Where to stay/what to do

Old Feb 9th, 2009, 08:53 AM
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Where to stay/what to do

I am thinking of taking my daughter to New York for her 17th bday in March. We have never been and need advice on where to stay that is convenient to the things we must see. We would go for 3nts and would like to see a Broadway show. What are the must see sights and best hotel choice?
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Old Feb 9th, 2009, 09:15 AM
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You may get more help if you repost with NY in your subject line. The US is a big place, and you could be referring to anywhere. As long as you're in Manhattan and near a subway stop, you can, relatively easily, get to most tourist sights.

What is your hotel budget? "Best" could mean most luxurious, highest quality, cheapest, etc, etc..

What kinds of things do you like to do? "Must sees" for one person aren't even mildly interesting to another.

When we go to NYC, our focus is primarily theater, and we see four shows in three days. Someone else might not like that at all. On the other hand, some people go there to shop, and that doesn't appeal to me at all.

I'd suggest getting some guidebooks from the luibrary to read about the variety of things to do in NYC and start narrowing your choices.
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Old Feb 9th, 2009, 09:17 AM
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You probably thought by "tagging" your post "New York" that it would appear in a New York forum, but that isn't how Fodors works. All posts are in one big USA forum. That's why abram suggests you repost with NY in the title.
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Old Feb 9th, 2009, 09:26 AM
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I normally don't recommend this hotel because of the size but I think the Marriott Marquis packs a lot of punch for the first time visitor.

A) It is in the heart of Times Square and for many newbies, Times Square is Manhattan.

B) It is larger than life which is what Manhattan is all about.

c) The views of Times Square from The View and The Broadway Bar.

D) Even though it is a Manhattan hotel, the rooms aren't as small as typical NYC hotel rooms.
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Old Feb 9th, 2009, 11:21 AM
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Agree that for a 17 yr old's first visit to NYC and going to a show, staying in/near Times Square is the best option for a short visit. While the Marriott Marquis is "wow," there may be some better deals on travelzoo.com for other nice hotels if budget is an issue. The Millenium Broadway, the Westin and the Hampton Inn Times Square North are all currently on offer for certain dates. The Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square has had some good pricing and is an all suite hotel with 1 bedroom suites.

If you're looking for discount tickets broadwaybox.com has them for some shows. "In the Heights" is terrific.

Top of the Rock for views, walking the Brooklyn bridge (from Brooklyn to NYC) again for views, visiting Soho, Greenwich Village and Central Park and a bit of shopping. H & M is a popular clothing store for inexpensive but trendy stuff. She might enjoy having her makeup done for free at one of the Sephora stores (there's one in Times Square). Maybe a manicure and pedicure.
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Old Feb 9th, 2009, 02:26 PM
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Wow! Thanks so much for the replies. There are some really great deals on Travelzoo. Now to choose between Millennium,Westin,Embassy Suites,Hotel Mela. I cannot believe they are all under 200nt. We would really love to go to a few shows and a musuem. I am not big into shopping. This will be a surpise for my daughter and I want her to see some new things.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 06:03 AM
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"Now to choose between Millennium, Westin,Embassy Suites,Hotel Mela."

Mela rooms are small and the hotel is not as impressive as the others.

Is this Mother/daughter or Father/daughter or Mother & Father and daughter? I'd say Embassy Suites is a good option for M/F/D or F/D since there's 2 rooms and some privacy. Otherwise, I'd opt for Times Square location for this trip at either the Millenium Broadway or Westin. Millenium B'way is really only good for 2 people not 3.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 08:10 AM
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Well I did it. I just bought the plane tickets. I am taking my daughter and now my sister is coming too. I will need a room that accomodates three. Now that she is coming I really need to find budget things to do. We are going March 19th thru 22nd. I now need to book the room so any more ideas would be great before I pick a place. Any tips on anything as not so expensive places to eat, places we must see in our 3 day trip etc..would be great.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 08:18 AM
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In many Manhattan hotels, a standard room is a room with one double bed.

A room with two beds is considered an upgrade so keep that in mind when making your reservations.

Make sure you book a room with two queens or doubles. Otherwise you can easily end up in a room with one bed and no room for a roll a way.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 08:20 AM
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The best deal I think you'll find is the Embassy Suites for $149/night plus tax. YOu get a 1 bedroom suite with full cooked breakfast. Only downside is it's downtown. If you'd prefer to be in/near Times Square, go for the Westin for $189 for a double double. Both offers are on travelzoo. You can look on quikbook.com to see if anything compares.

There's LOADS of information already here on budget things in NYC if you do a text search.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 08:53 AM
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I think the Embassy Suites is a great deal at 149 with breakfast. Is the Westin and the location worth the difference? If so I will book that. I am not sure if we need to be downtown or near Times Square. Can you help me decide which area I need to be.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 09:30 AM
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Truck - First you need to decide where you want to go and what you want to see and *then* decide where you should stay. Do some research on this site.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 10:18 AM
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You don't "need" to be in any one location. Life is a compromise and YOU need to decide whether budget or location are more important. The Westin is a block from Times Square and a really nice hotel. You can walk to any theater and to Rockefeller Center. $189 for it is a steal relatively speaking.

But $149 for 3 people in a 1 bedroom suite with b/f included? That's almost too good to be true. The ES is near the ferries to Statue of Liberty, not far from Tribeca, Soho, South STreet Seaport. Neither is a bad choice. Look at a map.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 10:24 AM
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Since it's for your daughter's birthday and with a 3rd person going, maybe you should let her choose. In the Westin, she'll have to share a double bed with you (I assume) but will be in Times Square area. At the Embassy Suites, you have several options including her sleeping on the sofabed in the living room.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 11:19 AM
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Thank you so much for all your help. I would love to ask my daughter but it is a surprise for her Birthday March 16. I will let her open something that day that will have the tickets etc. She has been begging me for years to surprise her so I am doing it. I have to sneak around now looking up information under a different email. I will be looking on the posts here to find neat things to do since I have to pick and plan it all by myself.
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Old Feb 10th, 2009, 11:49 AM
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I suggest you start a NEW thread with a title like "NYC- first trip-long weekend for daughter's 17th birthday" and ask for money saving tips and ideas. You will get better advice with NYC and daughter's age etc. in the title (and hopefully you've solved the where to stay question).

There is lots of info here if you know how to use the search function.
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