The hotel I had looked at was called TRYP by Wyndham Times Square South. It was 2354.00 for 5 nights and had two queen beds and bunk beds with a pull out couch. ???

I looked at the Marriott and it looks perfect for our group. Any thoughts between the two?

Thanks, Kim

HI Kim,
So glad you saw the suggestion and have found another possibility.

Glad to see there are a number of places that have "family" rooms available, the Tryp looks like a good find, newly done, decent reviews and the room is about the same size about 410 ft. On the website I see they have family rooms with two bathrooms which could be good too.

However, I suppose overall my thought is that the Marriott's a lot cheaper for a room the same size. I'd pay more for more space or a more desirable area but I'm not sure I'd want to pay that much more for a room the same size. I don't seem the area as being much more desirable, but don't worry Hell's Kitchen isn't a bad area at all, in fact the name is being used for a larger and larger area as it has more cache than saying Time Sq or some none descriptor area around Pen Station.

Sometimes I like to take a "virtual stroll" on google maps to get a sense for different areas so that could help.

As I see it the Marriott is closer to Rockefeller Center, the Park and the museums and the Tryp is on the other side of Time Sq three avenues over from the Empire State.

Hopefully someone more knowledge can comment on the locations,

Lexington and 53rd VS 35th between 8th and 9h

Hell's Kitchen is a traditional name for an area near the theater district on the west side. And while at one time - 1920s? - it was a hotbed of crime (territory of the irish westies gang) it has long since gone beyond that. While not really charming, it is perfectly safe and has a lot of good inexpensive restaurants.

(I had a great aunt and uncle - yes, irish - who lived there for years before moving to Sunnyside in Queens - and it was safe even in the 1960s when I went there as a child.)

Hell's Kitchen is a great area for a tourist. It's busy but primarily residential and one of my favorite places in Midtown. Much better, in fact, than the actual Times Square area. You'd be much closer to reasonably priced restaurants and still within easy walking distance to Times Square.

The Tryp is in a pretty good location, too. West 35th is a dreary street, but you're close to Macy's and the subway. There are few good places to eat nearby (diners and delis and fast food, but nothing like a good restaurant, unlike Hell's Kitchen). It's a slightly less convenient neighborhood for being within easy walking distance of places to eat, but with close access to transit, it's not at all inconvenient.

Oh ... with the Tryp, however, you'd be pretty locked in on Thanksgiving Day with the parade nearby. That could be a good thing if you want to attend, but the area is particularly crowded. For that reason alone, I'd probably choose the Hell's Kitchen location.

Thanks again Doug, welltravelbrit and Nytraveler. So Doug when you say locked in for the parade, do you mean it would be a good location to be able to go out and see the parade or just really busy and not be able to get out easy?

We do want to see the parade and that was going to be my next question... where to go to see it?

Sounds like both hotels would be ok... Hells Kitchen has better restaurants if I am reading correctly? Still not to sure on the locations of both but I will try to research further. Thanks

Kim

Well, it's close to the parade. Whether it's easy to get out is a different story. Streets are blocked off, travel is difficult, etc. And it's extremely busy (the subway, for instance, will be mobbed.)

The parade is amazingly busy anywhere you go, so don't expect to be near the street unless you get there very early. Crowds are heavy everywhere, so it's hard to say where to go. It's not like I ever do it. But there are other posters who do and can probably help.

Hell's Kitchen has much better restaurants. Infinitely better in fact. Just be sure your Hell's Kitchen hotel isn't on 10th or 11th Avenue. That's a long walk to the subway. Anything up to 9th Avenue is still pretty convenient.

If you want a good view of the parade in midtown you probably need to be on the street waiting by about 7 am (they step off from in front of Nat'l Hist Museum at 9 am). If later than that there will be people - perhaps several rows of them - in front of you. If you are all tall not so bad - if anyone isn;t viewing can be difficult. (Macy's estimates 3.5 million people see the parade in NY. This seems like an awful lot to me but I haven;t been in at least 20 years - just catch bits on TV.)

The Performances (bands, Rockettes, b'way show numbers, etc) take place in Herald Square in front of Macy's. This area is dedicated to a grandstand for VIPs with tickets and all of the TV crews/paraphernalia. Really the only way to have a goo view of this is on TV. If you are standing on the street in the 40s or 50s you will see all of the marchers and the balloons - but not the full performances.

Note that you can see the balloons blown up the night before - but the mob will be incredible - the line to see can be hours long.

For info go to: http://social.macys.com/parade/#route

Could you clarify something Kim?

I'm a little confused here, we're talking about two hotels right? Marriott vs Tryp, Or is there a third hotel in Hell's Kitchen? I'm presuming the Tryp is being described as Hell's Kitchen but it's leading to some confusion.

