NYC-Manhattan hotel rooms for about $150
Oct 19th, 2012, 07:56 AM
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NYC-Manhattan hotel rooms for about $150
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes....ss/?ref=travel
There are tips from readers underneath the article. Have not used any of them, cannot tell you if they are good or not. Hope this is helpful.
There are tips from readers underneath the article. Have not used any of them, cannot tell you if they are good or not. Hope this is helpful.
Oct 19th, 2012, 08:22 AM
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I can't say that I have personally inspected all these places, but they are all viable alternatives and Seth Kugel usually has tastes that correspond with my own. The Y may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's reasonably well located and often a good deal.
Oct 19th, 2012, 09:37 AM
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My taste moves far away from 'cramped and dreary' as he has described his choices. How about yours, frugal traveler?
The Y?? Really? That wouldn't even be on the radar for most people. The only worthwhile piece of information in that article was to encourage visitors to look on priceline and bid for a room for a maximum of 2 people. You will Routinely get a room $150.00 or less. Clean and generic beats cramped and dreary everytime.
You can also check quikbook for their secret sale hotels; there are Routinely rooms there under $150.00 for selected dates. Lastly, budget travelers should really consider staying in Long Island City for well under $150.00 a night.
The Y?? Really? That wouldn't even be on the radar for most people. The only worthwhile piece of information in that article was to encourage visitors to look on priceline and bid for a room for a maximum of 2 people. You will Routinely get a room $150.00 or less. Clean and generic beats cramped and dreary everytime.
You can also check quikbook for their secret sale hotels; there are Routinely rooms there under $150.00 for selected dates. Lastly, budget travelers should really consider staying in Long Island City for well under $150.00 a night.
Oct 19th, 2012, 09:42 AM
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The key factor is WHEN yuo are coming to the city. In Jan and Feb you can easly get quite pleasant places on Priceline for that budget. At Thanksgiving you won;t find a park bench for that.
One of the things that bothers me most is people who have been tot he city once - at a much less expensive time of year - that recommend hotels for the price they paid - when the poster is coming in high season - and prices are often two or three times as much.
If you really want you can stay at the Hosteling International - which is clean, reliable and in a fairly convenieet location for about $40 per night per person - but it's a bed in a dorm room plus locker.
And there are places that are VERY basic (and usually tiny and may well be dreary) that can be quite reasonably priced. Just be careful of the few that are truly ghastly (dirty, verminous, unworking baths, peeling wallpaper and broken furniture, etc - like Riverside Towers and the dreaded Penssylvania).
One of the things that bothers me most is people who have been tot he city once - at a much less expensive time of year - that recommend hotels for the price they paid - when the poster is coming in high season - and prices are often two or three times as much.
If you really want you can stay at the Hosteling International - which is clean, reliable and in a fairly convenieet location for about $40 per night per person - but it's a bed in a dorm room plus locker.
And there are places that are VERY basic (and usually tiny and may well be dreary) that can be quite reasonably priced. Just be careful of the few that are truly ghastly (dirty, verminous, unworking baths, peeling wallpaper and broken furniture, etc - like Riverside Towers and the dreaded Penssylvania).
Oct 19th, 2012, 09:57 AM
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Comments on the article also note that the Priceline stay was for a SUNDAY which is typically the cheapest night of the week for NYC hotels, after the weekend leisure travelers leave and before the weekday road warrior business travelers arrive. And also noted that Priceline is hardly a secret way of getting a discount.
The article also make no mention that some of the B&Bs may be operating illegally. IIRC Kugel has mentioned (and dismissed) that information/problem in similar articles, but I didn't see it touched on in this article (which admittedly I did not read word for word)
The best info in my opinion is that he says there's a reason that some hotels are much cheaper (location, distance from the city, shared baths, dingy or otherwise less desirable rooms) so buyer beware
The article also make no mention that some of the B&Bs may be operating illegally. IIRC Kugel has mentioned (and dismissed) that information/problem in similar articles, but I didn't see it touched on in this article (which admittedly I did not read word for word)
The best info in my opinion is that he says there's a reason that some hotels are much cheaper (location, distance from the city, shared baths, dingy or otherwise less desirable rooms) so buyer beware
Oct 19th, 2012, 11:17 AM
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You definitely have to make certain sacrifices to stay in NYC for under $150 during high season, and I think the important point Kugel makes is that it's possible. It's also helpful for people to see what sacrifices mean. If this were my one-in-a-lifetime trip, I probably wouldn't make those sacrifices, but my favorite hotel in Paris is a very rudimentary chain hotel in the Marais, which I like because of its proximity to the Metro and places I like to eat and shop; it has very little charm.
I also think there are some other choices that weren't included here, and many better ones just beyond Manhattan's borders. In some ways the necessity of staying within Manhattan are overrated. But it's also a shame we don't have a better range of small, cheap tourist hotels such as those found more readily even in Paris.
I also think there are some other choices that weren't included here, and many better ones just beyond Manhattan's borders. In some ways the necessity of staying within Manhattan are overrated. But it's also a shame we don't have a better range of small, cheap tourist hotels such as those found more readily even in Paris.
