Hotwire Hotel: 4* New York (Madison Square Garden) EVEN Hotels New York - Times Square South

[tignor]

We would like to go to NYC in April. Amtrak is offering buy one get on tickets on the line from our city if you book by Jan 12. Blackout dates are April 10 and 13th. We will book this first then start looking for a hotel.

 

Any time particularly bad or good during the month? (Ie. big convention in town) Of course the weather will be better later in the month but if that is “super expensive NYC time” we won’t go then. 

 

We would to stay centrally located (going for Broadway mostly) so ESB/MSG north to CPS and in between. We know there is more to NYC than midtown but that is where we will spend the bulk of our time and the hubs likes to be able to drop into the hotel easily for things, go back quickly if needed, etc. 4* if possible, under $200 a night and if something is a great deal, please let me know!

 

We’d prefer midweek (we know weekends are usually cheaper), Tues-Sat (4 nights). 

 

much thanks in advance. Will always clickie your links.

[thereuare]

Few questions to dig deeper into this search:

1) i know you prefer midweek dates, but are weekend dates not an option?  As you point out, the weekends will almost certainly be cheaper, especially if you include a Sunday nite.  For a good deal would Thur-Mon be an option?  If not, what about Fri-Tues, Sat-Wed, or even Sun-Thur? (really trying to include a Sunday nite as it will usually bring your costs down quite a bit)

2) is your budget $200 all-in (including taxes/resort fees)... if not, what is your all-in number (as resort fees now play a factor in NYC)

3) not a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking you'll likely find less expensive rates in the beginning of April and more expensive near the end of the month (even better if you can in February)

 

Let us know the information above regarding days of the week and budget and we'll take a deeper dive into this trip.

 

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

 

[tignor]

Ok

1) We are open to staying over the weekend, but Sunday and Monday evening theatre options are limited. It USED to be that theatres were dark Sunday and Monday evenings...and while that isn't always the case anymore, there aren't many options. Matinees are hard to do (post lunch sleepies - since we fell asleep due to travel-lag during A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder we haven't done matinees). So, we tend to avoid being there Sunday and Monday, just because of that. But I suppose we can do matinees and sleep when we're dead. We can leak a few days into March or May, too...

 

Weekend trains run later -- not so bad for coming home, but for traveling up we lose some time in the Big A.

 

2) $200 all in. Hopefully. (and resort fees are stupid but there's no getting around them I suppose. UGH) I do think this is possible just from checking on my own.

 

3) We can bring a jacket. Didn't understand what you said about February? We don't want to go in February...too cold! 😄

 

I LOVE how helpful you always are. Thank you! (and always I will clickie the links here)

 

Hotels we've stayed in in NYC if this will help:

Belvedere (loved)

Tryp by Wyndham on 35th (loved)

The Row (meh, location was wonderful but loud at night)

Comfort Inn, I swear it was in the 50s but can't find it - at least 6 years ago maybe more - horrible

The Westin near Grand Central (I think) - at least 3 block walk from Grand Central, walking back to the hotel at night was a bit scary. 

A Quality Inn in the UWS (85th St. or so, probably since switched hands) - very nice.

 

Dream hotel: The Algonquin (but think it will be too spendy)...one day

[thereuare]

Some thoughts (difficult with some many date possibilities):

 

APRIL 17-21

4* HOTWIRE Times Square for $130
Free internet
Boutique hotel
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Restaurant(s)
Business center
Accessible for visually impaired
Accessible path of travel
==> Yotel Times Square (read reviews and see if you think this is your style... does give you good Theatre District access)

 

4* HOTWIRE Midtown East for $139
Pet friendly
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Business center
Internet access
==> Fifty NYC

 

4* HOTWIRE Midtown East for $141
Free internet
Pet friendly
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Restaurant(s)
Business center
==> EVEN Hotels Midtown East... as i just posted in another thread, this is a little bit far east, but it's a newer hotel and a new hotel concept as well (fitness theme)

 

 

APRIL 16-20

4* Grand Central Terminal - UN (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $157/nite with:
Fitness Center
Restaurant
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
Free Internet
==> Club Quarters Grand Central

 

APRIL 3-7

4.5* Lower East Side - Chinatown (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $139/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Fitness Center
Restaurant
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
Free Internet
==> Hotel 50 Bowery... i know this isn't in the location you asked, but hotel gets great reviews so figured i'd mention it just in case the reviews swayed you (i don't know much about this hotel)

 

Let us know which above are the most interesting (or none) to give a better sense of what you're looking for and we'll then see if that's the best option or if we can do even better for other dates.

[tignor]

If we shift the dates a day, Apr 16-20, do prices change terribly?

 

Being there Monday...just isn’t attractive with most theatres dark.