You will not find the Tryp in the heart of the restaurant area Doug described above.

Amusingly Hells Kitchen seems to be getting bigger by the day! We stayed at a friend's apartment last year for a couple of weeks, they insist on calling it Hell's Kitchen though my husband who grew up in NY said that's not the case.

I think it all goes back to when they tried to gentrify Hell's Kitchen and call it Clinton. Never really caught on and will always be Hell's Kitchen to me even if it expands a few blocks. But I'm just a visitor.

The $2600 Hell's Kitchen hotel was unnamed. The somewhat cheaper Tryp is assuredly NOT in Hell's Kitchen. It's closer to Macy's.

The Courtyard by Marriott that was discussed is actually on the east side, offering some advantages in terms of location (easy to get to the parade but away from the crowds, etc.). But I think the OP was wanting a hotel on the west side. At least that's my impression.

I agree Doug, <Tryp is assuredly NOT in Hell's Kitchen. It's closer to Macy's>

The point is is is being identified as such online, booking.com etc. Kim only ever mentioned one place (unnamed) and then said in the next post <The hotel I had looked at was called TRYP>

But maybe I have the wrong end of this stick ;)

Hi sorry I am not able to be on to check the responses today. I teach, and well anyway... enough said. I am very happy to get on and check responses, Thanks!

So Yes the Tryp hotel was listed on the booking site as being in South Times Square in Hells kitchen. ???

Sounds like it is closer to Macy's. I thought it was 2600. It was actually 2350 for the 5 nights. Not too bad for price and the Marriott was 2000.00 for the 5 nights.

Still a bit confused on which one has the better location, but it's sounding like the Tryp has better options for food possible? Does the Marriott not have as good a location? I do get points through Marriott.

Are both of these hotels in Mid-town?

Thanks for the heads up for the parade. I realize we won't have as good a view as we would watching the TV, yet it's something I have always wanted to see in person and kind of a bucket list thing. :) Crazy tourists!

Also any suggestions as to which Broadway show would be a good one? Two of us have already seen Wicked, and we saw Aladin on the Disney Crusie... sort of an off Broadway style show. Very well done. Any suggestions are welcome.

Kim

Kim
Both of these hotels are in Midtown.

I think having Marriott membership would make all the difference to me; I would want the points, but I prefer the Marriott location, anyway.

So yes again to Clarify I'm looking between 2 Hotels.

Tryp by 35th and 9th and Marriott by 53rd.

So I don't really care what area I'm in as long as you all think its a great area to be. :) Want to be centrally located and close to subways and tourist attractions.

Thanks Tuscan, good to know the Marriott Location is a good one. Its really hard to tell what would be best, but yes getting the points would be nice.

OK... So we have decided on the Marriott Hotel! Thanks again for your help.

I have no first hand advice, but I would likely have chosen The Marriott as being closer uptown to the park

The Tryp is not in Hell's Kitchen, which begins in the mid-40s and goes to the upper 50s on the west side, all west of 8th Avenue.

The Tryp is closer to a wider range of transit options but little else. Good restaurants are at least a 20-minute walk or a subway ride north or south. If that works for you, then go for it. But you have the inconvenience of being in the thick of the parade crowds there, and that's not an inconsiderable issue on Thanksgiving. I think you'll have no problem entering or exiting the hotel, but you might have to walk a long way around to get in or our (as in blocks out of the way), and the nearby subway station will all be mobbed that day. Of course, the parade's over and things will be cleared out by early afternoon. But there are no good restaurants in the immediate vicinity, though Macy's is close.

The Courtyard by Marriott is on the east side near the subway (about as far as the Tryp), but it's only near one subway line, the 6, which only goes up and down the east side, though you can change a couple of stops away at either Grand Central or 59th Street. The restaurants on the east side are less interesting to me. There are a few excellent steakhouses right by the hotel, a big drug store for sundries and drinks on the corner, and plenty of delis nearby. You're within easy walking distance of Rockefeller Center (10 to 15 minutes), Fifth Avenue, etc. But you have to go further east to Third Avenue for food, and there's nothing very exciting there. It's a busy business area in the immediate area with residential streets further east. There are neighborhood restaurants but nothing I'm familiar with.

I would choose the Marriott because it is cheaper and away from the crowds, but it's also a bit farther from Times Square. It's equidistant to most other tourist sights other than the Highline, which is within walking distance of the Tryp, but closer to most major art museums (MOMA, for example, is very close). Neither hotel will be a bad choice, so I'd pick based on what the room offers. I'd choose the larger room. It's miserable to have 5 people in a tiny hotel room in Manhattan. Sharing a single bath will be hard regardless.

Kim, so glad you had several options and have made a decision. I hope the hotel works for you and you have a great time with the family. I'm glad you'll be getting points too that's always a bonus!