Alternative to hotel in Manhattan

[charliechill]

Hi, all! I'll be sailing with one guest on Carnival Glory Sept 25-Oct 3 out of NYC. I believe Carnival's port for this is at 12th Avenue at 55th Street. We would like to spend two or three days either before or after the cruise to play around Manhattan. I read somewhere else on the board that Midtown or Upper West Side would be best for this, but I haven't had luck finding any reasonable rates for either Sept 23-25 or Oct 3-5. Everything I see in those two areas that is less than $200 a night has a shared bathroom, and I just can't deal with the thought of that. Haha! I tried the Roosevelt that everyone is talking about on the boards but they say the $149 rate is not available. So, what can you all suggest? If we stay diligent with travel websites (I currently get about 10 emails every Wednesday from travel sites advertising specials) will we find a good hotel in Midtown or Upper West Side (or other places around there) that is around $149 for our dates? Or should we start looking at places outside of Manhattan? We don't know which airport we are flying into because we are waiting for some hopeful drops in airfare rates before we book tickets. I understand not knowing our airports might make it difficult for you all to recommend something because of taxi charges. I've seen the other threads about Secaucus and other places out of Manhattan by posters like 138east, but is that a good option for us if we are only spending 2 days before or after and are sailing out of Manhattan? Also, we are comfortable with maneuvering public transportation to/from the hotel.

 

Thanks a bundle, all!!!!!!

[A&Jfamily]

Hi, all! I'll be sailing with one guest on Carnival Glory Sept 25-Oct 3 out of NYC. I believe Carnival's port for this is at 12th Avenue at 55th Street. We would like to spend two or three days either before or after the cruise to play around Manhattan. I read somewhere else on the board that Midtown or Upper West Side would be best for this, but I haven't had luck finding any reasonable rates for either Sept 23-25 or Oct 3-5. Everything I see in those two areas that is less than $200 a night has a shared bathroom, and I just can't deal with the thought of that. Haha! I tried the Roosevelt that everyone is talking about on the boards but they say the $149 rate is not available. So, what can you all suggest? If we stay diligent with travel websites (I currently get about 10 emails every Wednesday from travel sites advertising specials) will we find a good hotel in Midtown or Upper West Side (or other places around there) that is around $149 for our dates? Or should we start looking at places outside of Manhattan? We don't know which airport we are flying into because we are waiting for some hopeful drops in airfare rates before we book tickets. I understand not knowing our airports might make it difficult for you all to recommend something because of taxi charges. I've seen the other threads about Secaucus and other places out of Manhattan by posters like 138east, but is that a good option for us if we are only spending 2 days before or after and are sailing out of Manhattan? Also, we are comfortable with maneuvering public transportation to/from the hotel.

 

Thanks a bundle, all!!!!!!

 

Try Pricel*ine...we got Doubletree Metropolitan (mid-town east) for under $200 a night....

[138east]

I'm not seeing anything much on Hotwire (or any place else) for your dates. I think you have to resolve your airport before we can make suggestions. The Sheraton Meadowlands appears to be on Hotwire for $77 + tax for at least one of your dates. If you fly into LGA, folks have been looking at hotels in Long Island City that have good subway transportation to Manhattan.

[BlueHerons]

Hi, all! I'll be sailing with one guest on Carnival Glory Sept 25-Oct 3 out of NYC. I believe Carnival's port for this is at 12th Avenue at 55th Street. We would like to spend two or three days either before or after the cruise to play around Manhattan. I read somewhere else on the board that Midtown or Upper West Side would be best for this, but I haven't had luck finding any reasonable rates for either Sept 23-25 or Oct 3-5. Everything I see in those two areas that is less than $200 a night has a shared bathroom, and I just can't deal with the thought of that. Haha! I tried the Roosevelt that everyone is talking about on the boards but they say the $149 rate is not available. So, what can you all suggest? If we stay diligent with travel websites (I currently get about 10 emails every Wednesday from travel sites advertising specials) will we find a good hotel in Midtown or Upper West Side (or other places around there) that is around $149 for our dates? Or should we start looking at places outside of Manhattan? We don't know which airport we are flying into because we are waiting for some hopeful drops in airfare rates before we book tickets. I understand not knowing our airports might make it difficult for you all to recommend something because of taxi charges. I've seen the other threads about Secaucus and other places out of Manhattan by posters like 138east, but is that a good option for us if we are only spending 2 days before or after and are sailing out of Manhattan? Also, we are comfortable with maneuvering public transportation to/from the hotel.

