Newark Hilton Penn Station hotel was perfect for pre cruise

[mailmama]

This hotel was perfect for taking PATH from Newark into lower Manhattan. We flew in Friday afternoon to sightsee NYC before our Canada/NE cruise on Sunday. The room was ready when we arrived and we cleaned up a bit before simply walking across the elevated walkway directly into Penn Station. Never having been in a train station before, it took us several minutes to find a machine selling tickets. (we were looking for a live person!) Another several minutes spent locating our departure point, and off we went! We arrived at the Oculus and then toured the One World Trade Center area before traveling to the top for a late afternoon view.  We then ate at an Italian restaurant before taking PATH back to Newark. Easy peasy for people like us who live in a town with only a yellow blinking light! Wanted to let others know there are places to eat nearby this hotel, all walkable! For quick easy breakfast or lunch there is a place in the elevated walkway right outside the hotel. Large cafe/grill type place. For a relaxing dinner with a nice selection of various pub type food is a place called Bella's Pub. This is a quick, short walk through Penn Station to the back door. Look across the street and there is Bella's! This was a great experience for us and the warnings of nowhere to eat near this hotel are unfounded.  Uber picked us up for cruise within minutes and it was an easy trip to Cape Liberty. Cost for Uber was about $15.

[138east]

Thank you for the review.  So glad it worked out so well for you and you were able to achieve your sightseeing objectives.  And thanks for the eating tips at Newark Penn Station.

[mailmama]

Carol, A big shout out to you for your advice in selecting this hotel and information on using PATH!! Thanks so much for being there for everyone on these boards! Planning for this trip was much easier because of you!

[stalco]

Mailmamma... can you answer a couple questions since you were just there.  Is there free shuttle from the Newark Airport to the hotel?  

Which cruise port did you go out of and how much did it cost you to get there the morning of the cruise.  

Really appreciate your comments.  I am looking to book this hotel and am glad to hear how easy it was to get

into NYC

[138east]

Mailmama stated that they took Uber to the port at Cape Liberty for $15.

 

The Hilton offers a free airport shuttle.  The pickup point would be the P4 airtrain Station.  The free airtrain services all the terminals.  https://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/ewr-airtrain-brochure-english.pdf

 

I think you should call the Hilton to ask about the shuttle.  When you arrive, I think you need to call and request that the shuttle pick you up.  The web site is vague on this point.

[stalco]

Thanks... I totally missed the sentence about uber.... 

[138east]

$15 for Uber from downtown Newark(essentially Newark Penn Station) to Cape Liberty seems a bit low.  I’m sure I’ve seen amounts in the $30-40 range.  Perhaps folks who have done this trip can post their experiences.

[ericosmith]

Ours was $17 including tip in October but that was after what I believe was a $5 coupon.  As for the shuttle, don't wait too long at the P4 without checking.  In our case the driver picked up some flight crews and was full  so simply skipped the P4 pickup.  Ended up taking Uber but hotel reimbursed the fare.  

[Noxequifans]

Glad the OP had a good stay here. But reading TripAdvisor reviews show above average poor and terrible ratings. Location seems to be its best plus.

[mjkacmom]

11 hours ago, 138east said:

$15 for Uber from downtown Newark(essentially Newark Penn Station) to Cape Liberty seems a bit low.  I’m sure I’ve seen amounts in the $30-40 range.  Perhaps folks who have done this trip can post their experiences.

I live in the area, and the 10 mile ride to Newark airport varies depending on day and time, ranging from $20 - $40 for an uber.

[Got2Cruise]

9 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

Glad the OP had a good stay here. But reading TripAdvisor reviews show above average poor and terrible ratings. Location seems to be its best plus.

It’s all about expectations. For very easy access into Manhattan, plus a reasonable cost to Cruise port, plus affordable rates makes it very attractive to Cruise Critic members. If one expects it to be on the level of other Hilton Hotels then you’ll be disappointed. 

[138east]

9 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

It’s all about expectations. For very easy access into Manhattan, plus a reasonable cost to Cruise port, plus affordable rates makes it very attractive to Cruise Critic members. If one expects it to be on the level of other Hilton Hotels then you’ll be disappointed. 

I totally agree.  Newark is not a vacation destination and the hotel offerings reflect that for all brands.  The Trip Advisor reviews were 2/3 Excellent and Good and 1/3 Average, poor and terrible.  RCL offers this hotel to folks who book a precruise hotel through them.