Garfield

Hi, I'm travelling with my two girls to NYC/Long Island. I'll be arriving to the New York City area just before noon time on this Wednesday from Syracuse area (overnight). I need to get to Ronkonkoma for the night for a 3 day event. After the Ronkonkoma event we are staying in NYC for two nights. I just want to get into NYC and do some stuff for noon to 8pm or so on Wednesday. I was thinking parking somewhere in New Jersey or in Queens and taking the MTA. I guess I should park in New Jersey instead of trying to get to the east side on Manhattan during the day. I can cross Manhattan at night when it is less busy and head to Ronkonkoma. Where should I park and take the train in? What's convenient and safe? Also, what do people recommend seeing for the 8 hours we got? Central Park? We've been to NYC two years ago and saw Empire State Bldg, Statue of Liberty, Natural History Museum, Rockefeller Center, Central Park Zoo, Guggenheim.

I booked the hotel and it is the Marriott Buffalo Niagara. Amenities are: 3.5-star hotel in Amherst This hotel features the following amenities: Smoke Free Rooms Guest rooms at this hotel are always smoke-free. Fitness Center Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply. Pool(s) Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal. Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary. Business Center Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply. High-speed Internet Access Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply. Children's Activity Program Property offers supervised programs, events or activities for younger guests; an additional charge may apply.

:) Okay, we got back from our trip to Buffalo. The DoubleTree was nice. It was a newer hotel, with a very friendly staff. The corridors was wide and nicely decorated. The standard room we stayed in had a mini fridge and a microwave. The decorations all around was nice. I would rate this hotel a very strong 3 stars! On the way to the hotel, we passed by some rougher area of Buffalo, but it was in the middle of a hospital area. We parked on the street after the front desk staff said it was fine to park at the meter in front of the hotel. The meter was free all weekend they said. Saved the $8 for the valet parking. Would definitely stay there again! A good deal at $55.

Sorry, I saw a post mentioning the Millenium Airport.

Amenities: Airport Shuttle, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi Speed, Business Centre, Laundry A bit older Holiday Inn, but nice. Would recommend this. About a 10 minute drive to the Robinson Centre shopping area.

Amenities: Airport Shuttle, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi Speed, Golf, Tennis, Business Centre, Laundry Would not reccomend this at all. We felt like second class citizens because we booked through Hotwire. They had some kind of ring hockey team at the hotel, kept us up all hours of the mornings on a couple of nights. Staff really did nothing and were unhelpful. Would never stay here again.

Amenties: Pool, Fitness, Hi Speed Located in the suburbs of Boston. All business park in this area. Easy drive into downtown Boston on New Years morning. Nice place, recently built. Would recommend this place. Had two separate bedrooms, each with its own bath. Kitchen with sitting area and living area.

Amenities: Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi Speed, Golf nearby, Tennis nearby, Business Centre The hotel was very nice, the room was a bit on the small side but fine. We go to Detroit to shop, mainly in the Troy area, but we could'nt find a good deal in that area so we decided to try this. The area where the hotel is located is not a shopping area. Not much around there except for office buildings and business park. Dead on the weekend when we were there. I think we will try to stay around Troy area next time.

Amenties: Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business Centre, Laundry, Hi Speed They classify this as Downtown Disney area, its righ on the outer edge though. We got room right over the garbage bins, on the first morning the garbage truck came by at 7am to remove the garbage. Not too bad, almost like a wake up call, but on subsequent mornings, they came like at 5am or so! So do not get a room that in the x02 to x10 on any floors. You will be too close to the garbage bins. On the second last night, the bearings on the HVAC fan went in 4am! We go another room for the next night without the garbage bin. The Au Bon Pain restaurant was okay. On Trip Advisor, some people really trash this hotel. I did not find this hotel to tired or dated. It was okay. The elevator could use a updated, but was fine. The hallways could use newer wall paper, but was fine, it just had some minor scratches. The rooms were okay. Would we go there again? Maybe. If you going to be at Disney all day and use the hotel just to sleep, its fine. We were looking for a cheap place to stay. Becareful making the U turn at the lights to get to this hotel after getting off the highway!

Amenities: Fitness, Restaurant, Business Centre, Hi Speed Internet. Just reloaded Hotwire to find amenities and its going for $66 now. Suppose to be close (walking distance) to the famous Anchor Bar where Buffalo Wings were invented. Note, no luandry amenity icon that some posts indicated before. Called them before to see what rates they charge and they quoted a standard room for $119, 10% discount for AAA. They also said they put in new mattresses last week. They charge $8 for valet parking in a secure 2 storey parking structure.

The Millenium Airport Hotel used to be the Four Points Sheraton and we were there many years ago and found it very tired. I called them and ask if they had done any renovations. They said yes, most of the rooms are renovated but some have not been renovated. I asked if I get a room via Hotwire, do I get a renovated room? They said no, it would be a standard unrenovated room! When we stayed there, it was a 3* rated hotel and I thought a 2* would be more apt maybe 2 1/2* at most. Good location though. It's steps away from Walden Galleria.

Amenties: complimentary breakfast, fitness, high speed internet, business centre 32420 Stephenson Hwy Madison Heights, Michigan 48071 (248) 585-8881 Good location, very close to 14 Mile and John R shopping area. Costco is to the south. I'm not sure I would stay there again. The hotel did not give me a wake up call as schedule and could not find the fax that was sent there in my name.

