New York

[Toomanycats99]

Can anyone recommend a hotel in New York. There are so many to choose from it's a bit overwhelming and I'm not sure where to start.

Doesn't need to be anything fancy - just basic and clean really. It's me and 2 children.

I'm assuming mid town (?) but are there any better places to be that in terms of ease of access to main sites and plenty of local places to eat (again nothing fancy needed!)

We stayed in Springhill Suites by Marriott on W 36th St last February. It was a great location - very close to Maddison Sq Gardens and just a few blocks from Times Sq. Breakfast was included which was a real bonus - and it was good! The family room was tiny but think this is probably the case with most Manhattan hotels unless you pay top dollar. The main thing is it was clean, reception staff were friendly and it was super easy to get everywhere - we walked to most places straight from hotel.

Salisbury hotel has very large rooms and good for families. Few blocks from Central Park.

Pennsylvania hotel great location right next to madison square gardens. Rooms basic.

Hilton on 7th Avenue was beautiful.

We also are in Tick Tock diner - such a retro vibe and the kids loved it!

I’ll give a hotel to avoid, the Skyline on 10th and 49th in Hell’s Kitchen. The location is good but we were placed there at the last minute when the hotel we’d booked started renovations.
One floor was being used for the homeless and I got out of the lift on that floor in error one day and was rudely told to turn back by three security guards who were keeping an eye on things. There was a strong smell of weed on occasions too.

[quote PresentingPercy]@LynetteScavo
What do you want to know?[/quote]
Everything!
We'll have to fit everything into a weeks school holiday, and much as I'd love to stay at a famous fancy hotel, realistically we won't be able to, so recommendations for gods areas, or areas to avoid welcome - I've never been to New York before. I imagine jumping in a yellow cab and the airport and driving over the Brooklyn bridge to the hotel when we arrive. Im guessing there is a much cheaper option though!

We always use the shuttle services from JFK. If you fly into the other airports I believe there are other options. However the views you get from a shuttle van are very good! Always check the best value flights. They do vary a lot!

NY can be expensive. The $ price you see has a sales tax to be added. Around 7-8%. Then in a restaurant you must add a tip. Rule of thumb - double the tax. So you must factor in around 25-30% extra on prices.

I always recommend looking at the Lonely Planet New York book. They always have great restaurant and hotel recommendations. Really good itinerary suggestions too. You don’t want to be way down near the Brooklyn Bridge if you like the attractions in mid Town and Central Park. Work our what interests you most and put an itinerary together. Factor in travelling time. Most hotels don’t do breakfast included in the price. Finding a diner/cafe nearby is rarely a priblem. Stay in a fairly central area. So Soho, mid town and near Times Square are fine. I would choose somewhere refurbished or fairly new! I like design led but it’s not to everyone’s taste. I also think paying a bit more is worth it. However plot what you want to see and choose as close to these areas as possible. You can walk for miles!

I listed above what I like but of course going up a skyscraper, going down 5th Avenue and finding great neighbourhood cafes is all part of the fun! But do get the book I suggested because it covers more or less everything!

We usually get the train to and from the airport, be it JFK or Newark depending on flight prices. Train to Penn and then walk or Subway to wherever we’re staying. I think it’s less than $10.

I am booking for next year and when I do I am looking at booking The Walcott Hotel. Not the most modern but clean, great reviews, free coffee and muffins at breakfast and 5 minutes from the ESB.

Also you need to be careful about resort fees. A lot of hotels in Manhattan charge them on top of the advertised room rate.

@Crookairroad

Thanks for mentioning that one. I am looking up all the ones mentioned on here and I noticed the Walcott has triple bed rooms which is what I am after in an ideal world so save the argument over who shares a bed!

[quote Toomanycats99]@Crookairroad

Thanks for mentioning that one. I am looking up all the ones mentioned on here and I noticed the Walcott has triple bed rooms which is what I am after in an ideal world so save the argument over who shares a bed! [/quote]
Yes, this was an plus for us too. No resort fees at this hotel either.

