Hotwire Hotel: Grand Hyatt vs. InterContinental Barclay

[antlori]

I'm looking for a hotel in NY, preferably Midtown area, for July 29-Aug.1. I've got it narrowed down to 2 but can't decide. The Inter-Continental (I think) came up on Hotwire for $215/night and the Grand Hyatt (probably) at $265/night. I can't do Priceline as there are 3 of us--2 adults and my 13-year-old nephew. The Grand Hyatt room seems a little small at 266 sq.ft. but I couldn't find out the size of the Inter-Continental rooms. (We don't need a kitchen as we won't be preparing any food. The adults are on vacation too!) They appear to be in the same area so I think we're okay with that--close to Times Square, Madison Square Garden, United Nations. I think we'll have a little jaunt to Central Park and the Museum of Natural History but I think we can handle that by bus. We'll probably get a bus pass. Do you have any recommendations for us?

[thereuare]

Of those two, for the same price, i would choose the Grand Hyatt....

The Inter-Continental is a bit more 're-known' but the reviews of the Grand Hyatt have been very good since their recent renovation (a year ago?). However, i don't think it is worth an extra $50/nite, and for the prices quoted i would go with the Inter-Continental, of the two above.

I also think that $200+/nite is a lot of money for a hotel room in any city, and would take one of these rather than the two above (i favor the Beekman). Both offer 1BR suites and are converted apartment buildings, so if space is a concern these are your answers. There will one bed in the BR and a pull-out couch in the LR, if that satisifies your needs:

Beekman Tower at $163/nite and great reviews

Eastgate Tower for $197/nite (for the 1BR suite... you don't want the Studio Suite) and here are their reviews.

Let us know your thoughts and what you decide to do. (the Beekman seems to be the best value of the bunch)

[antlori]

Thanks for the recommendations. They both have great reviews. Do you have a preference one over the other, or would you just choose the Beekman because it's cheaper? The Eastgate seemed closer to the subway but we don't mind taking the bus.

I really didn't want to go over $200 but all the cheaper hotels are booked (e.g. Apple Core). I didn't want to skimp and get a really small room, but sometimes you can pay a lot and still get a small room. I will definitely check them out and let you know what we decide. Thanks again for your help.

[thereuare]

I'd favor the Beekman Tower... it is less 'midtown' and more 'eastside', but NYC is small enough that it's easy enough to get around (especially if you get an unlimited MetroCard or can handle a 7-8 minute walk). I think the reviews of the Beekman give it a slight edge.

[antlori]

I'm going to try the Beekman. I checked the link you provided and it looks like there is a 72-hour cancellation policy. Is that correct? I just want to make sure I won't lose my money if something happens that we can't go, e.g. if my sister and her son don't get their passports in time.

[thereuare]

Yes, the above reservation is cancellable up to 72 hours before check-in date.

[antlori]

I did book the Beekman last night. Thanks for your help. It looks like a good area, and a lot of what we want to do is along the 42nd Street area. The website looks good and the reviews are excellent. I don't think we can go wrong, especially since everything else in NYC seems to be over $200 a night.

[thereuare]

And you're not too far from Ess-A-Bagel for breakfast (51st and Third)

Have a great time in the city.

[antlori]

Just wanted to say thanks, thereuare, for the help with our NY trip. The Beekman turned out great. We didn't really use the kitchen too much but it was nice to have the refrigerator. We picked up water and pop at the corner grocery store across the street and we really appreciated it as the weather was so hot. I was also able to pick up fresh fruit there for breakfast each day. We only had one problem with transportation. We couldn't pick up the bus pass at the convenience store the hotel sent us to as they no longer carry the passes. Had to walk to the subway to get them.