 

Thanks a bundle, all!!!!!!

 

Your problem is that your dates are in peak season.

 

Book a cancellable backup and then start bidding on priceline.

 

Just a heads up, when hotels in Manhattan are $400, the ones outside Manhattan within an easy reach of the city (Weehauken, Jersey City, Hoboken) are going to be $375 per night.

 

Your best bet is to bid within 30 days of your arrival date.

 

Go to the Big Apple CVB and check the convention calendar to see whether you should book your stay before or after your cruise.

 

I think you are trying to book too early.

 

Did you try hotwire?

[charliechill]

Your best bet is to bid within 30 days of your arrival date.

I think you are trying to book too early.

I wondered if I was trying to book too early. I guess we'll buy the flight now so we know where we're going to be (will also help 138east and others with recommendations), and then see what we can find for hotels closer to our dates.

 

Did you try hotwire?

Yes, I've spent hours on every travel site you can think of and have seen *nothing* under $200 without a shared bathroom. Even the "secret" ones where the names of the hotels are hidden.

 

If you fly into LGA, folks have been looking at hotels in Long Island City that have good subway transportation to Manhattan.

Thanks! I'll looking into that.

[mommyto2girls]

Stay in Edgewater NJ or Weehawken NJ you will be right on the opposite side of the pier on the Hudson River. Ferry across to Midtown Manhattan or bus to Port Authority. Great shopping, restaurants and views of the city skyline. You can fly into ewr or lga. I live 2 miles away and love watching the ships, the skyline and taking the ferry into manhattan, it is an 8 minute ride.

[charliechill]

Stay in Edgewater NJ or Weehawken NJ you will be right on the opposite side of the pier on the Hudson River. Ferry across to Midtown Manhattan or bus to Port Authority. Great shopping, restaurants and views of the city skyline. You can fly into ewr or lga. I live 2 miles away and love watching the ships, the skyline and taking the ferry into manhattan, it is an 8 minute ride.

 

Ooh, thanks for the tip! I searched and found some good deals in those areas. Have you perhaps got a couple suggestions of specifics? I'm worried because there are some reviews of certain hotels that mention them being "in the middle of nowhere" or "not near the ferry at all" and I would obviously like to avoid those. :p Thanks again!

[138east]

The ferry sounds great, but it is $8.50/pp each way to NY. Also, some of the hotels in the area can be really marginal. Don't make a final commitment without checking back. You really need to figure out what airport you are flying into first.

[mommyto2girls]

Ooh, thanks for the tip! I searched and found some good deals in those areas. Have you perhaps got a couple suggestions of specifics? I'm worried because there are some reviews of certain hotels that mention them being "in the middle of nowhere" or "not near the ferry at all" and I would obviously like to avoid those. :p Thanks again!

 

Homewood Suites Edgewater(includes breakfast), Sheraton in Weehawken, there are bus shuttle to the ferry from every hotel, there are also buses that go right to Port Authority in NY if you don't want to spend $8.50 on the ferry. There is nothing marginal about either of those. they have reasonable rates. I have had many fellow cruisers comment on how enjoyable it is to stay on the Hudson in NJ. Any questions I would be happy to help further if I can.

[138east]

You're correct - there is nothing marginal about Homewood Suites or the Sheraton Weehawken. Unfortunately, the OP has a budget of $200/night and no car. These hotels are running $210-240/night. However, if you search for hotels in that area, you will come up with a lot of cheaper and more marginal choices.

