NYC - Times Square Hotel
 

I'm visiting friends in the Jersey/PA area and I'm thinking of stopping to see a Wednesday matinee and evening show in NYC on my way home to Boston. I need a hotel that's reasonably priced (tough there, I know...I'm thinking around $200) and has parking. I'd like to be close to the theaters so I can just walk back after the evening show. I've come up with the Marriot Marquis for $219 (after a friends/family discount, $250 with taxes) but parking is $50-75. The Quality Hotel Times Square is also coming up at $180 ($210 after taxes) with parking for $30. I've read mixed reviews about the Quality. Has anyone stayed there? Are there any othe hotels within close walking distance?
Thanks for any suggestions!

Quality Hotel gets very mixed reviews - and the positive ones seem to be primarily from europeans on package tours - who often don;t expect as much an those used to American hotels.

The only hotel in Manhattan with free parking is the Travel Inn, far west on 42nd st - but gets decent reviews. Otherwise you need to figure at least $30 or more for parking at any hotel (depending on hours you stay).

I don;t know when you're coming - but for one person and one night I would bid Priceline midtown west (4* only) - and I thnk you'll have a chance of a decent price - although you might well not be right IN Times Square.

The Paramount has also been showing decent rates for some days - but don;t know when you're coming.

I'd take the Marriott and accept that fact that NYC in the middle of the week is expensive. If you need to drive, this is just the cost of haivng a car in the city.

If you are coming soon, look at the Travel Inn as the earlier poster mentioned. It is the ONLY hotel in the city with free parking for guests. The hotel also has a roof top pool that has gotten good writeups as well.

STaying there you are close to the Theatre District and tons of restaurants on 8th and 8th Avenue.

Have a great time while you are here.

Have you considered Priceline, Hotwire, tried Quikbook?

The pool at the Travel Inn is not on the roof, but it's very nice. We've stayed there many times and have been quite pleased, but rates have gone up considerably the past few years. It's a bit of a hike from the theaters.

Don't worry too much about parking fees. Usually you can self park in the hotel garage for considerably less (I know this to be true for the Marriott Marquis) or you can go to www.iconparking.com and find a more economical parking rate.

We often drive to NYC from southern NH. When rates room rates very high, we often stay at the Holiday Inn (Fort Lee) at the George Washington Bridge. It's only 15 minutes from the theater district. The neighborhood is "interstate", but the hotel it beautiful (not your typical Holiday Inn) and the breakfast is very good. (And, the parking is free.)

thanks for the help everyone. i decided to try the econo lodge times sqaure ($150 after tax) and park at a garage i found that's on the same block. i splurged on an orchestra seat for the matinee and found a $70 ticket for the third row to les mis in the evening. as far as the hotel, i've read that the rooms are small but its clean, the staff is great, and the location is perfect. its only a couple blocks from the two theaters i'll be visitng. hopefully it'll be a great way to end the trip.

The Econo Lodge was GREAT! Very helpful staff, I was able to check in at 1 instead of 3, and the location was perfect - right in the Theater District at 8th and 47th. The room was very small, but I knew that going in and it was just me and a small bag. The room was clean and everything seemed new (including the flat-screen TV). I'd HIGHLY recommend it for a budget-mided traveler who isn't planning on spending a ton of time in the hotel.