the beacon or the excelsior nyc
 

want to stay in a suite-type hotel in a neighborhood atmosphere...the beacon hotel or the excelsior on the upper west side nyc. which do you think? This is a much needed vacation from our resort job in the Islands of the Bahamas - thanks

Either is a good choice. Both have a "neigborhood atmosphere" with the Excelsior moreso. Natural History museum is across the street from the Excelsior and every building on the block is a high rise apartment building. The Beacon constantly gets good reviews on this forum and the immediate area is more business oriented. If I had to make a choice I would probably choose the Beacon.

How cool is that? you are vacationing from a job in the Bahamas in NYC! <BR>Have a great vacation!

The Beacon is nicer. The Excelsior rooms are big but they seemed a little down-at-heel last time I checked. They might be a bit cheaper, however.

We stayed at the Beacon in August and were very satisfied. Had a 1 BR suite for 5 people - lots of room with 2 double beds in BR, sleeper sofa in the LR, fridge, microwave and oven (although we only used it to warm up leftovers from restaurants) for $195/nt. It's hard to find hotel accommodations for 5 people that would be cheaper, especially for a suite. The best thing about it is the Fairway market across the street which was open till midnight in August. We'd get home from a long day of sight-seeing and buy milk and other groceries just before they closed. We took the subway everywhere; the station is 2 blocks from the hotel. Definitely has a neighborhood atmosphere if that is your priority.