NYC travel hotel tip - bring your cell phone!
 

Since there are so many posts recently by folks planning future NYC visits... I though this tip might help. Unlike most cities and regions I've visited, very few hotels in NYC include free local phone calls. All local calls are typically billed to your room at a minimum of 75 cents per call, more frequently at $1 - 1.50 each. I never carry my cell phone around when vacationing but often call from the hotel to check on show tickets, movie times or to make dinner reservations. For the budget conscious, using a cell phone is often a cheaper alternative, provided that you have a plan such as Sprint PCS, AT&T nationwide, or one of the other digital plans that allows all calls in any digital areas to be billed as though they were regular calls in your local area.

I don't do a lot of long distance phone calls on vacation and forgot my calling card on my recent trip to NYC. I called Florida for four minutes dialing direct from my room (during the late evening, by the way) and the charge in my bill was just over $17.00 for that one call!! How different from small hotels in Europe where I have often found it is cheaper to dial direct back to the US than it is to use a calling card! Also on our last trip to NYC the local calls were billed as $1.50 each even when the first call was a busy signal.

I couldn't agree more. Telephones are "profit centers" for New York hotels, with a typical "surcharge" of 100% above an operator-assisted rate, even though you made the call on a direct-dial basis. Cell phones take the charge opportunity out of the hands of the hotel.

I agree too. I even got charged $2 for a fax that was sent to ME!! I couldn't believe that one. I mean all the hotel clerk had to do was pick it up and hand it to me!!! <BR> <BR>Anne in Perth, Australia

For those without cell phones (or having a plan that imposes steep roaming charges), pre-paid calling cards are a great option for long distance calls when away from home. I always used one prior to having the cell phone. If it was a lengthy call to a loved one I'd pay the $1.50 hotel charge and have the comfort of making the call from my room. For other calls I'd use the lobby pay phone. Not sure what they sell for elsewhere but in upstate NY the pre-paid cards (reputable ones) sell for prices ranging from 5 cents to 12 cents per minute. There's typically a two minute "surcharge" for the privilege of using it from a pay phone but it's still a good deal.

Perhaps it's unique to Canadian cell carriers, but before I travel to NYC I have to advise Bell Mobility and they unblock my cell for the dates I'm in NYC, otherwise the phone doesn't work. (Apparently due to rampant cellular fraud). Is this true for US cell carriers as well?