Oct 19th, 2012, 03:49 PM
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I had a $126 rate for a double room (including free wi-fi) at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in late August/early September this year. This was through LMTClub.com (you can sign up for free with the code FBFREECLUB12). Also, Hotwire.com can often be a good choice.
Priceline can be a good choice for sure, but I think it tends to be the case in NYC that the best deals show up near the last minute. That's a problem if you are trying to nail down your itinerary, but you don't know where you will be staying. Also with Priceline, the longer your stay, the harder it is to get a cheap rate, as hotel rates and availability on Priceline are not static from day to day, so a hotel might offer cheap Priceline availability for only 4 of the 5 days of your stay (for example) and thus be unavailable if you bid for 5 days.
Prices in NYC, and other cities, can vary so dramatically depending on the season and the events happening during your stay. It's impossible to make a blanket recommendation for a cheap hotel.
Priceline can be a good choice for sure, but I think it tends to be the case in NYC that the best deals show up near the last minute. That's a problem if you are trying to nail down your itinerary, but you don't know where you will be staying. Also with Priceline, the longer your stay, the harder it is to get a cheap rate, as hotel rates and availability on Priceline are not static from day to day, so a hotel might offer cheap Priceline availability for only 4 of the 5 days of your stay (for example) and thus be unavailable if you bid for 5 days.
Prices in NYC, and other cities, can vary so dramatically depending on the season and the events happening during your stay. It's impossible to make a blanket recommendation for a cheap hotel.
Oct 19th, 2012, 05:36 PM
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Get several lists going well before booking--orbitz, travelzoo etc and just put some time in studying all the offers. With travelzoo especially you have to act fast.
It's pretty easy to find out if a B&B is legit. People here helped me with that.
It's pretty easy to find out if a B&B is legit. People here helped me with that.
Oct 19th, 2012, 05:39 PM
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We always hear about how W O N D E R F U L the public transportation is in NYC as compared to L.A., then if someone asks about staying outside of Manhattan the question is greeted with a resounding Y O U V E G O T TO B E I N S A N E !!!
Oct 19th, 2012, 05:49 PM
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tracys2cents, public transportaion in NYC is very good . But
most of the comments about the hotels people choose being inconvenient involves hotels in New Jersey. Queens is often suggested as a reasonable location for budget options
Also,public tranposrtation suitability for commuters is not the same as a tourist might want.
Commuters from outside the city may go home and they have a car or someone to pick them up at the end of a train ride. That doesn't work for tourist.
Most commuters go home by 7 pm or so and trains and buses out of town are frequent then. Tourists might want to stay for dinner or a show and then have a long wait or a hard time getting back to their hotels.
Commuter buses and trains are considerably cheaper if you have a monthly pass. Tourists may be paying more than they expect for a r/t and if there are several people, the costs really add up
most of the comments about the hotels people choose being inconvenient involves hotels in New Jersey. Queens is often suggested as a reasonable location for budget options
Also,public tranposrtation suitability for commuters is not the same as a tourist might want.
Commuters from outside the city may go home and they have a car or someone to pick them up at the end of a train ride. That doesn't work for tourist.
Most commuters go home by 7 pm or so and trains and buses out of town are frequent then. Tourists might want to stay for dinner or a show and then have a long wait or a hard time getting back to their hotels.
Commuter buses and trains are considerably cheaper if you have a monthly pass. Tourists may be paying more than they expect for a r/t and if there are several people, the costs really add up
Oct 20th, 2012, 01:40 PM
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Thanks for posting this, Mohan!
The first and second places on his list sound quite nice and I think that the EV and Chelsea would suit most visitors a lot more than where most of the hotels are in LIC. (Not that LIC is a bad option by any means)
It is probably a moot point now that the article has appeared; I expect those first two will be booked solid now, if they were not already.
The first and second places on his list sound quite nice and I think that the EV and Chelsea would suit most visitors a lot more than where most of the hotels are in LIC. (Not that LIC is a bad option by any means)
It is probably a moot point now that the article has appeared; I expect those first two will be booked solid now, if they were not already.
Oct 20th, 2012, 04:23 PM
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Public transit IN NYC is extremely efficient - during the day subway and buses rn every 5 minutes or so - although they may be 20 minutes (or even 30 minute for buses in the outer boroughs in the middle of the night).
But, transportation out to the suburbs is organized for the times that commuters need it - and it's not set up for tourists who often want to return to their hotels after a show or even a show and supper.
The difference is LA is ALL suburbs and pubic transit is almost never convenient (every 5 minutes or so) for even the most central areas. You are comparing apples and oranges. The 9 million people in the city have excellent public transit. That for the 15 million in outer suburbs is designed for commuting - not surprisingly.
But, transportation out to the suburbs is organized for the times that commuters need it - and it's not set up for tourists who often want to return to their hotels after a show or even a show and supper.
The difference is LA is ALL suburbs and pubic transit is almost never convenient (every 5 minutes or so) for even the most central areas. You are comparing apples and oranges. The 9 million people in the city have excellent public transit. That for the 15 million in outer suburbs is designed for commuting - not surprisingly.
