Kers

I cannot get a room in a decent hotel for under $450. Is there a conference or something going on??

coldwar27

My brother is getting married.

Of course that's not what is really the problem but I know that when they set that date, they then found problems finding hotels for the guests that would cater to different price ranges. They set the date last December. Then, one of the hotels they chose decided in the summer to convert to condos so they had to scramble for a new hotel. They were told that it is a big shopping time for the holidays - lots of people come to the city for the shopping, displays, holiday related events - so that could explain it as well.

mgmargate

It's no suprise NYC is always packed at that time of year.

kaudrey

Might I suggest Priceline? Check out www.biddingfortravel.com first for bidding advice.

Good luck!

Karen

mitchdesj

There are also jewish holidays, the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller center- it's one of the busiest weekends of the year, I've been told.

GoTravel

Supply and demand. Everyone wants to go to NYC during that time. The hotels charge premium prices and people pay the price.

Even priceline rooms are around the $200 mark.

I would book a cancelable backup and hope for last minute bargains.

nytraveler

This is traditionally one of the busiest 3/4 weekends in NYC - for the reasons everyione else has mentioned. Also, this year there seems to be an especially large influx of europeans - due to the pitiful state of the dollar vs the euro - so hotels are especially packed. (NYC travel may finally be coming back to pre 9/11 levels - when sidewalks at prime locations are so crowded you're forced to walk in the street.)

I would say - at this point ignore the price and book anything you can cancel without penalty - then try Priceline etc - and continue to do so - to see if any blocks of rooms for meetings or tours opens up.

Also, don't know what you mean by a "decent" hotel. If you're talking 5* or qualtiy 4* - I wouldn't assume you can do better at that time of year.

MFNYC

CHeck out the rates on travelhero.com. in the past I got some great rates for the Shelburne Murray Hill. I just looked it up and you can get a 1 bedroom suite (which is very roomy, which a kitchen) for $259 (not including taxes).

ALso try calling hotels directly and ask what's the best rate they have. The booking sites, frequently can't beat dealing directly with the hotels or checking hotel websites for specials.

Margie

Yes, it is crowded for all the reasons mentioned above. Try hotelkingdom.com I was able to get a room via their website one year when I had plane tickets to NYC, not realizing it was marathon weekend! Also try easyclicktravel.com

Are you trying to check in on Saturday the 11th? Sometimes a Saturday night ckeck in can cause a problem, try backing it up to Friday if you can.