Priceline Hotel: 4* New York City (Times Square - Theatre District) Hotel Mela

[Dallas2002]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on staying in NJ to visit NYC for pleasure in mid-July for 4 nights.  I don't have any specific plans, but assume I'll spend a lot of time in the Manhattan area incl. Empire State Building, TImes Square, Broadway, and other sites the first time tourist might want to see.  To get there we'll be driving in from the West, so it appears New Jersey hotels will be easiest for access.  For the hotel I'm hoping to get some advice on location and any suggested options.  Here's some criteria on what I'm looking for:

- I'm hoping to get something around $120 or less/night, and;

- would not want to pay much if anything for parking if I don't have to. 

- There will be two of us on the trip.

- As much as I'd like a 4*, or something trendy, I'm easily satisfied with something up to date and clean. 

- I hear the PATH transit system is likely the best option, but I'm open to suggestions on what could get us to Manhattan in around 30mins (less is better...).

- Hotel should be near the transit system, less than 10 min walk preferred.

 

Once I have an idea on where to stay I'm open to using the PRICELINE or HOTWIRE options.  Would love to hear what advice you have on where to stay.

 

thank you!

 

 

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

This is 'my neck of the woods' so i'm sure i can be of help, but to get started, do you have specific dates in mind or are your plans not yet firm (or flexible within a given date range)?  If the latter, what is the date range and do you need to confirm anything else (ie- dates off from work, hearing from somebody else traveling with you, etc, etc) before being able to commit to specific dates within the range?

 

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

[Dallas2002]

I'm slightly flexible on dates.  Anywhere from July 10 to 15 is possible, as mentioned 4 nights is my target length.  I noticed from researching regular rates that checking in on the 10th seems to offer the best rates.  As mention though I'm a little lost on what area I should target for my hotel that is going to be near transit, I definitely don't want to be driving around!

[thereuare]

15 minutes ago, Dallas2002 said:

researching regular rates that checking in on the 10th seems to offer the best rates

That's because Sunday nite is usually the least expensive nite of the week in most hotel markets... tourists have already gone home and business travelers have not yet arrived.  You will likely do even a bit better if you could arrive on Friday and depart Tuesday (keeping with the theme above, demand for rooms is only from tourists, as opposed to midweek nites where demand is strong as it comes from both tourists and business travelers (and the latter group which are often price insensitive and can drive up rates if the company is paying))

 

20 minutes ago, Dallas2002 said:

As mention though I'm a little lost on what area I should target for my hotel

Not to worry, i know a LOT about this area and once we figure out your date options i'll point you in the right direction (but i'll warn you now that you're going to have to make some decisions between free parking vs. a longer commute, as most of the hotels that are near the PATH trains now charge for parking... for free parking you'll need to go further out and commute in by bus, but i'll be able to review this options as we get more focused on your needs/dates).

 

Lastly, if you're willing to go up to $120/nite to stay on the NJ side... it might be worth stretching your budget a bit as you could get something directly in Manhattan for under $150/nite... for example what i believe to be the Millennium Broadway for $141/nite or the Shoreham for $148/nite (deduct the $10+ RT for 2 people to commute into the city each day and you're not too far off from your $120 budget, make better use of your time enjoying the city instead of commuting, and more convenience being able to return to the hotel during the day to drop off bags, rest, freshen up before dinner, etc.)

 

Let's know your thoughts regarding if weekend dates are possible, if your budget is flexible, etc. and we'll go from there.

 

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

 

[Dallas2002]

Thanks for the advice!  The best I can do with my dates will be July 10 - 14.  I must say it seems a bit intimidating to drive into Manhattan, and I'd also assume that parking would go up even more and eat up any potential savings, but perhaps I'm wrong in that.

 

I currently have my eye on the Candlewood Suites in Jersey City as a potential candidate.  Parking seems fair at $10/day and it appears newer and reasonably close to PATH and NYC.  Through just regular - non-refundable rates I can get in for $140/night.  I'm willing to extend my budget to the $140-150 mark, but need to be considerate for parking and commuting costs as you noted.  Cars are such burdens in big cities!

[thereuare]

From where exactly (and what route) will you be taking into the city?

 

For instance, if you are coming along the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway you could drive to MetroPark, take the train into the city, and leave your car at the station there for $10/day.  You'll have to buy a RT train ticket into the city, but you're saving on gas, tolls, and more importantly the convenience/experience of staying directly in Manhattan.

 

The Candlewood Suites is do-able, but you're still about a 10 minute walk to the PATH train.

