New York with an 18mth old - hotel or rented apartment?

[loveisintheair]

We're going to New York this summer for a wedding - we're planning to stay for 4/5 nights and then travel...somewhere else, not sure where yet.

The wedding is in the South Street seaport area and we've been asked to stay at the Gild Hall hotel, on Gold Street as part of the wedding party - we have emailed them some questions but thought i'd try MN for some travel wisdom.

Gild Hall looks dead nice and trendy BUT this will be our first time in a hotel with 18 month old dc (and first long haul flight, i'll post again at a later date about that!). What do we need to look out for in terms of what a hotel can offer us nowadays? Or should we go down the rented apartment route? I've always fancied doing that.

Does anyone have any tips for what we should be looking for, or avoiding, or even better - NY hotels or rented apartments you've stayed in with kids that you'd really recommend? In lower Manhattan if possible. Money not as much a concern as having as relaxing a time as possible, in a kid-friendly place. Maybe there's a good book on staying in NY with kids that you could recommend?

Sorry for the waffle. Hope you can help.

You could look at either the Doubletree Guest Suites - there's one at Times Square and another (or maybe Embassy Suites - all Hilton group anyway) further down towards where you are staying, it might be more in the Financial District than where you want though. But Times Sq is a way away obv. We stayed at the Times Sq one two years ago when DD was, erm, 11yo. We got upgraded (because they messed up our booking very, very badly and we had nowhere to stay on arrival on a snowy night in Manhattan at 1am after a transatlantic flight!) so I can't describe the basic room. And there always seemed to be a bit of a wait for the lifts, iirc.

Even further away - sorry - is the Affinia Gardens Hotel which is on the Upper East Side. I stayed there with my MIL when DD was 2yo so some time ago. It has changed to the Affinia since I stayed there so I guess all the rooms have been upgraded in the last 10-11 years! We had two queen beds, a sofa area, a small dining table and chairs, a kitchen - fab for breakfast and snacks with a toddler - and bathroom.

Last year I stayed in the Hilton W35th St and the NY Hilton on 6th Ave. Both times I travelled with female friends so we booked double doubles. The 6th Ave had a much bigger room and was close to everything we wanted to do but W35th St had free wi-fi and was smaller and friendlier.

I'd try and find somewhere that looks more baby friendly; having looked also at the pcitures on www.tripadvisor.com (read the reviews as well, people do not like the bathroom door!) it does not look at all family/baby friendly.

We stayed at the Salisbury House on W 57th street; room was nice and big and they were family friendly. Also breakfast was included in the hotel for a nominal charge.

On a wider level your 18 month old must have their own passport and you must complete the ESTA online for all of you prior to travel to the USA.

Another child-friendly chain are the Marriott Residence hotels - again they have small kitchen/dining areas, sofas, etc. Don't know if there is one in NY but I stayed in one in DC a few years ago and it was good for kids.

This is great, thank you.

We haven't got as far as checking out tripadvisor - good shout - looks like we won't bother with that place.

I'll look into the other places mentioned. Kitchen/dining areas will be essential - we stayed in a Citadines in Paris before dc arrived which is just the sort of thing we're looking for.

I stayed in The Beacon Hotel in a suite, it was lovely but maybe too far out,it's on the upper west side. My friend stayed in The Affinia suites opposite Madison Square Gardens.

definitely go for hotel which offers a suite (with full kitchen) option.

the affinia hotels are v good in this respect.

have fun!