Hotwire Hotel: New York in December

[jojonad]

Hi there - I've used HOTWIRE once before and totally miscalculated the hotel thought I was getting, so I'm hoping some good people on this forum can help me out.  We're travelling to New York Dec 9-11 as a family of 4 adults for my dad's birthday.  Since the parents are older I'd prefer to stay at a nicer, preferably 4* hotel, but the prices are steep!!!  Our budget is around $250 a night - is it even possible to find anything for that price?  It has to be within walking distance to the subway and downtown Ne York, if possible.  Many thanks in advance!

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding.

 

Please confirm which zones would be acceptable (where you would be willing to potentially stay anywhere within the zone) and we would be happy to research and offer our thoughts on options. Unfortunately, the first half of December is one of the most expensive periods of the year in NYC as that's the prime time for people coming to the city for shopping and holiday festivities. While I'm sure you are looking to stay for your father's birthday (happy early b-day!) during this period, I will note that while the weekend after (12/16-18) is not vastly cheaper, I do think it is noticeably cheaper and there is a variety of things within your desired budget. 12/9-11 is going to be difficult for quad occupancy under $250; unfortunately, you're probably looking at more around $265-285, depending on zone.

 

Let us know your thoughts on the above and we would be happy to research and offer specific suggestions.

 

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.

[jojonad]

Thank you so much!  The flights are booked so unfortunately, these are the dates for us.  I am a New York newbie, so I really have no idea where to stay :(  Was thinking of staying in the zones south of the central park.  Anything is really ok as long as it's close to the subway and some of sightseeing sights.  Enough so we can walk out, stroll for a bit and hop on a subway, if need be.  Thank you sooo much!!

[thereuare]

I'm very familiar with NYC and will help but a couple of questions first...

 

To confirm, you're looking for quad occupancy, correct? (1room/4adults)

 

Above you mention it needs to be walking distance of a subway and 'downtown nyc'... do you actually mean midtown (which is more the center of the city where Times Square is located... whereas 'downtown' is more so at the southern end of Manhattan where Freedom Tower, The New York Stock Exchange, etc. are located)?

 

Note that historically this is one of the most expensive weekends of the Fall/Winter season as lots of tourists comes from all over the world for last minute holiday shopping and to see the store window displays, so keep in mind that you may need to compromise a bit in terms of star rating and/or location in terms of staying near your target budget.

Please confirm the info above regarding occupancy and location and we'll take it from there.

[jojonad]

yes, there will be 4 people in the room and from the sound of it, near Times Square would be ideal.  Thank you!

 

[thereuare]

What may be the best value that i'm seeing is a 3.5* on HOTWIRE (4adults) in the Lower East Side zone for $198/nite with:

Complimentary Breakfast

Free Internet

Smoke Free

Fitness

Business

Hi-Speed Internet

--> i'm not certain, but my best guess for this property would be the Comfort Inn Near Financial District (if i'm wrong with this guess you at least know that the hotel gets a good 4.0/5.0 TA rating so it should, at the very least, be 'good').  If i am right on this hotel, it's not the most centrally located to midtown, but you are 2 blocks from the F train which will have you in midtown in about 10-15 minutes.... about 8-9 blocks away is the J/Z trains which can take you 'Downtown' should you needs have you heading in that direction (as noted above, Freedom Tower, Battery Park from where you can see the Statue of Liberty, New York Stock Exchange, etc. are all down in this direction)

 

I'm also seeing what looks like the Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan SoHo Village for $250/nite, and this gets you a little closer to Chelsea, but i don't think the location is that much better and not worth the extra $50/nite (you could easily use this $50/nite savings for a few taxi rides if/when needed), and the Lower East Side is certainly 'up and coming' in its own right, with many new boutiques, restaurants, cafes, etc. all opening up in the last few years.

 

If you wanted to lower your star rating i'm seeing what looks like the 2* Chelsea Savoy (in the Chelsea zone) for $184/nite.  While the lower star ratings can get a bit 'iffy' in NYC, this HOTWIRE does have a good 4.0/5.0 TA rating and if i'm correct on the hotel being offered, this does have a good central location... but it's basically a trade-off between star rating and location since this one is the same price as the Lower East Side property but a full 2 star ratings lower.

 

Let us know your thoughts on the options above and we'll advise further.

 

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.