Priceline Hotel: 4* NYC (UM - CPS) InterContinental

[jbhall]

I searched on Hotwire for the UES and came up with three hotels. The only thing on your Hotwire list is the Stanhope, which does match with one of the choices. The other two are interesting.

There is a 4* for $335

And there is a 3 1/2* for $190 (about an hour ago it was $155, but it went up)

Both of these have the same ammenities (Restaurant, Fitness center, Business Center and SPA)

The spa is the interesting one, because I have not found any other hotels on either the Hotwire or Priceline list that have a spa. Also they have the same exact ammenities, but one is a 3 1/2* and the other is a 4*. The Melrose hotel has all of the ammenities listed and is UES. TheMelrose offers the following rooms on their site:

Standard $189

Superior $219

Deluxe $249

Tower Suite $539

Is it possible that the 3 1/2* is a standard room and that the 4* is the Tower Suite? I didn't think the stars were adjusted based on the room, but maybe?

Thanks for the help.

[thereuare]

What are the date(s) of your stay?

[jbhall]

Crud, sorry about that 4/6-4/8

[thereuare]

Just guesses:

4* The Regency

(although perhaps would be rates higher than 4*?)

3.5* Melrose

I'm doubtful that the hotel would have different star ratings for the type of room offered (although many hotels differ so much that they should! :) )

Do you need to be in the UES area, as many other areas of NYC are more convenient and less expensive.

Let us know how you make out.

[jbhall]

Thanks for the help, but I couldn't wait any longer, so I went ahead and did priceline in UM and got the Intercontinental for $145/night. I'm pretty happy with that.

Any suggestions in this area for meals or things to see or do.

Thanks,

Jerry

[thereuare]

This makes an expensive dinner affordable: UP TO $50 OFF DINNER

THEREUARE's Things To Do in NYC

If you add your age (approximate range :) ), budget (is money a concern or no object?), and what type of things/foods you like i'll make some add'l suggestions.

[jbhall]

My wife and I are in our late 30's. I don't mind spending a little money on a good meal. We are not taking any dress clothes, just slacks and a nice shirt.

One place I was planning on going was Carmines. What are your thoughts?

Also, I have heard that you can by half price Broadway tickets the day of the show. Any information on that and where to go.

And finally, we are staying at the Intercontinental which has rooms facing Central Park, any suggestions on how to approach the park to get an upgrade to one of these rooms. Or are people generally looked down upon when they go through PL.

Thanks!

[jbhall]

Just completed the survey and printed out the $50/$50 survey. I checked citysearch and there seems to be some pretty nice restaurants here. Any suggestions, again I won't have a jacket or tie.

Here are the restaurants they listed.

$50/$50 Brasseire, Brassserie 8 1/2, Tropica (this one sounded interesting), Sea Grill, Cafe Centro, Nick & Stef's Steakhouse (couldn't find this one on Citysearch, but my wife is not a big steak eater, so unless this is just a fantastic place and they have other stuff, such as good seafood, we would probably skip this place.)

$30/$30 Cucina & Co., Rock Center Cafe, Naples 45.

We are only going to be here two nights. So for one night I really wanted to go to a good Italian place (See Carmines in the above post) and then I figure we could use this coupon on a the second night.

However if Naples 45 is a good Italian place we could kill two birds with one stone. It does get high marks on CitySearch and looks like it is not a dressy place.

So if we do go to Naples 45, I would like to go to a good Indian restaurant. I got spoiled by good indian food when we were in England a few years back and Richmond, Virginia doesn't have any really good Indian restaurants.

A good German restaurant would also not be out of the question. However, believe it or not, we have two German restaurants within an hour or so that are better than the German food I've had on my 3-4 trips to Germany. So unless there is just a really fantastic place that we shouldn't miss, I'm leaning towards the Indian.

Thanks!

[lwitchel]

jbhall - there's plenty of good Indian in NYC. Alas, my most recent favorite, Kishti, just closed.

Suggestions - Nirvana on Central Park South has decent food and a great view. It isn't particularly dressy, but it is slightly pricey. It's a good place to go for visitors because the view overlooking Central Park is so marvelous, and it is close to your hotel. Also near to you would be an Indian fusion restaurant, Bay Leaf, that is on 56th between 5/6. There are a few other Indian restaurants on that block that would be more reasonably priced than Nirvana.

Jewel of India on 44th between 5/6 is another upscale Indian restaurant with good Northern Indian food, but without the view. The $13.95 lunch buffet is rather good.

