Hotwire Hotel: Where to stay in NYC

[mrdavid12]

Hi,

 

We are coming to NYC for 3 days visit starting July 30. we are family of 4 with 2 kids(10 &13). I was checking different forums to to find best way to visit this amazing city and someone suggested to check this site and it is really very helpful.

We are driving to NYC and want some advise where to stay. Our budget for hotel is ~150 per night. So any suggestion where to stay with attractions for kids ? would it be safe to stay in LIC with kids..my preference would be stay in manhattan or nearby...

 

 

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)
 

With a family of four, it becomes difficult in NYC with small rooms (a king bed is often a paid upgrade and two beds is almost always a paid upgrade when even available.) Hot.wire is a good option in terms of being able to search for 2 adults/2 children and then getting some form of bedding for everyone (may be 2 beds, 1 + rollaway, 1 + sofabed). The other option is PRICELINE EXPRESS and looking for a listing with bed choice and then making sure that one of the options is an acceptable one.

 

$150 with parking included is going to be very difficult - $150+ parking does offer options. If you can push to $182 + parking, I'm seeing what I'm guessing may be the Holiday Inn Express West Side for that rate (you may see a slightly different rate.) While over budget, it would mean not having to take time/effort getting into/out of the city. I'm seeing what may be the Westin Grand Central for $192.

 

The one family-friendly attraction that I always recommend that I think it's a widely-discussed one is the Intrepid Air/Space Museum, which is an aircraft carrier on the Hudson that has been turned into a museum. It's a remarkable experience being able to walk out on the deck of an aircraft carrier and get amazing views of the city and surrounding area.

 

Priceline..hotwire

[thereuare]

Please start by reading your messages (which will also remove the red box at the top of the page and make the board easier to navigate)

I'm local to the area so i'm sure we can help, but a little more information is needed...

Where are you driving from? (as this may produce some alternatives outside of Manhattan that will work for your needs) What is the minimum star rating you're willing to accept? Is your budget flexible at all or is $150 already a stretch and your firm at that price (and willing to sacrafice convenience to stay within budget... or would you pay a little more for a better located and convenient property)

Do you already have any activities in mind as what you'd like to do when in the city?

Let's start with the above and we will see what we can come up with.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

Thanks for the info.. 

 

Here are the info which I hope can better explain our situation

 

yes my budget is flexible and can add a bit more for the convienienc. Activities we panned so far are visit Top of the rock( we planned initially Empire St bulding but after reading some forums, we decided to just visit Top of the Rock due to admission fee , take ferry trip to see statue of liberty, central park, AMN but willing to listen any other attraction suitable for kids.. (Interpid is already added ... thanks AJb)..since these all attractions are in manhattan so I prefer to stay in MH but if there is any anyother location from where we can easily commute that's fine.. but as we will be walking a lot so kids may want to take break in hotel and commuting back to hotel if outside manhattan maynot work well...

[mrdavid12]

we will coming from East ..would it be worth to buy weekly metro weekly 

[thereuare]

we will coming from East ...

Long Island?? as that' just about the only point west of the city... or i did you mean you'll be traveling east (which means you're coming from the west ;) )??

Please confirm the above as it will make a different if we're making any suggestions for outside of the city.

If you are indeed coming from the west i'm currently seeing the Hyatt Place in Secaucus offered for $135/nite which gets very good reviews and there is a bus stop right near the door of the hotel that will take you into the city... but it is obviously located outside of Manhattan which makes it less convenient and less flexibility to go back to your hotel mid-day to drop off shopping bags acquired during the day, put your feet up and relax for a bit, and/or freshen-up before dinner (assuming you eat dinner in the city)

Best deal i'm seeing at the moment (for comparison purposes) would be The Westin New York Grand Central for $190/nite.

Keep in mind in NYC you'll have parking costs... in NJ you'll have transportation costs ($3.20-$4.25/pp each way... although kids 11 and under are free on the weekends (and if you say your kids are 10 and 11 nobody will likely question you on it).

I do think you'll have a better time staying directly in NYC, but the Hyatt Place is a nice hotel in a nice area and is certainly do-able if trying to stay within a budget (without traffic a 30 minute bus ride into the city).

An unlimited metrocard would likely not be worthwhile, but depends upon how many subway/bus trips you intend on taking... but we can do the calculations on that once you decide if you'll be staying in or outside of Manhattan, since that will also play a factor on how many trips you may be taking (such as on the days of your arrival and departure... which may not be many if you're staying outside of the city and arriving late/departing early)

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

Let us know your thoughts on the options above and we'll take it from there.

[mrdavid12]

I meant Long Island..but my preference is in NYC.. how much would be parking fee in NYC if parked in Hotel where we will staying in NYC ? I saw public parking fee around $40 -55/day .. 

Also like take advantage on first day when we will be coming to see something rather staying in hotel and watching tv..

 

[thereuare]

If coming from Long Island why not take the car part of the way and then take the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road if you're not from the area) the remainder of the way into the city... save the hassle (and part of the expense) of driving all the way into the city and parking.

Hotel parking can run you anywhere from $45-$70/day, but there is no reason to necessarily park with the hotel, you can park at a private lot nearby for less than what the hotel will likely charge.

Any thoughts on The Westin Grand Central at $190/nite?

I'm not a big fan of Long Island City (although it is getting there in terms of getting built-up, and may eventually become a new 'hot' area, but it's still somewhat industrial), but for a point of comparison i'm seeing what looks like the Hotel Vetiver for $116/nite if this is of any interest.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

So we are looking at 235 (inc parking) would exceed our budget a little over ..also since all attractions are not in one place so some additional travel costs as well...

