Hi

My girlfriend and I are going to new york for 2-3 nights at the begining of august. We don't know the city could anybody suggest which area in the city we should stay. We would like to be close to some night life and not too far from the major sights. We are looking to spend about $100-150 per night, but we would prefer a better location rather than a better hotel. Any suggestions for hotels would be much appreicated.

Thanks

Matt

That's a tough order, although maybe you can luck into some discounts. This link might help:
http://gonyc.about.com/od/hotels/tp/topcheaphotel.htm

For that pricrange I would look first at travelzoo - which often has good deals. If that doesn;t work try Priceline - but learn how to use it first -since one you bid you pay - even if you hate the hotel.

There is no central place for all sights in NYC - they are spread out over an area 8 miles long, 2 wide and some islands in the harbor - so you'll have to take the subway no matter where you stay. There is more nightlife downtown than midtowm (which also is expensive for restaurants). Upper west side is also good for restaurants, has some budget hotels, and is a great area to stay in (lots of sidewalk cafes and hang outs, close to Central Park and major museums).

But, considering your budget (and remember there is an 18% hotel tax on top of room rates) you may not have a lot of choices of area.

We just stayed at the Park Central for $94/night. It's on 7th Avenue between 55th and 56th. There are lots of restaurants two streets over on 9th. You are close to a subway stop, and it's not far from Times Square. My husband likes it, because it's very close to Central Park where he likes to run in the mornings. The lobby is a little blah, but the rooms are very nice.

I just booked the Hampton Inn on 35th Street for late July at $139 per night...through Travelzoo. Great location, new hotel, and free hot breakfast. You might want to check it out.

Might try the Red Roof Inn...I recently stayed there for $130 weekday and $170 weekend.

There's a brand new Four Points by Sheraton in midtown with a rate of $115/night on travelzoo right now.

Also, check hotwire. Use biddingfortravel.com to figure out which hotel you're getting.

can i ask - what the deal with SEpt7th
all the specials online at the moment end SEpt 7th...is this a cut off for the new season?
we arrive mid Sept - surely there would be some specials around then?

There are so many things that go on the city it is hard to know. One of the craziest times is when the UN starts it's new session. Or there could a major convention.

September 7th is Labor Day, so yes it is the end of the "season". Schools in NYC and businesses get back to work right afterwards, so the busy (and the most expensive)season (until New Years) gets underway.

Fall and up to Christmas are high season in NYC. conventions start up again after Labor Day and business travel increases significantly from an August/labor Day low.

There may be additional deals arise as you get closer to the date - but I would book something cancellable now - in case nothing better does turn up.

And your budget is low for NYC exept for Jan/Feb. Last summer it would hvae bought you nothing except through Priceline - but there are many more deals now since the economy is bad.

There is not one "best" location for both nightlife and sightseeing. Most uninformed tourists would think that's Times Square or midtown, but the nightlife there is theater and some of the comedy clubs. If you're under 35, you'd probably prefer being in one of the downtown neighborhoods like Soho, Chelsea, lower east side. So what kind of nightlife did you have in mind? The Hampton Inn Soho is running a $129/night special on travelzoo that includes continental breakfast. This is a relatively new hotel in a great area for restaurants and shopping and not far from SOME of the sightseeing spots like Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the Staten Island ferry.

If you do plan on going to the theater and would rather be in or near Times Square, The Four Points Sheraton Times Square is a few blocks away and on special on travelzoo for $115/night. It's on a dreary looking street but it's a 5 minute walk to Times Square. For a 2 night stay in August you could also bid on Priceline for a 4* hotel and might get something for ~ $120-130/night. If you don't know about Priceline, make sure to read up on betterbidding.com or biddingfortravel.com before you start. Betterbidding has a wins calendar where you can see what hotels other people have gotten on your dates and for what price. The most common win these days is the Sheraton Manhattan or the Sheraton Towers, both in midtown west and both in desperate need of renovation. I'd bid 4* in Times Square, midtown east and upper midtown/central park if you want something central.