Me again. If you are on Facebook, I’ve found NYC the place to be to be an excellent page.

I'd also recommend getting one of those all in city tickets for the sites and pre-booking where you can.

I really wanted to go to the tenement museum last time I went but all the tours were booked up the day I went and I was gutted.

I also went on an orthodox Jewish walking tour in Brooklyn which was really interesting

I stupidly didn't check the weather when I went in March and it was freezing. I needed thermals - gloves and socks and underwear as got chilblains which stopped me being outside for very long. Ended up wasting sightseeing time trying to find handwarmers and thermal clothes and couldn't actually find much

I have seen a couple of New York iceland packages advertised so am torn as to whether to do together or stick to separate trips.

Separate would mean maybe 5-6 nights not 4 in New York which could be good!

But I am also desperate to go to Iceland but could maybe do that by myself no kids.

I live in NYC. I’d suggest not staying in midtown - I personally don’t like it anyway but at the moment the impact of covid has been much more noticeable there than in more residential neighbourhoods because the hotels and restaurants there rely much more on tourists. Greenwich village/soho/chelsea or Lower East Side have much more character and buzz to them right now.

I stayed at the Rui Times Square although it was about 5 mins from TS but a really good location
Included a really decent breakfast which was enough to keep you going all day
2 Double beds in the standard rooms
I spent 2 weeks there in June 2019 with my adult son
we had an amazing time as it was also Gay Pride when we stayed which was brilliant
It cost us just under 3k inc flights and hotel taxes
That was with BA as a package deal

We stayed at The Affinia Gardens. Had a 1 bed suite with kitchen. $$$$ supermarket v near. There were 5 of us and it was great, plenty of space. Huge rooms.Lovely staff, near Central Park and they had free bikes to use if you wanted them. They describe themselves as being in Upper East Side but it was Lennox Hill area.

We stayed a week and it was a BA deal. Got a very good deal on car hire for the 5 weeks travelling we did after with it.

I've just booked through an agent and have paid £2500 for 2A and 2 teens going for New Year (4 nights) which I thought was a good price. I'm finding recently that travel agents seem to be getting better prices than doing it separately, and I feel more protected with regards to cancellations going through an agent.

We've booked to stay at the Hilton Midtown, it's close to Central Park, Times Square, subway stations etc.

I'm going to get us attraction passes, there are so many things included I think we'll get our moneys worth, I like to prepay for things, it makes me feel like things are free at the time if I've already paid for stuff!

Have a look at Radio City apartments - great with kids. Near Times Square.

CB

Is that the Hilton on 6th Avenue?. It’s a nice hotel.

My only concern is the US travel ban, there is no indication as to when that will be lifted for UK and other European citizens. I would therefore hold off booking attraction passes till this particular issue is resolved.

I've stayed at the Beacon many times. Lovely suite, close to Central Park and Broadway. Usually book as a package with Vigin.

AtillaTheMeerkat - Yes it's on 6th Avenue, ahh good I'm glad it's a nice hotel.

Yes I'll defo hold off on booking anything that's non refundable, I've got airport parking and hotel booked but only because I can cancel for free up to a month before so should know by November if it'll happen or not please let us go, please

Another one planning a NYC trip, in September this year, for possibly a week, and try a night's stop over in Washington DC as well.
Looking on t'internet its all a lot more expensive than I hoped it would be. Not really sure whether it's best to book a package, or do flights and hotel separate.
It's also good to hear from New Yorkers here! IF my city was a tourist spot I too would be out with welcome flags and I'd be drowning folks with advice and nuggests of info.
Presenting - have just ordered the Lonely Planet. When I have traveled before it's always been with me. Not traveled for a bit so it's partly nostalgia.

Pan

If you are a UK citizen I would not book anything re travel to the US until the travel ban brought in by former President Trump last March is lifted. There is no clear indication as to when that will happen.