[thereuare]

If coming from Long Island why not take the car part of the way and then take the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road if you're not from the area) the remainder of the way into the city...

???

You would have to find a station that allows overnite parking (or find a lot nearby where you could park for 4 days) but this would save you on NYC parking costs. Carrying your luggage onto the train would be a trade-off for not having to deal with the traffic. ;)

... or you can stay in Long Island City and take the subway into the city.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

I think this may work well to park outside (carrying luggage may be some issue .. but we can handle )...

 

Also looking at suggestion where is best to park in NYC if we decide to stay in The Westin ? any nearby location.. 

 

what's your thought on hotels in financial district -- I see 4* for 157.. is it worth staying there at all as I see it is in far end ..

[thereuare]

Also looking at suggestion where is best to park in NYC if we decide to stay in The Westin ? any nearby location..

We can try assisting with parking information once you have your hotel confirmed... but currently you're considering taking the train, staying Downtown, and it's also possible the Westin will no longer be offered once you've made a decision and ready to commit, so we can handle other details of your trip once you know exactly where you will be staying.

 

what's your thought on hotels in financial district -- I see 4* for 157.. is it worth staying there at all as I see it is in far end ..

It's not as good as midtown, but it's better than LIC, imo... but ultimately it comes down to budget vs. convenience and where you're willing to sacrifice.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

Let us know what you decide and how it goes or once you're ready to move forward.

[mrdavid12]

I tried to find The Westin but it is not listed .. are you still seeing it available ? anyother choice similar to The Westin ?

[AaronJB]

When I search Hot.wire for your dates w/2 adults and 2 children, I'm seeing a 4.5* in MTE for $179 (you may see a slightly different price) w/Restaurant, Fitness, Smoke Free, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Pet Friendly.

-- This amenity set has been seen with the Westin.

 

Please keep us updated with what you decide and let us know if you have additional questions.

 

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

it is showing me as 196..so I guess I have to keep checking...

 

[AaronJB]

it is showing me as 196..so I guess I have to keep checking...

 

Are you searching in USD$? Additionally, if you expected $190USD and it's $196, it becomes whether or not it's worth the risk of that offer disappearing.

 

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[thereuare]

We are coming to NYC for 3 days visit starting July 30.

To confirm, i've been searching for 7/30-8/2 (which is 3 nites)... is this your correct check-out date or is your check-out 8/1?

I too am seeing what as guessed to be The Westin for $196/nite... are you willing to buy it at $190 but not $196?? (i'm also seeing it at $194 thru the EASY VIEW tab of BiddingHelper.com)

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

yes those dates are right...since y mentioned y saw the rate for 179.. so wondering if it would come up again.. on the other hand I'm thinking to scale down my search to 2-3 hotels that I would checking for couple of days so any other suggestion other The Westin

[thereuare]

...I'm thinking to scale down my search to 2-3 hotels that I would checking for couple of days so any other suggestion other The Westin

Not a good plan, imo.

When the (guessed) Westin was $179 you probably wanted it for $159... now that it is $194 you would be happy with the original $179 rate.

What if the next move is to $219... would you then be willing to pay the now $194?

You need to decide if the hotel is a good deal or not, and if it is, be prepared to act upon it as the price could just as easily go up OR the hotel could disappear entirely.

If you don't think this 4.5* HOTWIRE hotel is a good deal at this price then you should bypass it and wait for the next deal to come along, but there is no point to choosing 2-3 hotels now and hope that they drop in price. Better to just wait for what looks like a good deal to appear, and if after our/your research you think it's a good deal, then you should take it... not wait and hope it goes even lower.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

I thought initially it was 190 and then dropped to 179 so that's was the reason I was saying to keep checking in but I guess it is not how it works and likely it will go up so I w'll pass this deal and wait for the next one as I have few days to travel..

 

Also I'll likely checking in on July 29 and chkout  Aug 1...

[thereuare]

Keep in mind that changing the dates (even just one nite) may also change the average nightly rate, so future comparisons for the 3 nite stay may not be applicable to your 2 nite stay.

Let us know whatever you ultimately decide to do for this trip.

... and please remember to use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your purchase.

Good luck!

[mrdavid12]

Yes I'm still looking and my dates starting July 29 are confirmed ..I looked at the prices on those dates and those seems high now..

 

Don't seem to find anything close 200 now .. any suggestion ..

[AaronJB]

Yes I'm still looking and my dates starting July 29 are confirmed ..I looked at the prices on those dates and those seems high now..

 

Don't seem to find anything close 200 now .. any suggestion ..

 

When you have a party of four in NYC, rates are going to be expensive - quad occupancy in NYC means fewer options and higher rates. The potential Holiday Inn Express Manhattan West is showing on HOTWIRE for $194 (was showing for around $180 a few days ago) when I search this afternoon and the Westin is still showing for $194. Certainly, the Westin would be the better option of the two.

 

I see what appears to be the Holiday Inn Lower East Side for $170, but if you're going to be spending most of your time in Midtown, you have to consider whether or not it's worth $25 per night not to have to travel to/from Midtown.

 

Those are the three options when searching for 4 people (2/2) for these dates.

 

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[mrdavid12]

I'm trying Hotwire and still seeing 247 (appears to be The Westin)

 

yeah it makes sense to look for something in MT as we will be spending most of our time around that area so may want to come back to hotel for some rest..

[thereuare]

Also I'll likely checking in on July 29 and chkout  Aug 1...

Yes I'm still looking and my dates starting July 29 are confirmed ...

Confirmed for 7/29-8/1 and 2adults/2children?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.