[thereuare]

The Club Quarters Grand Central was for April 16-20 (i made a mistake on the dates when i posted above, i've since edited)... most of the others that are available 4/17-4/21 disappear or price goes higher... is there a specific one that you see for 4/17 arrival that you would be wanting for 4/16 arrival?  We could see if it's offered for 4/17-4/20 and again for the solo nite of 4/16-4/17 (essentially giving you the dates you want but splitting it between two purchases)

 

Which hotel(s) above seemed attractive to you at these prices?

[tignor]

Well, a few things.

 

the BOGO offered by Amtrak isn’t for Roanoke -NYC. Went to book and it didn’t take . So I call and find out that it’s for “long distance” route only. 9 hours on a train apparently is only a mid-distance trip 🤷🏻‍♀️.

 

so there’s that.

 

Now I have to make a decision on should we go or not? Last year Amtrak had a BOGO over Valentines Day. Not sure if they will again, or if restrictions apply like this one.

 

Not zippy excited about having to check in and out of two hotels.

 

if it’s for the same hotel, would we have to check in/out?

 

The Fifty was the one we were eying. Yotel isn’t our style, maybe 20 years ago. The others just not right.

 

We’d be open to a 3.5* if you think it’s a good one.

 

I’m a bit bummed. 
 

Thank you for all your help. 

[thereuare]

11 minutes ago, tignor said:

if it’s for the same hotel, would we have to check in/out?

Typically not, you let them know at check-in that you have a separate, but continuous, reservation for an additional nite and they block the room off for you for that additional nite.  You may (depending upon the hotel's reservation system) need to show-up at some point in the day on 'switch' day to have them officially check you out and then check you in again, but rarely to  you need change rooms (although it's certainly possible you would need to if the hotel was nearly full and the way other guests' extended stays were working out relative to available rooms)

 

Yeah, the few times i have tried to use Amtrak promotions it never seemed to reflect the discount, and their system is pretty archaic that it was frustrating.

[tignor]

Ok - there’s a 25% off Amtrak discount we’ll try to use. It’s something.
 

Go ahead and see what’s good for a Thu-Monday in April, Midtown, 3.5* and up. We will probably still go. 🙂 The Fifty looks nice but are open to others. We’ll feel like old farts at the Yotel.

 

We appreciate you!

[thereuare]

Sticking with Thur-Mon...

 

April 2-6:

I know it's not in the right area, but the reviews are too good and the price (relative to other options) to not consider:

4.5* Lower East Side - Chinatown (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $136/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Fitness Center
Restaurant
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
Free Internet
==> Hotel 50 Bowery

.... but your trip and you know how much you can/can't make the location work, i just get excited when i see such consistently good reviews

 

4* Madison Square Garden - Convention Area (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $165/nite with:
Pets Allowed
Fitness Center
Business Center
Restaurant
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
==> Even Hotel Times Square South... a little over your budget, but you get the benefits discussed previously of the 'Even Hotel' brand but with a much better location that i think meets all of your needs (and excellent reviews)

 

4* HOTWIRE Midtown East for $126.21
Free internet
Pet friendly
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Business center
==> Fifty NYC

 

4* HOTWIRE Times Square for $129
Pet friendly
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Restaurant(s)
Business center
Internet access
==> Sheraton New York... business and airline crew hotel, so a bit impersonal, but location-wise may be perfect?

 

April 9-13:
4* HOTWIRE Times Square for $139
Pet friendly
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Restaurant(s)
Business center
Internet access
==> Sheraton New York (if this is an option is it worth $10/nite to be a week later in the month?)

 

April 16-20:

4* HOTWIRE Midtown East for $144
Pet friendly
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Business center
Internet access
==> Fifty NYC

 

April 23-27:

nothing very interesting, imo

 

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

 

Thoughts on any of the above?

[tignor]

If I click on the link and I just get the Hotwire home page -- is that deal gone? I am looking at Fifty on April 2-6

 

Also, the resort fee at the EVEN is more than the freaking taxes.

 

Starting to get bummed out again...Thinking of booking an Air B&B, but the hubs is scared of them.

 

Looking on my own, there's a Times Square 4* for $145 that is supposed to be the Even, the Bernic or the Doubletree. 

Complimentary

Free internet

Amenities

Business centerFitness centerPet friendlyRestaurant(s)Smoke-free rooms

Resort fee: $31 a night (the "click on photo of an actual picture leads me to believe this is the Even)

[thereuare]

We can't deep link directly to HOTWIRE deals (their link structure does not make it possible)

 

Search using BiddingHelper.com and rollover the FIND MATCH from HOTEL TO LIST button to find the deal and ensure its the same property.

[tignor]

I used your Bidding Helper link, and got it there. $145, with taxes and fees $883.05. When I look at it when I click your link above, at $165/night it comes out to over $1100. Now it's giving me different "other hotels" though -- Fitzpatrick and Westgate, but the photo of the room is definitely the Even. Midtown East, though, not the south.

[tignor]

April 2-6 booked the Even Times Square South

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

I think this location works out extremely well for you and glad you were able to work out the right pricing.

Thank you for sharing your results and using the HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your time in NYC and whichever shows you ultimately decide to see.