2.5* with the following amenities: Suite, pool (indoor), fitness centre, complimentary breakfast, kitchenette, high speed internet, business centre and laundry (self service). Booked Oct 9 to 11, 2004. Homewood Suites Birmingham Troy MI 1495 Equity Drive Troy, MI 48084 (248) 816-6500 Very close to Somerset Mall. This hotel is away from the road and almost beside the Walmart on Maple Rd (between Coolidge and Crooks). It is just west of the Walmart. The hotel seems to be new and the finishing would almost rate the hotel as a 3*. The first night we got a room beside the hydraulic elevator and you can hear the hydraulic pump going on and off when someone uses the elevator. Very annoying. We changed room for the second night and it was much better, although it seem the hallways noise seems to come through more than other hotels. There is a small airport to the immediate south of the hotel and there was flights past 9pm. So ask for a room facing north, away from the elevator and at the end of a hall with little traffic. The Breakfast was buffet style with scramble eggs, sausages, and french toasts, bread, bagels, english muffins, cereals, juices, yogurt, instant oatmeal and other thing. Would we go back? Not if I can get the Embassy Suite for $10 to $20 more. I did not see the Embassy suite when I booked this. As per Thereuare recommendations in another thread, we went to Ann Arbor to take the kids to the Hands-On Museum. The kids are a bit young for most of the exhibits, but we been to many Children Museums, and this one really impressed me. They have a lot of stuff for older kids and is worth a visit. We also drop by Zingerman's for lunch and it was very good. The bread on my Pastrami was the best I ever had, but it was really expensive! One small sandwich, one large sandwich, and one kid meal and one ginger ale came to $35 and change, US dollars too! Really expensive for us Canadians. I should have bought a loaf of the pumpernickel to go, it was really good.:)

Amenites: Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness, Fax/Business Centre Customer Favourite For August 5 - 8, 2004. $84 per night Just north of the river and east of Michigan Avenue.

My Sister stayed here, or in this case did not stay at the hotel because of the blackout last August. Traffic was terrible and she decide just to drive home. Lucky she had filled up recentley and had enough to get back. We have not used Priceline.com. We hear you can get cheaper rates than Hotwire but it takes more time and effort to use Priceline.com.

Amenities: Suite, Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness Centre, Kitchenette, Fax/Business Centre Embassy Suites Detroit N. Troy-Auburn Hills 850 Tower Drive Troy, MI Stayed July 3, 04. $58.00 per night If you book this hotel, you need to call them to make sure you have a non smoking room if you don't smoke. It seems the default of Hotwire rooms at this hotel is a King Suite, Smoking. The hotel has the open central atrium concept. Free breakfast buffet included. Kitchenette has sink, small bar fridge and a microwave. Separate sitting area and bedroom. Would stay here again.

Amenties: Swimming Holiday Inn Lansing - West - Conference Ctr, 7501 W. Saginaw Hyw Lansing, MI Stayed June 29, 2004. $53.00 per night. Would stay here again.

Okay, we're back from our trip. The hotel was nice but maybe this should only be 4*. I wasn't that impress with hotel. The rooms I thought was on the smaller size, especially for a 4.5 * rating, even it is in major city which tends to have smaller rooms. The walls seems a bit thin, as you can hear some thing though the walls. The windows although closed let in lots of traffic noise. Definitely need better windows sould insulation. The finishing of the room and bathroom was nice though. Parking was $37 valet. Good location. Would I stay here again? Yes if the price was the same or less.

Please see my 3 1/2* POST about the Crowne Plaza. My sister says it does have an indoor pool, but it was not working at the time she stayed due to a group a week before damaged it. She would not stay there again.

Amenties: Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness, Fax/Business Centre Crowne Plaza Hotel Harrisburg - Hershey 23 South Second Street Harrisburg, PA Stay June 17, 2004. $60.00 per night. Hotel should be 2* according to my Sister who stayed here. The washroom was not good. Need updating and a reno. She would not stay there again. There was a large soccer group there and it took forever to get an elevator (only had two). The hotel does have an indoor pool but it was not working at the time due to another soccer group the week before that had burnt the liner or something.

Amenties: Restaurant, Fitness, Hi Speed Internet, Laundry Club Quarters 829 17th Street N.W. Washington DC Stayed June 18, 2004. $94.00 per night. Good location but rooms are EXTREMELY SMALL. Only good for a couple. No room for anyone else, not even on the floor.

Amenties: Shutttle, Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness, Fax/Business Centre, Laundry Holiday Inn Charlottesville - University Area 1902 Emmet St Charlotesville, VA Stayed Mar 29, 2004. $46.00 per night. Friendly staff. There's a Sam's Club with a gas station about 2 miles north. This is the northern Holiday Inn, there is another Holiday Inn to the south.

Amenties: Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness, Fax/Business Centre Sheraton New Orleans Hotel 500 Canal Street New Orleans, LA Stayed Mar 16, 2004. $88.00 per night

Amenties: Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness, Fax/Business Centre, Golf, Tennis Hilton Windsor 277 Riverside Dr West Windsor, ON Stay Aug 14, 2003. $50 per night

Amenties: Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Fitness, Fax/Business Centre Hyatt Regency Montreal 1255 Jeanne Mance Street Montreal, QC Stayed July 24, 2003. $57.00 per night