 

The OP has to decide what airport he or she is flying into first. Then we can give advice as to where to stay.

[mommyto2girls]

AAA rates are $179 and I hear they are very flexible if you call directly. They include breakfast and you do not need a car if you stay there. I have always depended on people who live in very close proximity to where I am going to give me good advice I am just trying to do the same. Doesn't matter where they fly into as long as it is not JFK that is always a haul. I would never stay in North Bergen or Secaucus or Long Island City. We live in a very expensive area (not quite as high as manhattan) but we pride ourselves on our view and accessability to NYC, transportaion, restaurants and shopping. if the ferry is too expensive then the NJ transit bus is right outside the door.

[johnjen]

Hi, all! I'll be sailing with one guest on Carnival Glory Sept 25-Oct 3 out of NYC. I believe Carnival's port for this is at 12th Avenue at 55th Street. We would like to spend two or three days either before or after the cruise to play around Manhattan. I read somewhere else on the board that Midtown or Upper West Side would be best for this, but I haven't had luck finding any reasonable rates for either Sept 23-25 or Oct 3-5. Everything I see in those two areas that is less than $200 a night has a shared bathroom, and I just can't deal with the thought of that. Haha! I tried the Roosevelt that everyone is talking about on the boards but they say the $149 rate is not available. So, what can you all suggest? If we stay diligent with travel websites (I currently get about 10 emails every Wednesday from travel sites advertising specials) will we find a good hotel in Midtown or Upper West Side (or other places around there) that is around $149 for our dates? Or should we start looking at places outside of Manhattan? We don't know which airport we are flying into because we are waiting for some hopeful drops in airfare rates before we book tickets. I understand not knowing our airports might make it difficult for you all to recommend something because of taxi charges. I've seen the other threads about Secaucus and other places out of Manhattan by posters like 138east, but is that a good option for us if we are only spending 2 days before or after and are sailing out of Manhattan? Also, we are comfortable with maneuvering public transportation to/from the hotel.

 

Thanks a bundle, all!!!!!!

 

We got Embassy Suites down near the financial district @ $149 a night and that includes the manager's hour (free mixed drinks) each evening and then full breakfast the following day. The only stipulation is the cab far from the hotel to the piers, which runs about $25-35, which doesn't bother us. The reason we picked Embassy Suites is because of their standards and we will know what to expect for the two evenings we are there before the cruise. We picked up on the possibilities of having to share bathrooms with other guests as well, and that specifically made us change our minds.

 

One more alternative is the Ink 48, which seems to be a nice hotel, but you'll pay the same or maybe more than the $149 @ ES and that would be without the manager's hour and full breakfast.

 

I have also heard that this Embassy Suite location is more ideal for Brooklyn cruisers, but it's a straight cab ride to the Manhattan piers which are only 4.4 miles away.

 

Note we are also taking the train into Penn Station from Charlottesville Virginia as the alternative to parking our car for an outlandish daily fee at the Manhattan terminal.

[138east]

johnjen - be fair to the OP. You didn't give him all the details about how you promoted such a geat rate for yourself.

 

"What I do whenever I book a hotel is call the hotel direct, ask for the front desk, and mention their "advertised special"....typically the clerk doesn't know, so I just quote some made up ad with a made up price. Seeing the regular price per night I just quoted $149 and got it. I do this a lot. "

[charliechill]

Uh oh! Thanks for looking out for me, Carol. I'm not willing to (and by that I mean brave enough to :D ) call and pretend I saw a rate somewhere. I'm not experienced enough with hotel booking to succeed in this, I'm sure.

 

I am waiting for my friend to decide what dates she wants and then we can find which airport we'll fly in to. I appreciate the help from everyone on here and love hearing the different opinions. I'll get back to you all when I have better info. Hopefully it will be the next day or so. My friend is not as motivated at getting deals as I am and her slowness has already forced us to miss deals on the cruise and the flight. Ugh!

