My husband and I will be traveling to the New York/Washington DC area next May to see the normal tourist sights. We would like to get some information and suggestions on reasonable, clean and safe hotels in these areas. We will be traveling via the metro/subway so would like easy access to same. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

For Washington DC, I regularly recommend the Radisson Barcelo for its good rates (dependent on dates), easy access to the metro and the great Dupont Circle neighborhood in which it is located.

I'm heading both places in the next couple of weeks. In DC, we're staying at the Radisson Barcelo (due to many great reviews here) and the Belvedere in NY (good reviews as well). I'll post details when I get back.

"Reasonable" in DC means under $200/night but there are bargains. I'll strongly second the Radisson Barcelo. Try using this site to get a discounted rate: http://www.hotelsdc.com/


"Reasonable" in NY means under $300/night. In NY, I think the Broadway Inn is a wonderful (very) small budget hotel with very large rooms (for NYC), perfect location and one of NYC's best bargains. You need to book directly through the hotel: http://www.broadwayinn.com/

For reasonable go to Priceline - in New York you should be able to find something pleasant for under $150 with them. Check with biddingfortravel.com - and also do a search here on NY and priceline to see what others have found.

I stayed in DC at the Holiday Inn on Capitol hill for $80/night. In NY, I stayed at the Ramada on the east side for $98/night which included a continental breakfast. I was very happy with both. The subway is a short walk from both sites.

Here's another recommendation for Priceline, maybe Hotwire.

I've used both for NYC, DC, also Baltimore, San Francisco, Montreal, even London with fabulous results. I rarely book any other way now.

I, personally, would stay elsewhere than Capitol Hill or Northeast in DC.

If you're not familiar with Priceline, you should start reading biddingfortravel.com, a website that explains how Priceline works and helps you put together a bid. Priceline is the single best deal for hotels in NYC (can't speak for DC but probably true there too). You must know how it works though and it takes a while to understand things like free re-bids etc.

By using Priceline, you can stay in 4* hotels and pay 2* rates or....stay at 2-3* properties and pay $99/night or sometimes less. Bidding for travel will have a list of what were successful bids for which hotels. In NYC, most tourists like Midtown west (the Times Square area), Midtown east (in and around Grand Central train station) and Upper midtown/Central Park South (the area just south of Central Park). All these areas have very good transportation. (There are actually very few areas that wouldn't have good transportation).

If you post back with more details on what exactly you want to spend and what type of places you want (big/small, modern/traditional), people might be able to be more specific. Also, how long do you plan on staying in each city? I gather Priceline works best for shorter stays but not always.

Priceline is easier with shorter stays because you can win a bid only if the hotel has rooms available for the full length of your stay. If you're staying a week or more, you should split your bid into two or more separate bids. In most cities, it's actually more interesting to stay in two different places if you're there so long. I've used PL in both NY and DC, actually had to split a 4-day stay in DC once during an especially busy season.

Thanks to all that responded to my previous e-mail. We will be staying about 5 days in NYC and 4 days in DC. We would like a hotel under $150 per night, but do not want to sacrifice cleanliness or safety. We will be doing all our travelling by metro/subway & seeing all the normal tourists sights. We will be flying in from Northern Nevada (Lake Tahoe area). Thanks again for any advice.

DC: I would wait about 4-5 months and then go to www.hotelsdc.com Then try for the Radisson Barcelo. It's still too early to get hotels from a discount web site. Another option is Capitol Hill Suites on the same website - one block to metro and two blocks to the Capitol Bldg. Again I would wait and use the discount website for a better deal. I personally don't like Priceline - I want to know which hotel I'm getting before I pay. Others here have no problem with it. It all depends on what you're comfortable with.