 

As an example, in NYC you could book this 2.5* Empire State Buidling hotel (confirm your dates on the landing page of any links we post) for $126/nite with Business Center and Fitness Center amenities... best guess for this one would be the Wolcott Hotel.  Admittedly i don't know much about this hotel, but the reviews are good for a 2.5* property, and the hotel is centrally located near multiple subway lines.

 

For a bit more, and a higher star rating, there is this 4 star Time Square hotel for $147/nite with:

Pets Allowed

Business Center

Restaurant

Free Internet

Fitness Center

No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

... my guess here would be the Hotel Mela (again, centrally located and well reviewed)

 

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

Your thoughts?

[Dallas2002]

Thanks again for the info!

To answer your question, I'll be traveling in from I-80 and likely take what looks to be 280 in towards Newark/Jersey.  I think if there's facilities to park in Jersey for $10/day I'm definitely more interested in staying in the city as you have advised.  I noticed that you've been picking hotels in the Times/Broadway and Empire State area, is there any other areas of consideration in Manhattan for a tourist like myself?  I noticed there's some cheaper 4*'s near the Madison Square Garden area, but perhaps those are just for people interested in conventions and sports?

 

thanks again for all your help!

[Dallas2002]

This morning I went for this hotel based on the fact it would be close to transit and central for a tourist as you had pointed out.  The amenity that convinced me was the fact that they offered free Internet.  Even on vacation Internet is important and the fact that some wanted around $10 an IP was just one of those hidden fees that this place would save on.

I was thrilled to find out that you were right!  This was Hotel Mela...nice!

 

On 5/20/2016 at 11:49 PM, thereuare said:

For a bit more, and a higher star rating, there is this 4 star Time Square hotel for $147/nite with:

Pets Allowed

Business Center

Restaurant

Free Internet

Fitness Center

No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

... my guess here would be the Hotel Mela (again, centrally located and well reviewed)

 

 

My final feat will be finding a place to park and get into the city, but you seemed to have some solutions for that too!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you scored a nice deal that you are happy with and that you'll be able to stay directly in Manhattan... should make for a much nicer experience.

 

Near any PATH station you're going to have minimal street parking (if any... many streets are resident permit parking only) and most lots will likely run you $20-$30/day (and some don't allow for overnite parking).  You may be able to find cheaper near the Harrison PATH station (google 'parking near Harrison PATH station).

Further out you could take NJ Transit into Penn Station, the train part of the trip will be longer (which you may want as it means shorter car time if you're already driving a long distance) but it looks like the Denville station has parking for just $3/day... you'll just have to confirm the train schedule is convenient for your travel times and the RT fare into Penn Station to confirm that this would be your least expensive option.  I would also call/email the company that operates the lot to make sure that overnite parking is allowed.

 

Let us know what you find in regards of parking (or if you do want to pay more and travel further to be closer to a PATH train) and we'll try to assist further.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your stay and have a great time in NYC!

[Dallas2002]

The Denville option is one I'll keep in mind since I will have over 8 hours of driving just to that point so depending on how I feel, the train ride might be perfect.  I did a bit of research and found that overnight parking at the Tonnelle Ave. light rail station for $3/day may be an option as well.  From what I can tell though, both options seem to be park at your own risk, and aren't really setup for long-term parking (e.g. fences, security).  I don't have a stand out vehicle or anything and I know that things can happen anywhere you park, even your own driveway, so perhaps I'm overthinking this or reading too many paranoid posts.

 

To get closer to NYC, it appears that the Seacaucus terminal is popular, but with parking at nearly $30/day I feel I should be getting additional services included (e.g. oil change, wash and wax) LOL

 

I haven't looked into the airport area yet, as I assume they have tons of long-term parking, but I am contemplating taking the Port Imperial ferry, I realize it's not the most cost effective option, but I can rationalize the added expense through my entertainment budget. 

[thereuare]

The ferry is a great way to travel into the city, but it's expensive!

 

Tickets are $9/ow so for two people you're looking at almost $40 roundtrip... plus parking (i'm assuming another $15-$20 per day??)

 

Also, as you get closer and closer to Manhattan (ie- closer and closer to the Lincoln Tunnel, George Washington Bridge, or Holland Tunnel) the chances of getting caught in traffic increase exponentially.

 

Admittedly i don't know much about the Tonnelle Light Rail station (i never have a need to use it in that direction) but last i checked (a few years ago) the NJ Park n Rides were not 'officially' set up for overnite parking and i when i inquired i was told it should be ok but couldn't get a definitive answer (i was inquiring about a bus Park N Ride at a different location than Tonnelle Ave).