For the more adventurous (and those with more time) there are two separate areas of Indian restaurants in concentration: On the East Side in the high 20's on 3rd Avenue and downtown in the East Village on 6th Street. I've eaten at Annapurna and Kebab and Curry among others in the E. 20s, they're all good, but not worth a special trip. The East 6th restaurants are very inexpensive but also not worth a special trip, except perhaps for Rose of India, less for the mediocre Indian food and more for the stupefying kitsch value of the place. It's decorated entirely in Christmas lights, thousands and thousands, which they set blinking along with blaring a Bollywood song when anyone has a birthday. This happens at least once or twice every meal. I don't know if that's what you had in mind :)

A neighborhood close to where you are staying worth exploring for ethnic cuisine is 9th Avenue in the 40s-50s (my neighborhood!) There's decent cheap Indian there (Bengal Express, which makes very good breads), Vietnamese (Saigon Fun), Thai (Wondee Siam I and II - II is prettier, I has a marginally better kitchen) and Pam Real Thai. There's also a dirt cheap and very good Chinese noodle house, Mee. Most of these places are between 51-54th on 9th, Pam Real Thai is right off the SW corner of 49th & 9th. None of them is worth changing your plans to go to but they're all tasty.

In my opinion Carmine's is not worth a visit, but I haven't been there in a long while. It always looked touristy to me.

The main TKTS booth is on 47th/Broadway and it opens at 2pm for evening shows, I think and noon for matinees. You can't miss it. Be prepared by bringing sufficient cash (no credit cards) and having 20 mins. to an hour to wait on line.

For other cultural events, a friend recommended the Byantium exhbit at the Metropolitan Museum, but warned it was packed. The most beautiful small museum in the city is probably the Frick on 70th & 5th, which can be visited in a bit over an hour and has a phenomenal old masters collection including three Vermeers (a big deal when there are only 60 some extant.)

Enjoy your stay!

[thereuare]

My various thoughts:

Carmine's is not where to go for great italian fare, but it is a fun place to go to 'experience it'... especially if you like garlic! However, the experience had when dining for two is not the same as when dining with a large party. If you decide to go and you choose the UWS location rather than the midtown location, let me know as i have a message for you to give the bartender there which will freak him out!

Regarding the Dining Out certificate, notice that many of the reservations are only good after 8pm:

From that list, i'm partial ot Brasserie 8 1/2. Not the most amazing meal i've ever had and at times it can be inconsistent, but it is good and i really like the atmospere... "nice but laid back." The real reason i go there is to have their banana souffle for dessert which is one of the best desserts i've had (not really a souffle, but more like a frozen banana with carmel and pecans... i'm not a big dessert person but this one take the cake! (no pun intended))

Naples45 is not great for italian food but their pizza is excellent. Not a true 'ny pizza' but it is excellent. If your meals are limited i wouldn't necessarily make a special trip and i'd sooner head to Grimaldi's in Brooklyn as per my suggested day below.

(end of Dine Out discussion)

For Indian, i have not yet been but i have heard excellent things about Amma which isn't cheap by Indian standards but supposedly worth the price (you can see prices online using the above link). The east single digits restaurants that lwichel mentions above are very popular for 'cheap eats'.

Given your age group, i would highly recommend the suggestions in my NYC by Locals and this would be one of my days:

Take an early lunch by taking the subway to Grimaldi's for pizza and the ice cream factory for dessert. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (with your camera) and take in the view. Pick up tickets at TKTS (depending upon what day you do this... see below) and walk around the Seaport area for a bit. Make it back to your hotel to relax/change for dinner or continue to explore. Head towards the Village for a Happy Hour priced margarita at Caliente Cab Co.(Greene and Waverly location) and take home your souvenier glasses. Grab some dinner nearby in the Village area (or the single digit East Side Indian restaurants previously mentioned aren't too far away) and make it to Cafe Wha by 8:45pm for the 9:15pm show (which you of course made reservations for beforehand). Stay for the second show if you'd like or leave and go to another bar or cafe on Bleeker St.

Obviously you can adjust this to your own liking...for instance, it might be better to get your TKTS tickets when they open at 11am for the best selection (try to get there at 10:45am) ... then head to Grimaldi's.

Naturally get an 'all day subway/bus metrocard' so getting around becomes very affordable and you don't mind backtracking to areas you were just in a few hours ago or making quick/short subway stops.

TKTS: to avoid the Time Square lines at TKTS you could visit the downtown location booth which doesn't get nearly as crowded. This location sells matinee tickets one day in advance and evening performances the day of:

The TKTS ticket booth at the corner of John and Front Streets is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

[jbhall]

Thanks for all the great advice.

I think we will try Grimaldi's for lunch one day.

If I read the two emails correctly the only Italian restaurant that was recommended was Nirvana (and I'm not sure that this was Italian)

Any other Italian suggestions.

Again, thanks a bunch.

[lwitchel]

Two that will be close to your hotel:

San Domenico is on 58/CPS and is a rather chic and urbane Northern Italian place with a very reasonable prix fixe lunch (and it's even on idine!). A reasonably priced luxury meal that's more expensive for dinner.

Puttanesca on 56th & 9th is a neighborhood Italian bistro that's a cut above its prices. A very good buy.

You meant that Nirvana is Indian, right? If you go there looking for Italian food you're in for a shock. . . :)

[thereuare]

Don't just go to Grimaldi's... be sure to walk across the bridge back home (assuming the weather gets warm here in the next two days!!)

