NYC HOTEL

[stunned]

Is it too early to book a hotel for NYC for September 2022? Every hotel I look at says no rooms available. 🤷‍♀️ Want to book 3 nights.

[1025cruise]

Yes, too early.

[stunned]

29 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Yes, too early.

Thanks that makes sense. How far out can they be booked?

[markeb]

3 minutes ago, stunned said:

Thanks that makes sense. How far out can they be booked?

 

Usually between 330 days and a year. But rates go up and down in NYC all the time. Even if you book early, you're still tracking rates. I travel (well, did before 2020...) to Manhattan multiple times a year, and have had hotel rates, at the same hotel, drop by $100/night during the week I was traveling.

[stunned]

Ok will wait and then when book will keep checking rates.  Do you recommend any particular hotel? We definitely want to be able to walk to as many attractions as possible.

Edited July 29, 2021 by stunned

[markeb]

25 minutes ago, stunned said:

Ok will wait and then when book will keep checking rates.  Do you recommend any particular hotel? We definitely want to be able to walk to as many attractions as possible.

 

What do you want to see, and how many people? And is this your first visit to Manhattan? And did you have a budget in mind? How are you getting to NYC? If this is pre-cruise, where are you cruising from (there are three cruise terminals in the area)? It's hard to recommend without knowing that, and people usually recommend an area or a range to check out. Good news is you have time to make plans. Bad news is there are probably hundreds of potential hotels!

 

If most of what you want to see is in Midtown (and likely most of it will be), then Midtown makes sense. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Statue of Liberty, Trinity Church, etc., are Downtown. Central Park, Times Square, Empire State Building, etc., are going to be Midtown. 

 

 

 

 

[stunned]

 There are 2 of us both first timers to NY. Would like a room under or around $600.00 for the 3 nights total if possible. We are flying to NY. Ship sails out of Manhattan Cruise terminal and yes those are the places we would like to see.

[markeb]

$200 a night could be tough. My first thought is to look at the area around Penn Station and get an idea of hotels in that area. There are a number of mid-tier chains (Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, Hilton Garden Inn) in that area. You're outside of Times Square, but not far, and there's a very good subway network because of Penn Station. Very close to Macy's and the Empire State Building. Comfortable hotels, but not full service. Likewise not too far from the cruise terminal. There's another similar area close to the terminal, but probably not as convenient to other things you want to see and do.

 

"Sometimes" you'll get a better deal on a full service hotel than a mid-tier, and that's part of the fun of Manhattan. There are a lot of hotels in Times Square, but honestly Times Square can be a zoo. It's a great place if you get a good deal, are looking at catching a Broadway show (always recommended), and you haven't been enough there enough times to be kind of jaded by it. But all the major chains have hotels in and around Times Square.

 

You've got a couple of months before you can even book, so I'd list out the "must see and do" on your trip. Pull up Google Maps and look at where they are. A lot of attractions are closer together than you think, but city blocks in Manhattan are also bigger than you think. Times Square or Penn Station to Central Park and back gives you a really nice overview of Midtown. The Met is a hike, and I'd recommend the subway, or taxi/Uber regardless. 

 

First thoughts. Unfortunately, a lot is pre-2020 and I don't know how much has changed (yet). 

[stunned]

Thank you - you have helped tremendously and I will take your advice.

[stunned]

Is this a decent hotel and in a good location?

 

Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

145 West 47th Street

[markeb]

I don't know the hotel. It actually looks like it hasn't actually opened yet, so that's probably why! I don't see anything wrong with the location. It's between 7th Ave and 6th Ave, so that's pretty good. 47th Street is actually the Diamond District (east of there for the most part), which is a unique experience. It's close to a lot of things. It's hard to tell if it's going to be on a corner; the pictures look that way. If so, it's going to be hanging into Times Square and you're definitely going to want a high floor (sound). 6th Ave could be worse as it's a pretty major uptown route, but the location looks to be more toward 7th Ave.

 

The hotel looks like it has a funky, almost W like vibe. The rooms look typically small. What kind of rate are you seeing?

 

Any New Yorkers been by the area?

[navybankerteacher]

$200 a night is tough to find if you want a decent place.  I would suggest you check out Hilton Garden Inn - 326 West 37th - a few blocks from Times Square - but safe walking - probably in your general price range.  Anything less expensive  and closer to the center of things would be a real flop house.

[stunned]

1 hour ago, markeb said:

 

The hotel looks like it has a funky, almost W like vibe. The rooms look typically small. What kind of rate are you seeing?

 

Any New Yorkers been by the area?

$250/night incl. tax and resort fees.

[markeb]

If you can cancel it, go for it. Just keep an eye open for price drops, and reviews once they actually open. Looks like an easy walk to St Patrick’s, Top of the Rock, Radio City, etc. 

[lenquixote66]

On 7/29/2021 at 3:27 PM, stunned said:

Is it too early to book a hotel for NYC for September 2022? Every hotel I look at says no rooms available. 🤷‍♀️ Want to book 3 nights.

