New York help and advice please

[chirpy007]

You can get a hotel in Manhattan for your budget, but it’s a bit of a fiddle, so bear with me.

 

Are you a Priority Club member? PC is the loyalty program for Holiday Inn/IHG. PC is unique in that there redemption rates are based on hotel brand, rather than a complicated category structure. Holiday Inns and Holiday Inn Expresses are all either 15,000 or 25,000 points/night, Staybridge Suites are all 20,000/night, Candlewood Suites are all 15,000/night, etc.

 

All of this to say that there are 2 properties in Manhattan that are 15,000 points/night, the Candlewood Suites Times Square and the Holiday Inn Express New York City Wall Street (and both have availability for your dates). But what if you have no points you say? No problem – you can buy the points! For most applications, purchasing points isn't great value, but NYC is the exception. Points can be purchased according to a sliding scale: 1,000 to 9,000 points: $13.50 USD per 1,000 points; 10,000 to 19,000 points: $12.50 USD per 1,000 points; 20,000 to 40,000 points: $11.50 USD per 1,000 points. So, in your case, you need 30,000 points, which would cost $345 total, making your per night cost $172.50

 

Even better, you can use the Cash + Points option - purchase 10,000 points the regular way for $125, then reserve 2 nights at 5,000 points + $60/night. Total cost: $245, or $122.50 per night.

 

Both of the hotels I mentioned are selling rooms for your dates in the $290-300/night range. It is ironic that purchasing points is less than half the cost.

 

 

Ill have to read this a couple of times, im sure l am a member, will have to track down previous booking, thanks very much.

[138east]

If you were sailing out of Manhattan, staying at LaGuardia would be a good option. However, you're sailing out of Red Hook in Brooklyn and flying into JFK. Over half the things you want to do are in downtown Manhattan. IMO staying in a Brooklyn hotel would work a lot better for you.

[Twickenham]

Ill have to read this a couple of times, im sure l am a member, will have to track down previous booking, thanks very much.

 

Yeah, I know, I was getting myself confused writing it and I'm an active member!

If you're interested in going down the points route, ask and I can walk you thru the process on the website.

[138east]

I really like the idea of Priority Club for NYC. It sounds like a great deal. If you do this, please post back. Both properties you mentioned are totally acceptable places to stay and would be a steal for under $150.

[chirpy007]

we found the hudson-close to the park for about $150 for june. with taxes it's close to $200. found it at a hotel.com sale. also booked lincoln limo at $66 including tolls and tip from jfk. comfy town car. nyc is intoxicating! have a great trip...

 

 

Sorry missed this, many thanks :D

, off to have a look.

[chirpy007]

900 points lol :D

[greatam]

If you were sailing out of Manhattan, staying at LaGuardia would be a good option. However, you're sailing out of Red Hook in Brooklyn and flying into JFK. Over half the things you want to do are in downtown Manhattan. IMO staying in a Brooklyn hotel would work a lot better for you.

 

Public transportation from Brooklyn hotels into Manhattan is MUCH more difficult than transportation from the better LaGuardia area hotels into Manhattan. You must be willing to WALK in Brooklyn for public transportation and most of the neighborhoods are NOT particularly conducive to walking after 7PM.

 

I sure wouldn't stay in Brooklyn around RedHook if my plan was to see a lot of Manhattan via public transport.

[greatam]

Sorry missed this, many thanks :D

, off to have a look.

 

$150 plus taxes in June is a far sight different than mid September-December 31 when it comes to prices. The Hudson is a great hotel (one of the best nightclubs in NYC with LOTS of celebrities) but figure more on the order of $275-350 per night for the cheapest room from September-December.

 

New York clears out in the summer. You don't have the conventioneers or the business people visiting Manhattan in the summer. There is convention after convention starting the first of September through the first of December which makes the price of hotel rooms jump tremendously.

[chirpy007]

$150 plus taxes in June is a far sight different than mid September-December 31 when it comes to prices. The Hudson is a great hotel (one of the best nightclubs in NYC with LOTS of celebrities) but figure more on the order of $275-350 per night for the cheapest room from September-December.

 

New York clears out in the summer. You don't have the conventioneers or the business people visiting Manhattan in the summer. There is convention after convention starting the first of September through the first of December which makes the price of hotel rooms jump tremendously.

 

 

Your telling me :).....:eek::eek::eek:

[lenquixote66]

A HUGE bedbug infestation .

[Dorset Cruiser]

We are staying at the Hilton Times Square before our Celebrity Silhouette Caribbean cruise at the end of January 2012. This hotel is part of a tailor-made cruise holiday which gives us 4 nights in NY before we embark on the ship. Have read the reviews on this hotel which appear good and checked the bed bug reports on it (which only show 2 in 2010):eek:

 

Has anyone had any dealings with this hotel? It seems to be quite central for a lot of things. I have checked the prices and they are coming out at about £200-£250 per night depending on who you book with. As I say, this is already prepaid for us as part of the cruise holiday.

