think it would be helpful for those people that pick up the hard copy.

thanks for the alert.

Doug, you're actually touching on 2 different problems visitors to NYC come across
1)Illegal hotels, like the ones you've mentioned
2)short term rental apartment scams (like some found on Craigslist etc)

Definitely helpful information.

Here's a link to the story http://gothamist.com/2009/01/27/ille...e.php#comments

Rule to live by: If is sounds too good to be true, IT IS!

Yes - but if you're not familiar with NYC - prices, types of apartment, etc - it may not sound too good to be true.

Not that I've ever (or would ever) consider staying there, but the Marrakesh regularly pops up on the quikbooks site. Maybe someone at Fodors should send the link to quikbooks!

I know that some posters here, including Neopatrick, have found good, legitimate apartments to rent out, but they are actually few and far between. Most are illegal, though in truth, most of the apartments you see listed on VRBO, etc. are not really "scams" per se. The people who own the apartments will rent the apartment for the amount they offer; you just need to know that you're breaking the law, and you have no recourse if something goes wrong.

I think you need to be aware that there are levels of risk. While VRBO is "by Owner" there are some controls - those who scam are eventually removed from the site if renters complain.

But, if you use Craig's list there are no controls - and a fairly high percentage are outright scams - never mind the ones that are misleading (forget to mention it's a 5th floor walk-up, or in a neighborhood best described as "gritty"). And then there was the apartment in NJ that was only 3 iles from midtown (across the Hudson River, with no easy access).

Wow, I just love this site. Everyone is so helpful and generous sharing their knowledge.

This thread is so timely for me. I have girlfriends who are going to NYC later in the year and were thinking of renting an apartment. They have been referred to Craigslist and assume that it is all legit. There will be 4 or 5 of them I think and they would prefer an apartment due to the cost of hotels.

Any suggestions on where they can source legitimate accommodation for this number of people?

That's a hard one. There are two-bedroom suites at some of the Affinia hotels, but these are pretty expensive. Radio City Apartments is the most cost-effective apartment-style hotel that I'm aware of in Midtown, and they might look there.

But with the cost of hotel rooms going down, it might not be cost-prohibitive for them to rent two modest hotel rooms at, say, the Hilton Garden Inn or the Hampton Inn or some other mid-range chain hotel. Hotel prices in NYC are definitely going down now.

I think another viable option would be to try Priceline or Hotwire for a hotel (be sure to read up on the process on www.biddingfortravel.com before making a big).

A final option would be a mid-range hotel room in Long Island City, Queens, just over the 59th Street bridge. The Comfort Inn Long Island City is 2 blocks from the Queens Plaza subway stop (one stop from Midtown) and is usually reasonably priced. They could get 2 rooms there. I think this is a better option than looking in NJ or further out because it's on the subway and NJ Transit is more than twice the cost of the subway (late-night, it's also about a $20 cab ride from the east side of Midtown, moving that into the realm of possibility for most people). But cabs only hold 4 people.

Hope this helps.

FYI: I forgot to mention that Priceline allows you to bid for a room only for 2 people, and many NYC hotels have only 1 double bed. Hotwire allows a bid for 4 people (2 double beds).

I would try Radio City Apartments first if theyhave anything left for their dates - they are about as inexpensive as you can be and still reliable.

If their budgets are really low theymight consider a relaibel hostel - some of which have private rooms.

Also, look at travelzoo, kayak, etc for deal - but do be sure they check out the hotel here and on tripadvisor.com.

Do youhave nay idea what they want to spend?

There are plenty of suite hotels that offer the space and kitchen of an apt. but the safety, certainty and amenities (like daily maid service) of a hotel. In addition to Radio City apts., nycsalisbury.com, milburnhotel.com, beaconhotel.com, affinia.com are some others. Renting an apartment for less than a month is just too much of a risk.

Thank you all so much. The information is really helpful. I have had a quick look at the Radio City appt and I think they will be within the budget and suit. They like the idea of being able to cook but in reality I'm not sure they will bother - there are so many options available. They are first timers to NYC and the midtown location of these appt. would be ideal.

Will look at the other ones you have suggested too mclaurie.

I will suggest looking at mid priced hotels too. I have already laid the seeds that NYC is expensive (due to the horrid exchange rate with the Oz$) so they expect to pay what we would consider high prices for smallish rooms - again by our standards.

You know at the end of the day they are all so excited about the trip I think they would camp out in the park and be happy.

<i>NYC is expensive (due to the horrid exchange rate with the Oz$) </i>

Hotels in Manhattan are expensive, period. It might be worse due to the exchange rate, but believe me, even us Americans think the hotels are VERY expensive.

We stayed at Carnegie Suites one summer and had a big room for a good price, also good location ( close to the Park). I have a cousin in CT who has offered her house if we come east to visit NYC. Might have to take her up on that...

Hi, Doug:

Thanks for posting this! It's invaluable!

You mentioned that rates are coming down. Is it just for the next couple of months? I'm more interested in getting a room in the summertime (May). Will the rates be going up then?