I would suggest that you call the NYC Tourist Information office who can answer all your questions .

[Got2Cruise]

On 8/28/2021 at 2:02 PM, stunned said:

Is this a decent hotel and in a good location?

 

Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

145 West 47th Street

I would stay away from Times Square. What are your exact dates? And what do you want to do when in NYC?

[lenquixote66]

41 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

I would stay away from Times Square. What are your exact dates? And what do you want to do when in NYC?

The Riu Plaza is 7 blocks from Times Square

[stunned]

On 9/1/2021 at 5:07 PM, Got2Cruise said:

I would stay away from Times Square. What are your exact dates? And what do you want to do when in NYC?

Sept. 2 -6. Want to see the following: Statue of Liberty, possibly Ellis Island, Empire State Building, 911 Memorial, Central Park, Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Metropolitan Museum and Guggenheim Museum

[Got2Cruise]

On 9/26/2021 at 9:17 PM, stunned said:

Sept. 2 -6. Want to see the following: Statue of Liberty, possibly Ellis Island, Empire State Building, 911 Memorial, Central Park, Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Metropolitan Museum and Guggenheim Museum

There’s no reason to stay in Times Square. I suggest Midtown East. You’ll be able to walk to most places on your list, including Times Square. I myself have walked up to the Metropolitan Museum from E 50 Street, but there’s a bus that can take you there if you don’t want to do the subway. 
 

The 9/11 Memorial and Ferry Statue of Liberty are located in lower Manhattan, so you’d need the subway, or bus, or cab to get there. 
 

I quickly checked Kayak.com and the NH Collection Hotel on East 38th is currently $190 plus tax for your dates. You’d probably have to take the bus to Central Park and the Museum from there but you pick the bus up right there on Madison Ave. Play around with Kayak, for other choices. 

Edited September 28, 2021 by Got2Cruise

[Nitemare]

Good advice by G2C.  The same boat that takes you to the SoL also takes you to Ellis Island.

 

ONLY book thru Statue Cruises.  Lots of companies resell SoL tours but they add zero value, only cost

[lenquixote66]

Tourists seem to gravitate to the west side of Manhattan.I always suggest the east side.

[markeb]

8 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Tourists seem to gravitate to the west side of Manhattan.I always suggest the east side.

 

We used to stay in Midtown East all the time. We gravitated to "Times Square South", otherwise known as the area around Penn Station, for ease from the train into Penn Station. You could literally drag bags without dealing with a cab.

 

When I look at the various hotel chain sites and Google maps, a lot of places I'm familiar with along Lexington are gone? Marriott Midtown East (which was a nice hotel), the W New York, the Waldorf Astoria (still in renovations?). I think the Doubletree is still there, and the Lexington, which was a kind of iffy Marriott property. I think there's a Hilton property at 48th or 59th along Lexington. But that's all pre-2020. We were always fans of Midtown East (other than trying to get a crosstown cab back to Penn Station...), but I don't know that I recognize it now. (Or a lot of Manhattan! We'll be up there in two weeks, and a lot of things are apparently just "gone"! The wife wanted to hit up the Talbots flagship store on Madison, and it's "Permanently Closed"!)

[lenquixote66]

6 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

We used to stay in Midtown East all the time. We gravitated to "Times Square South", otherwise known as the area around Penn Station, for ease from the train into Penn Station. You could literally drag bags without dealing with a cab.

 

When I look at the various hotel chain sites and Google maps, a lot of places I'm familiar with along Lexington are gone? Marriott Midtown East (which was a nice hotel), the W New York, the Waldorf Astoria (still in renovations?). I think the Doubletree is still there, and the Lexington, which was a kind of iffy Marriott property. I think there's a Hilton property at 48th or 59th along Lexington. But that's all pre-2020. We were always fans of Midtown East (other than trying to get a crosstown cab back to Penn Station...), but I don't know that I recognize it now. (Or a lot of Manhattan! We'll be up there in two weeks, and a lot of things are apparently just "gone"! The wife wanted to hit up the Talbots flagship store on Madison, and it's "Permanently Closed"!)

Back to the west side there is always Restaurant Row for a good meal.

[markeb]

Just now, lenquixote66 said:

Back to the west side there is always Restaurant Row for a good meal.

 

Agree. 2nd Avenu used to be very nice at one time. There were a lot of nice neighborhood restaurants. Different than Restaurant Row. There was a really nice Indian place, Amma, on 51st between 2nd and 3rd. Looks like it's still there. When we used to stay in that area, it was fun to just walk 2nd and see what looked interesting.

[lenquixote66]

12 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

Agree. 2nd Avenu used to be very nice at one time. There were a lot of nice neighborhood restaurants. Different than Restaurant Row. There was a really nice Indian place, Amma, on 51st between 2nd and 3rd. Looks like it's still there. When we used to stay in that area, it was fun to just walk 2nd and see what looked interesting.

My best friend who died from Covid last year lived on 2nd.and 54 St.He loved Indian food .Amma,one of his favorites is still open .I have not been there for a few years but my friend and I went there often.