I agree that the best deals are probably with priceline but since it's not until next May, I'd hunt around for deals elsewhere, maybe starting 6 months in advance. You can always book and then cancel (first make sure the cancellation policy is flexible). Many time hotels offer specials on their own websites (not the booking sites). I booked several rooms at the Shelburne Murray Hill for some visitors during Memorial Day weekend. Several I booked using a 'special offer' on their website (affinia.com) call the grandparent special (don't have to be a grandparent). WHen that was no longer available I found excellent rates on Travelhero.com. I also called them directly but they couldn't offer rates like these. Both types of booking allowed cancellation with penalties up until 24hr prior. The rates I got wer between $148-178, for large studio suites and one bedroom suites (all with full kitchen and good sized accomodations).

If you decide to give priceline a try, I ouwld do it maybe a month or 2 in advance.

The SHelburne is in NYC.

oops, a see a major typos, that cancellations WITHOUT penalties up to 24 hrs prior, not with.

I was recently staying at the Best Western President and it's a very affordable hotel, nice, clean and great location (it's half block time square). If you purchase your stay through www.bestwestern.com you'll find better prices.

I would try Priceline, but do not check Wall Street area. You will probably get the Holiday Inn Wall Street District, where my laptop and travel wallet were stolen from the **Locked** luggage closet. Management has declined to address this matter or accept any responsibility. The few dollars I saved on the room wasn't worth the safety and security of my possessions.
WW

I just returned from a DC and NY trip. In DC, we stayed at the Radisson Barcelo. I booked through hotels.com and got the room (June 24-28th) for $106 per night for a total of $624.50. There are some service charges added. The rooms there are huge. We had a king-sized bed plus a large writing desk and chair. There also was a sofa, larger stuffed chair, coffee table, tv, dresser, a full length mirror, large closet, and a big bathroom. It seems with all that furniture that there would be no walking space. Don't worry...so much space to walk around. The location is great! It in is Dupont Circle and only a few blocks from the Metro which we used all the time. Dupont is a great area. Many restaurants (expensive and inexpensive)are right outside the door. There is a cheao little place called Bagels, etc. right across the street. They have a million different kinds of bagels and muffins and all sorts of cheap breakfast foods that you can pick up on the go. I felt totally safe in the area.
Now for NY. We stayed at the Belvedere on W. 48th. I also booked thru hotels.com and paid $147 per night and a total of 654.00 for June 29-July 3. The room was much smaller than the Radisson. Smaller closet,smaller desk, much smaller bathroom but overall, still a nice room. The location is close to Times Square and Theatre District but not in the middle of the craziness of Times Square. This was our first trip and it was convenient for us and we did all the touristy things. The Grey Line double decker tour office was right around the corner. We did the Grey Line tour for 2 days but most of the time we walked everywhere. I think that is the best way to experience the city. Hopefully, this info. is helpful. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. I gained so much knowledge here reading people's advice and suggestions. I'm planning to write a trip report soon.

Another vote for the Radisson! The rooms at the hotel are large and the Dupont Area is wonderful!

For D.C., if you like to walk or job, the Omni Shoreham is very near a metro stop, backs up to Rock Creek Park, and across walkable bridges in two direction you find yourself in great neighborhoods, Adams Morgan and I forget, Dupont circle I think, or in the other direction, you can walk to the Washington Cathedral (although it is a real walk, and I think the website for the hotel implies that it is just a stroll). There are lots of places to eat in the immediate area, including an Irish bar with Harps on draft. We have stayed there a couple of years running for a meeting and I liked it. I don't know that you would call it reasonable, but you can find it on Expedia.

I used to work for Marriott in DC and know that May is heavy convention season. I would check the DC Convention center website to see if one is taking place while you are there. If so, then book a hotel now. You can always cancel it if you find something cheaper. Also, if you are in DC over the weekend, the rates will be cheapest. Wed night is the most expensive night due to business travelers. DC is so easy to navigate, it does not necessarily matter in what area you stay as long as you are near a metro. Have you thought about staying in Old Town Alexandria (if the rates are high in DC)? There is a Hilton, a Hampton Inn and an Embassy Suites all within a block of the King St. Metro stop. Plus, Old Town is a fantastic area to visit with tons of shops and restaurants.