 

Oh, and I am male, btw.

[johnjen]

johnjen - be fair to the OP. You didn't give him all the details about how you promoted such a geat rate for yourself.

 

"What I do whenever I book a hotel is call the hotel direct, ask for the front desk, and mention their "advertised special"....typically the clerk doesn't know, so I just quote some made up ad with a made up price. Seeing the regular price per night I just quoted $149 and got it. I do this a lot. "

 

Thanks. That's exactly how it's done....might not work all of the time however. Good luck OP even if you decide this isn't what you want to do!

[BlueHerons]

We got Embassy Suites down near the financial district @ $149 a night and that includes the manager's hour (free mixed drinks) each evening and then full breakfast the following day. The only stipulation is the cab far from the hotel to the piers, which runs about $25-35, which doesn't bother us. The reason we picked Embassy Suites is because of their standards and we will know what to expect for the two evenings we are there before the cruise. We picked up on the possibilities of having to share bathrooms with other guests as well, and that specifically made us change our minds.

 

One more alternative is the Ink 48, which seems to be a nice hotel, but you'll pay the same or maybe more than the $149 @ ES and that would be without the manager's hour and full breakfast.

 

I have also heard that this Embassy Suite location is more ideal for Brooklyn cruisers, but it's a straight cab ride to the Manhattan piers which are only 4.4 miles away.

 

Note we are also taking the train into Penn Station from Charlottesville Virginia as the alternative to parking our car for an outlandish daily fee at the Manhattan terminal.

 

The cheapest rates for the OPs dates at the Embassy Suites is $600 per night.

 

While I love staying in the financial district, your comparison is apples to dump trucks.

[travelgip]

Don't discount Westchester county. While it is further away from Manhattan, you can take a train directly into Grand Central Station and be in the middle of the city!:D

[johnjen]

The cheapest rates for the OPs dates at the Embassy Suites is $600 per night.

 

While I love staying in the financial district, your comparison is apples to dump trucks.

 

Ouch. Are you serious? $600 a night seems too high....jeez, sorry for the OP on that one.

[tvdinner]

We are flying in two days before and because of the time of our flight and the cost of the hotels we pricelined and got the Crowne Plaza at Laguardia. There are good reviews and bad reviews but since all we need is a place to lay our heads we are not concerned. The priceline price was $89 a night. Also, when we arrive back in NYC, we are staying an extra night. We looked on Expedia and found the hotel Bedford for $169 a night. We called the hotel and asked if they would match the price and they did. This method is a good alternative to Priceline. Also, we are on the same cruise.

[goldesq]

The cheapest rates for the OPs dates at the Embassy Suites is $600 per night.

 

While I love staying in the financial district, your comparison is apples to dump trucks.

 

I found rates for the OPs dates at the Embassy Suites Downtown for $373 for the 23rd to the 25th, however, those rates are still ridiculous. There are tons of other hotels in Manhattan for 250ish (which the OP doesnt want to spend). Try Expedia and Hotwire and do 3 star for Mahattan and/or try near the airport you are traveling into. To answer one of your initial questions OP, no, you cannot get a hotel with a private bathroom for 149 that isnt scary on the UWS or Midtown.

[striker144]

The Sheraton in Weehawken is wonderful especially if you get a river view; the NY skyline at night..the ferry dock is right there. I have stayed there many times on business

 

The Embassy downtown is pretty far off the beaten track if you are looking to spend time sightseeing, although it's good proximity to the Statue of Liberty; otherwise long walk to Subway BUT subway usually will get you uptown faster than a cab. This hotel is also very, very close to the Twin Towers site.

 

There is a Hampton Inn in Chelsea (28th st I think) I've used.

[johnjen]

I found rates for the OPs dates at the Embassy Suites Downtown for $373 for the 23rd to the 25th, however, those rates are still ridiculous. There are tons of other hotels in Manhattan for 250ish (which the OP doesnt want to spend). Try Expedia and Hotwire and do 3 star for Mahattan and/or try near the airport you are traveling into. To answer one of your initial questions OP, no, you cannot get a hotel with a private bathroom for 149 that isnt scary on the UWS or Midtown.