Unless the economy improves, I don't see hotel rates in NYC rising anytime soon. However, I do want to point out that the cost of living in New York is particularly high, and the hotels here do have fixed costs, so there's only so far the hotel rates can come down. Hotel rates been unconscionably high for the past 2 or 3 years, but hotels are probably also going to substitute something else for high rates. In these dreary, cold months of winter, the hotels will stay low since tourism is quite visibly down in New York, but in the summer, I think you might see hotel rates staying fairly low but hotels adding energy surcharges for a/c and other stupid extra charges (at least as much as they can get away with) to keep their profits higher.

Doug_Stallings since you mention the surcharges I wonder about the a/c in hotel rooms. I am planning a trip for a conference in April and will stay at the Marriott Marquis for the conference but am looking for a room for an extra Monday &amp; Tuesday night. I found that some hotels say something like &quot;seasonal a/c&quot; which to me here in Texas sounds so strange. Should I be worried about the heating/cooling of my room?

Also since we are on the subject any opintions of the Wellington Hotel, Millenium Broadway or the Hilton New York?

I like how close the Wellington is to the park but the Millenium looks so nice.

Wellington is nothing like the class of the Hilton or the Millenium.

Seasonal AC means that is the winter you get heat and when it gets hot (extremely unlikely in April) you will get AC. You can't turn the AC on in the middle of the winter if for some reason you want to be 60 degrees.

(I HATE hot weather and even I rarely turn my AC on before mid May - and often then it's on and off - outside air is usually comfy and fresher - except for the real summer.

Doug, your Editor logo should also show up on the title so we know it's from an Editor while scrolling down the list of threads. Jaya

Troublemp - We stayed at the Hilton Times Square last November and I thought it was really good. We arrived on election night and went out to join the 1000s of New Yorkers in Times Square - just amazing.

Our room overlooked the NY Times offices and we were able to watch all the journos at work. Quite fascinating. Also had an amazing view of the Empire State Building which looked great lit at night. Looked forward to seeing what colour it would be each night. Best views I've had in a NY hotel.

Really liked the position too - so easy to get around with the subway and bus station so close.

The only negative was the breakfast - very expensive and very ordinary. We ended up going diagonally across the road on 42nd Street to a diner which did good fresh fruit, juices, eggs, cereals, coffee etc. Good value and nice and fresh.

Am I the only one here who has actually stayed at the Marrakesh?!!

I had no idea it was illegal till now. It suited my needs that night because my flight arrived just before midnight at Laguardia and I took the Harlem bus which ends 3 blocks from Marrakesh. Their public spaces are fairly nice actually but my room experience was quite memorable. I entered and realized that in a 4 person bunkbed room, 3 were already in bed and it was all dark. I didn't want to awaken anyone so I entered in the dark and climbed up into the remaining top bunk. It became clear to me as a solo female that at least one of the occupants was male and young....I saw by the reflection on his face from his cellphone as he was texting while I climbed on the bunk above him. Between the creaky bed that groined with my every move and the telltale rhythmic motion that commenced underneath me, it is a wonder that I got to sleep at all.

ahem, I meant groaned, not groined. The atmosphere of that night is coloring my typos.

ncounty: I liked &quot;groined&quot; much better! :) So much more descriptive!

Doug: thanks so much for your earlier response. I'll just have to keep trying on Priceline for the next several months and hope the winter rates hold.

Thank you for the interesting information, Doug.

My husband and I stayed at The Broadway, maybe 10 years ago, but it was located in Mid-Town, not the Upper West Side. Could this Broadway be the same as the one mentioned in your post? (I can't link to video on my computer.) I was actually thinking of maybe staying there again in the future.

The Broadway that we stayed at wasn't located on Broadway, but on a side street (maybe in the 30-40's), and appeared to be geared more towards European and Asian travelers. The cost was cheap, about $100-$115, and actually included breakfast (cereals, eggs, pastries, juice, fruit, tea, coffee). The room wasn't that bad - the sheets and floor were clean, and the bath seemed to be recently renovated (although the noise from the band practicing in the warehouse next to the hotel was annoying).

Please tell me there are two different Broadway Hotels!

Robyn :)&gt;-

A friend and I stayed at Radio City Apartments last August. As we were staying 8 nights in a 4 week trip, we decided we wanted a bit more room than the standard NY hotel offered, but at a reasonable rate. We had a room with kitchen/lounge/dine, a separate bedroom with 2 double beds and bathroom. My main complaint was the beds were hard and mine creaked every time I turned over. Other than that, the hotel seemed reasonable for the price we paid. My friend thought her bed was okay, so it may just have been &quot;luck of the draw&quot;, so to speak.

Mill. B'way and the Hilton are infinitely better than the Wellington. The NY Hilton is right near the Wellington.

artstuff, I wonder if you stayed at the Manhattan Broadway on west 38th st.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html

mclaurie - Yes, that's the hotel that we stayed at. It's the <u>Manhattan</u> Broadway. Thanks for the link.

Robyn :)&gt;-

Well, I booked the Millenium Broadway for $169 and am very excited. Thanks for all the info. :)