[rob111]

My suggestion is always Priceline. I use it virtually for every time I am in a hotel. Staying at the 4 star Algonquin 1 night before and 3 nights after our cruise late next week. $143 a night. Less than half the rate through the hotel (and a Friday night, followed by a Thursday - Saturday nights). 2 blocks from Times Square.

 

Try it out. The worst that can happen is they reject your offer; then you either have to make a change to the offer (lower stars or increase geography) or wait 24 hours to try again. No charge for trying and they won't be insulted!

 

Beware though: full payment up-front and no changes/cancellations.

 

A bigger Priceline fan than me you will not find!

[heavyg15]

Don't know about rates but Mariott downtown Brooklyn is new and perfectly located. You can walk across Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan if feeling adventurous

[Got2Cruise]

Good for you on the Algonquin! Not only is it a hotel rich in history, it is located is a wonderful location, near everything, but still quiet. My only suggestion is to research places to eat, because the in house restaurant is expensive.

My suggestion is always Priceline. I use it virtually for every time I am in a hotel. Staying at the 4 star Algonquin 1 night before and 3 nights after our cruise late next week. $143 a night. Less than half the rate through the hotel (and a Friday night, followed by a Thursday - Saturday nights). 2 blocks from Times Square.

 

Try it out. The worst that can happen is they reject your offer; then you either have to make a change to the offer (lower stars or increase geography) or wait 24 hours to try again. No charge for trying and they won't be insulted!

 

Beware though: full payment up-front and no changes/cancellations.

 

A bigger Priceline fan than me you will not find!

[Got2Cruise]

Has anyone tried Kayak for NY area hotels? Not as cheap as Priceline or Hotwire, but they can direct you to deals where you are able to cancel without penalty. Need to read the fine print. Usually if the hotel website is having a sale, for slightly more you can get a refundable rate.

Don't know about rates but Mariott downtown Brooklyn is new and perfectly located. You can walk across Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan if feeling adventurous

[138east]

Hotwire has a new feature whereby you can insure your hotel stay. If you are making plans that you wouldn't cancel unless someone got sick, then this is a reasonable alternative. I just booked 5 nights near Portland OR at a terrific rate that any other travel site couldn't begin to match. I paid the extra money to insure the room because we are going to make this trip unless some calamity happens. I used betterbidding to narrow down the possible choices and actually got the hotel I thought it would be. I'm sure that many folks who book cruises buy the cruise insurance to protect them in the same way after the final payment date has passed. This is a great new feature to have similar protection for a hotel booked through Hotwire.

[beddibi]

You can get a hotel in Manhattan for your budget, but it’s a bit of a fiddle, so bear with me.

 

Are you a Priority Club member? PC is the loyalty program for Holiday Inn/IHG. PC is unique in that there redemption rates are based on hotel brand, rather than a complicated category structure. Holiday Inns and Holiday Inn Expresses are all either 15,000 or 25,000 points/night, Staybridge Suites are all 20,000/night, Candlewood Suites are all 15,000/night, etc.

 

All of this to say that there are 2 properties in Manhattan that are 15,000 points/night, the Candlewood Suites Times Square and the Holiday Inn Express New York City Wall Street (and both have availability for your dates). But what if you have no points you say? No problem – you can buy the points! For most applications, purchasing points isn't great value, but NYC is the exception. Points can be purchased according to a sliding scale: 1,000 to 9,000 points: $13.50 USD per 1,000 points; 10,000 to 19,000 points: $12.50 USD per 1,000 points; 20,000 to 40,000 points: $11.50 USD per 1,000 points. So, in your case, you need 30,000 points, which would cost $345 total, making your per night cost $172.50

 

Even better, you can use the Cash + Points option - purchase 10,000 points the regular way for $125, then reserve 2 nights at 5,000 points + $60/night. Total cost: $245, or $122.50 per night.

 

Both of the hotels I mentioned are selling rooms for your dates in the $290-300/night range. It is ironic that purchasing points is less than half the cost.

 

We love Priority Club. We are using Priority Club points to stay at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square for our upcoming September 11, 2011 cruise. We are staying 2 nights pre cruise. Using Priority club points saved us close to $600.00 on hotel.:)

Definately check & see if you are a member & how many points you have.

[bsawg]

Public transportation from Brooklyn hotels into Manhattan is MUCH more difficult than transportation from the better LaGuardia area hotels into Manhattan. You must be willing to WALK in Brooklyn for public transportation and most of the neighborhoods are NOT particularly conducive to walking after 7PM.

 

I sure wouldn't stay in Brooklyn around RedHook if my plan was to see a lot of Manhattan via public transport.

 

This is just patently untrue. I have lived in Brooklyn for 15 years and I obviously do a lot of walking around after 7 pm. There are plenty of safe options. Please don't defame our boro! I don't know what kind of public transportation you are taking from LaGuardia, but we take the subway every day into all parts of Mnahattan and it is as easy as can be. Walking is part of NYC life but Brooklyn subways are as conveniently located as Manhattan if you know where to stay.