 

You're absolutely right to bring this up - but a lot of people simply don't know how to work the hotel system. They agree up front with the hotel clerk in the lobby and break out their credit cards. Wrong! Stop! Haggle!

 

If were the OP reading this thread, it would encourage me further to call the hotel directly and ply them for the rate of $149 a night. If you ran a statistic of that hotel alone for a straight week you'd discover that it is not booking 100%. That translates to business loss, and frankly, these days, you actually can haggle hotel rates. I practice this all the time.

 

Hotels are particularly vulnerable to late arrivals seeking rooms that are available...I've been known to pull off stays at roadside hotels like Comfort Inns at $25 per night - no reservations, just walking straight in, asking if they have any rooms available - and before they state a rate, I offer them 25 bucks. If they turn it down, I walk out. Do you know that after 10pm, all rooms unbooked are reported as a 100% loss? they'd be glad to see an extra $25 in their registers these days.

 

OP, call Embassy suites and ply them for $149 a night. Even if the clerk at the front desk tells you they can't do it, ask to speak to their sales manager and then tell them that you know someone in a travel forum who booked at that rate. After all, what do you really have to lose?

[charliechill]

Hey, all. Really, the airports aren't really an issue. We can fly into pretty much JFK, LGA, EWR, or SWF for about the same price. So, it appears we should try to find a hotel first and then match our airports to the hotels. First, refundable hotels to keep in case we find no good deals. I searched Radisson, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, Wyndham, Hyatt, and Choice Hotels. We prefer either two beds or one king, but not one queen only, so when I quote prices I list the cheapest of our bed requirements that is available. Rates are all refundable and an average daily rate for 9/23 and 9/24. In Long Island City there is a Country Inn and Suites for $140, a Fairfield Inn and Suites for $169, a Best Western Plaza Hotel for $125 a night, or a Comfort Inn or Quality Inn for $160. In Weehawken/Edgewater there is Comfort Inn for $130. I could try calling the Homewood Suites and see if they could offer something better as mommyto2girls said. Are any of these options jumping out at anyone?

 

Should I be totally ignoring Secaucus and Brooklyn? I ask because there is a good deal from the Book It site that has a "brand new" Best Western Arena hotel for $130 a night in Brooklyn on 1324 Atlantic Avenue that has only a $20 fee if I cancel before 9/21. There are also other hotel prices under $200 in these areas. I saw 138east mention Sheraton Meadowlands that but I have been ignoring that area because I wasn't sure if Secaucus was convenient or not. In looking at a map of the area I see how big Brooklyn is and how far away it is from Midtown so maybe that isn't the best option. It it seems Secaucus is far too, though.

 

Once I get this refundable fare settled I'll begin bidding to see what I can find.

 

I know, I know, so many questions. You really are all lifesavers and making this trip possible for us non New Yorkers who get so confused with all the different options. As always, thanks a million!!

[138east]

Comfort Suites in Weekhawken is out - there was a recent long thread about staying at this hotel. Check out La Quinta in Long Island City.

 

Could you provide some information about where you are from and your experience in highly urban areas? It's hard to give good advice without knowing your audience.

[138east]

I looked more closely at Newark again. You can book the Newark Penn Station Hilton for $170 incl taxes and $145 incl taxes nonrefundable. If you fly into Newark, there is an airport shuttle to this hotel. It is right at Penn Station in Newark. It's $5/pp by train to Manhattan and $1.75/pp by Path to either midtown or downtown Manhattan. So even though the hotel might be a bit more expensive, it is a very nice hotel (particularly considering the other properties you are looking at) and you could save quite a bit on transportation (i.e. cab fare from the airport to the hotel). So for the most budget option it is $7/pp for each trip in and out of NYC. Train and cab to the port would be no more than $25 (less than $20 if you do Path).