If you decide to loosely follow my day suggestion above, the Minetta Tavern (italian restaurant) is right across the street from Cafe Wha, the food is good, and there is a lot of village character to the place (lots of pics of famous patrons adorn the walls). I think it's a good value for the price and this has been our New Year's Eve stop for the last few years whenever we've decided to stay local. Here are some citysearch comments: Minetta Tavern

[jbhall]

The high is supposed to be in the 50's. We are going to take the walk across the bridge, unless of course it is windy.

Any suggestions for shopping. You know trendy kind of things, clothes, artsy stuff, knick knacks, not macys or bloomingdales.

Thanks

[thereuare]

Looks like the weather should be really nice on Wednesday!

I'm not much of a shopper, but as you pass thru midtown (6th Ave b/w 32nd-34rd St) you'll find lots of street vendors with cheap belts, knick-knacks, knock-off jewelery, etc. Another good place to go is on Canal steet and walk up towards Mott St (in Chinatown) where you'll find lots of imitation designer bags, watches, etc... makes for some good souvenier gifts if you need them.

Not really 'NY' type of stuff, but lots of out-of-towners love Century 21 downtown. It's a discount department store with lots of brand names at discount prices. It's usually 'hit or miss' in that you may find some great stuff and cheap... or you may find nothing! We don't go too often but I usually have more success there than my wife, so i think the men's department has a more consistent/better selection (or maybe my fashion sense isn't as good as hers! :) ); i've always been able to get nice ties there very inexpensively.

[jbhall]

Thanks a bunch for all your help!

[jbhall]

I was just looking over my post from when my wife and I went to NY last Spring. We pretty much took your suggestions and we had a great time. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, had lunch at Grimaldi's and ice cream at the ice cream factory. We also went to Club Wha and had a great time. My wife hadn't been that drunk since our wedding night 14 years ago. We were planning to go to the Empire State building the next day, but she was so hung over she didn't get out of bed until after noon, and then had a hard time walking straight.

One thing we didn't do, at first at least, is take your advice on the half price tickets. We stood in line at Times Square about 30 minutes early and there were probably 500 people in front of us. After the booth opened, we moved up maybe 8 feet in 15 minutes. We decided to leave and go to the location at Seaport?. It probably took us 20 minutes to get there from the Times Square line and when we got there, there were only 3 people in line. I will never go to Time Square again to get half price tickets.

Bottom line, we had a great time, and thanks for you help.

I am back on this site, because we are heading back to NYC from 12/29-1/01. I just got a hotel on Saturday and am pretty pleased after watching the prices over the last week. We got the Park South Hotel for $180 a night, which I thought was pretty good including New Years eve.

We weren't really thinking about going to Times Square, mainly because of the crowds. Any suggestions for any good places to be on New Years Eve. Club Wha, maybe, we did have a great time.

Thanks for all your help.

[thereuare]

Glad to hear you had a good time at Cafe Wha? and enjoyed some of the other suggestions (and that tip about the Times Square TKTS vs. Seaport TKTS is part of what this site is all about... often the best advice about cities can be found thru those local to the area, i woul bet that at least 25% of NYers don't even know about the downtown location of the TKTS booth!)

For this coming New Years... was your win via Priceline? If so, please post the details i a new thread, if not, maybe post the details in the OTHER DEALS >> HOTELS forum as other looking for last minute NYE reservations may be interested in that deal as well.

Regarding NYE... in NYC it mostly comes down to what you are willing to spend, and many place may already be booked. I think i went to Cafe Wha for a New Years and had a good time, but it was in my younger days and i can't remember for certain if i was there for the holiday. I took a look at the Cafe Wha website and reservations for NYE can't be made online (you have to call-in), so i'm guessing that the cover chage will be inflated and/or a credit card needed to guarantee your reservation.

For the last few years we've had a large group go to Minneta Tavern in the Village (won't this year with a newborn so i haven't had to figure out plans), but we've gone with a large® group of 6-12 people each year. It's nothing special, but they have their standard menu (no limited or inflated price holiday menu). We get there for a late seating and they let us stay all nite. Not something i would necessarily recommend though for a party of two or for somebody coming in from out of town, although the NYE we went we sat at a table across from Terry Hatcher.

Another place that is fairly crowded but i enjoy is the Back Fence... small venue with pretty good acoustic guitar singers/songwriters (often playing cover tunes).

New Years Eve is often a holiday i don't look forward to in the area as there's a LOT of 'hype' surrounding it and most places only offer packages which are very expensive ($100+/pp not including drinks :) and the food is often only marginal).

You sound like you don't like large crowds either (i don't) but perhaps you'd want to consider Times Square (i've done it once). The weather is supposed to be in the 50's that day and it may be the only chance you have to say you've "done it" <once>.

If you come up with any alternate ideas i'll be happy to comment on them if i have any experience with them.

[TravelGuy]

Citysearch New York has put together a good New Year's Eve Planner.