[bsawg]

If you can find a cheap enough option in Manhattan, great. Times Square is bright and fun and some people just MUST be in it to get the true tourist experience. It is also a loud, crazy madhouse and easily accessible by all our subway lines for a visit, so I wouldn't personally recommend it! Chelsea is a lovely area, and lower Manhattan/financial district is great, too. If yo do Times Square, be aware that the areas more toward the river on the West can feel sort of seedy. You are pretty safe everywhere, though.

 

If you want to stay in our awesome boro, we welcome you! Here are my favorite options:

 

NuHotel is the best Brooklyn hotel, in my opinion, but not really cheaper than some Manhattan ones. I like it better than a boring chain in Manhttan, though, and it is super close to the subway and a million fun shops, restaurants and bars on Smith Street and Court Street.

 

The Brooklyn Marriott is the usual best bet for visitors - exactly what you expect from Marriott, good location (love being close to the bridge for a walk!).

 

The Hotel LeBleu is cool and modern but I haven't known anyone who has stayed there. It is on a busy street here and the five block walk from the subway is very safe but would feel less so if it were extremely late at night. It is a quick one block walk to one of the two main thoroughfares of my neighborhood with plenty of shops and restaurants, lots to do, family area called Park Slope (voted best neighborhood in all of NYC - Brooklyn is NOT what you have seen in movies, etc!!!).

 

On the cheaper hotel chains here, the one I'd most recommend is the most expensive but cheaper than Manhattan - the Holiday Inn Express on Union Street. It is on a block that is unattractive but it is RIGHT by the subway (less than a block) and 1.5 blocks to all that Park Slope has to offer, a really great location even if the block it sits on is ugly.

 

The ones on 3rd Ave and below are not going to feel as safe because they are in less populated areas - more warehouse and industry than residences.

 

All the Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn hotels are going to be a very quick ride in a car service to the port. Subway to Manhattan is 20-30 minutes most of the time.

 

Please let me know if you have any specific questions about places!

-Briar, proud Brooklynite

[patti226]

I am staying at the comfort inn and suites in Maspeth for my cruise at the end of Sept. we will be staying 3 nights before our cruise. I wanted to stay in Manh. but the prices were crazy we got the room for $106 a night with free shuttle from airport and free breakfast. I hope I made the right decision.

[Got2Cruise]

Maspeth is a safe area so don't worry about that. There is no direct subway, but I am sure the hotel can direct you to the bus to the subway, or most likely an "express bus" that goes directly into Manhattan from that area of Queens.

I am staying at the comfort inn and suites in Maspeth for my cruise at the end of Sept. we will be staying 3 nights before our cruise. I wanted to stay in Manh. but the prices were crazy we got the room for $106 a night with free shuttle from airport and free breakfast. I hope I made the right decision.

[bsawg]

Maspeth is a safe area so don't worry about that. There is no direct subway, but I am sure the hotel can direct you to the bus to the subway, or most likely an "express bus" that goes directly into Manhattan from that area of Queens.

 

It's about a mile and a half to the subway, it looks like. Maybe there is a shuttle? I am not that familiar with that area but judging from its proximity to the BQE (the freeway), I'd prepare yourself for it to not be that pretty a walk. Probably safe, though.

[cruise 101]

This may not be the correct place to ask my question but I don't want to start a new thread. I'm interested in one of three Bermuda cruises, HAL, Celebrity or NCL. Could somebody match the airport, JFK, LaGuardia or EWR, with the ship please? I'd like the closest airport to the port for less expensive taxi or easy public transportation. Thanks.

[138east]

HAL and NCL sail from Manhattan. Closest airport is LGA. Celebrity sails from Bayonne, NJ. Closest airport is Newark.

 

However, the public transportation to and from LGA is difficult and involves both bus and subway. Taxi to Manhattan is $30-35. Newark has train service from the airport to NY Penn Station ($12.50/pp each way) There is also airport bus service between both airports and various locations in Manhattan for approximately $13-15/pp each way.

 

Public transportation to and from Bayonne is difficult. Car Service to the port in Bayonne from Newark Airport is $50-60.

 

For HAL and NCL you could fly into either Newark or LGA. For Celebrity you would want to fly into Newark.

[cruise 101]

138east, thanks for the info.

So if I take Celebrity, I'll fly to Newark and I could stay at Robert Treat BW on Park Place Newark which provides free shuttle to airport and Newark Penn Station for going to NY Penn Station for sight seeing in Manhattan. On the day of the cruise I can take the hotel free shuttle to the airport and then car service to Bayonne. Will the car service from the hotel to Bayonne be approx. the same price as from the airport to Bayonne?

If I choose NCL how much do you think the car service from the hotel to Manhattan? Or should I go to NY Penn Station and take a car service from there, will this be cheaper? Thanks.