NYC hotels

[SorrelForbes]

I'm looking for recommendations for hotels in Manhattan for DH's 40th birthday weekend. Happy to spend up to £1000 for three nights (but would like to spend less!). We'd like to be central so I'm guessing Times Square or Central Park areas?

I stayed at the Pennsylvania Hotel when I visited in 2002 and it was a bit grotty.

Your budget should get you a five star hotel in Midtown Manhattan which is probably where you want to stay to be central.

It depends when you're travelling but the Quin is opening in September and will no doubt have some good offers. They are by Carnegie Hall. Alternatively the Plaza and the Four seasons on Fifth Avenue are within budget (just). For the latter, book with a preferred partner and you get complimentary breakfast.

If you fancy SoHo, the Crosby is a boutique property and well regarded.

Hope that helps.

We love the Library Hotel, which is near the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue. Nearish to Times Square etc but quieter - staying right on top of them can be a bit much.

Every room is themed with a 'subject' which is apparent from the books in it, but it's a sophisticated hotel. The staff are great, and it's a fairly small hotel that regularly tops the Trip Advisor ratings. A generous buffet breakfast is included, which saves you a chunk of money every day, and there is also free wine and cheese for two hours every evening! A room for three nights should be comfortably within your budget, and they usually offer a 10% discount if you book far enough in advance.

Oh wow, thanks both for fantastic suggestions. I'll be checking thaws out on the net tomorrow.

Aggghhh, 'those'

We stayed at the Pearl just after it opened. Unusual for Manhattan as it included breakfast. 5 mins walk from Times Square in the Theater District.

Have a look at the American Travelzoo site for hotel deals - especially good for new hotels opening or re opening after refurbishments. We've also used Hotwire and Priceline where with a bit of detective work you can work out where you're booking, and for the secret bid side of things there are websites where people share what bids they've had accepted and which hotel it was.

Crowne Plaza on Times Square was nice 4 years ago when we stayed there. Great location too.

my DH took me to the for seasons for my 30th.....it was the fabbiest hotel ever. if budget allows definitely try there

For NYC on your budget, I'd suggest booking it through an agent. You won't get a better deal by splitting out flights and hotels and there's a good chance they'll throw in extras if you tell them it's a special trip (like transfers for free or tickets to events)

queenofthepirates I've already got the flights using lots of miles! But yes, that would have been a good way of getting things a little cheaper.

I think I'm going to got for The Plaza.

Thanks all just need to plan an itineray for 2.5 days

Hm, personally would stay away from Times Square, we found it too dirty, busy, not nice there. We stayed in the Renaissance, hotel was ok but nothing special - expensive, I guess because of the location (whichnwe didn't like)

We stayed in a Marriott just across Brooklyn Bridge a few years ago, which was very nice. But that's not central.

I'm being most helpful arn't I

all contributions most gratefully accepted. I think we'd like to be a few blocks up from Times Square if possible but I don't want to blow all our cash on a hotel and have none left for a show, food etc.

itinerary

We stayed at the New York Helmsley - E42nd and 3rd. Right next to the Chrysler, great location.

Hotel was fine, nothing flash but really nice. Paid about £150 per room per night through lastminute.com

Enjoy!!!

Last year we stayed in The Waldorf Astoria - I smiled sweetly, said we were celebrating 25 years of marriage and they upgraded us to the Towers with breakfast in a private dining room. Was tres lovely.

Ooh, more ideas. I can forsee another evening spent on Google.

Although the trip is for DH's 40th, we will be checking ino n our wedding anniversary, a fact I shall mention non-stop on the flight and at reception!

Its certainly worth mentioning your wedding anniversary at reception.

Stiffy's dead right, the Library Hotel is just lovely and the breakfast room/reading room is a great refuge at any time of day. When we stayed on honeymoon, they gave us a bottle of champagne.

The rooftop bar is lovely, too.

Currently waiting on a cheque from HMRC, the size of which will determine the final choice of hotel

The Chandler Hotel was lovely- round the corner from the Empire State Building. We booked a lovely apartment through www.airbnb.co.uk last time though- would recommend having a look.

Thanks MrsJamin I'm not usually this indecisive!

I've just watched the latest two episodes of Mad Men so am all NYCd up.

The Waldorf was amazing Everlong. I have told DH I want to go back for my 50th.

We rounded off our evenings in the Peacock Alley Bar - fab cocktails (pricey, but fab) our first nights drinks came to about $200 with tip. I loved sitting on the high stools at the bar.

You need to plan with precision what you need to see. We ordered New York Passes here and picked them up in NY really early on our first morning - you get to beat the queues witn the passes. We also booked our Broadway show before we went too - got loads of money off. Beware, you are not allowed to take photos of the show and you cannot take any kind of shopping in with you either, we had to leave ours at the door and then it took ages to get it back at the end.

Wear the most comfortablest shoes/sandals you can. I had to have a pedicure on our return to the uk, my feet were shocking and very sore.

Just to add though, I was drinking champagne cocktails and we did have "a few" and DH bought someone a drink - a lovely older lady who had been to a function elsewhere and called in to her local "the Waldorf" for a night cap. They started on politics... I decided it was then time for bed