allysoncain

My husband and I will be traveling to New York City on September 2 and leaving September 6. I need suggestions for a place to stay. We will try to see a broadway show, visit museums, maybe take in a baseball game, etc. Budget is decent; we don't want to pay $300 a night, but we don't want to stay in a dive either! It would be ideal to be central, within walking distance to most activities and great places to eat (known and unknown). Any advice would be greatly appreciated! (Even for places to go, things to see!)

MikeT

Have you done a search, since this is easily the most common question asked on Fodors?

wyatt92

It's an expensive time for NYC (lower season tends to be Jan-April) so I'd expect to pay $300 for something decent.

japw82

Look on Travelzoo they are showing a few options. I's also go to biddingfortravel.com to see what hotels are winning bids in NYC, then go to Hotwire or Priceline to bid on a room. With just two in your party, I'd use Hotwire. Go to their website, then to the vacation tabs, and key in your information. Yes, you will be selecting a flight but this will enable you to see what hotels are in the inventory for each area of the city. Don't book with the airfare but go back to the hotels tab and you will then have a better idea of what hotels are available in each area. You can also check hotel reviews for each hotel prior to booking a room. Shermanstravel shows some deals if you are a AAA member.

allysoncain

yes, I did a search, and I realize that we will be paying $300 a night for someplace decent, and that is fine. I guess I'm asking if anyone knows which hotel will give me the best bang for my buck. There are a lot of choices out there....I've never been to New York so I don't know if it's worth the extra money to be more central, or if it really doesn't matter because you can walk quickly??? I have no idea.

sf7307

If you're willing to stay in the financial district (dead at night, I guess, and maybe all weekend since it's Labor Day weekend), the Gild Hall hotel is available that weekend for $199 a night on Hotwire.

As for any others, it's hard to know for that weekend in particular which hotels are in your price range (I happened to check Hotwire yesterday which is why I knew about the Gild). It would be easier for people to comment if you list the hotels in your price range that you are considering.

japw82

It's fun to stay in or around Times Square on a first visit to NYC. The Hilton Times Square gets great reviews and has a king room for $299 per night for your travel dates.

Frank

I'd stick with the mid-level large chains, check their websites for specials. My order of preference are:

Sofitel
Marriott
Hyatt
Hilton

live42day

We are going on Sept 2nd and bid on Priceline and got the Club Quarters at Rockefeller Centre for $160 a night which we are happy with. We did many tries to get that but in the end it paid off.

bigbomoho

i always stay at the Marriott Courtyard at 53rd and 3rd.Very clean, big rooms,nice views,and convenient to subways E/W and N/S---10 minute ride to shows, 2 minutes to WTC. 30 minute run to LGA.Very good restaurants within walking distance--invredibly good deli, ESS'S right acros the street-- 2 bagels and 2 coffes $6,for real

SandyBrit

allysoncain:

I always start by looking on htpp://www.quikbook.com and htpp://www.travelzoo.com to get an idea of what is available. Often will book a hotel that I can cancel on quikbook and continue to research.

We like the Murry Hill area. Many hotel reviews are posted on htpp://www.tripadvisor.com

Go to htpp://www.hopstop.com for walking routes etc.

Loved walking back over the Brooklyn Bridge into NYC - free and the view is wonderful.

Sandy

suewoo

We stayed at the NY Hilton last summer and loved it. The rooms are nice, the beds are great and you can walk to Bergdorf's and Central Park. Breakfast is in a beautiful room with a great view and wi-fi.

nytraveler

It might be simpler if you narrowed yourself down to an area then there aren't so many hotels to consider.

Times Square in unique - frantic, loud, busy and at hours and covered with flashing lights - good for the theatr, but IMHO not the best of NYC

Midtown away from Times Square is central and it's easy to get to many places, very busy but primarily a business district

The upper west side is mid/upscale residential and busy without being frantic, Tons of good neighborhood (so not bug $) restaurants of every possible type, right near Cenral Parks and many of the major museums

Financial District is very quiet at night and on weekends but there are often deals to be had then

Downtown (Chelsea, SoHo, Village, lower east side) is very trendy with lots of restaurants, clubs and trendy shopping

Since sights are spread out all over the city and on islands in the harbor as long as you're near a subway you won;t be too far form anything in terms of time

If I were a visitor I would do the upper west side (Lucerne, Beacon, On the Ave are all reliable and moderately priced) - based on what I would be doing in the city (maily museums, theater and a couple of Yankee games

paula1470

nytraveler gives a great overview of the neighborhoods. As a frequent visitor to NYC, I enjoyed staying in the midtown section my first few visits. I like Midtown West and Midtown Central but would never stay right in Times Square. My other favorite neighborhood is the Upper West Side.

So as others have said, check out hotels by prices starting with travelzoo for deals. If there are two of you, you can probably get a room through Priceline. But really it doesn't matter too much where you stay. About the only neighborhood I don't like is the one around the Convention Center.

mclaurie

There's no one best location for everyone. Most first time visitors stay in midtown (34 st - 59 st. east or west). The Times Square area is popular and in midtown west. If you like lots of bright lights and crowds and plan to do a lot of theater, this is the place to be. The Marriott Marquis is big, right in the middle of it and has good sized rooms with floor to ceiline windows but insulation for sound. Easyclicktravel.com has an amazingly good value price of ~$255/night plus tax (tax will add ~15%) for your dates-found by searching on kayak.com

There are other hotels in less frenetic locations in Times Square (ie the Muse, the Mela, the Casablanca-all smaller boutique hotels) or near, but not in Times Square, like the NY Hilton, the Blakely or the Sofitel.

Midtown east is a bit less busy but still central. The Millenium UN Plaza near the East River has a good deal if you use the code ppc with prices at $225-250/night plus tax. This hotel has great views and a rooftop swimming pool (enclosed), a somewhat rare amenity in NYC.

321go

"I guess I'm asking if anyone knows which hotel will give me the best bang for my buck." Rates fluctuate constantly. So I might have gotten a great rate at a great hotel a week ago, but that rate might not be available for dates next week. So, as SandyBrit says, check Quikbook or travelzoo. When you see a few hotels in your price range, post back and you'll get some great advice.

DebitNM

We just got back from a stay at Roger Williams Hotel in Murray Hill section, 31st and Madison. Perfect location, we paid $144 plus $19 "resort" fee a day, but it was still a bargain.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-hotel-nyc.cfm

stephh

Check out the Hotel at Times Square. It's between 5th and 6th Avnues but still close to everything midtown. I spent one night there last month and plan to return for Labor Day week-end. Should be about $275 or so, and very comfortable. Having stayed at a number of hotels in NYC over the years, I found it to be a great choice.

readyjetty

I'm with stephh - hotel at Times Square packs a ton of value in a spot near the commotion of Midtown. If you're looking for a more boutiqueie experience with a better location vibe, check out Ace (slightly South) or Hudson (slightly North). I noticed all three hotels are under $260 on http://www.quikbook.com/.

KL467

http://www.hotelchelsea.com/

I normally stay at Hotel Chelsea on 23rd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. The hotel is located between two subway lines (ACE and 123) making a quick and convenient trip to the Times Square area and other parts of NYC. It is normally $148 per night with a shared bathroom (two or three rooms share), but more expensive for a private bathroom.