Hotwire Hotel: 4* NYC (MTC) Sheraton New York and Towers

[sdduuuude]

Hi.

I land in Islip on Southwest at 9:30 PM on Saturday, April 5 with wife and 6-year old twins.

It will be 6:30 p.m. to us as we are coming from Cali.

We will need a place to stay for Saturday and Sunday night.

We don't want to change hotels.

We plan on spending Sunday in New York City (Central Park, Empire State Building) with a friend who will meet us there and show us around. On Monday morning, we will drive to Boston in a rental car for the next leg of the journey.

We could get a place in Islip, but it seems that train ride on Sunday a.m. is too long and we'd have to come al the way back, then drive to Boston from there. Or, we would have to cart our luggage into the City. I'd rather cover some ground Saturday night by driving a rental to West Long Island or even out to White Plains or Mt. Armonk.

Most importantly, I just want to make sure I can walk to a subway/train with a convenient schedule and not land in an unsafe area. You can get the * rating on the hotel, but not on the area - if you know what i mean.

1st Question - realistically, if we leave Islip at 10:00 p.m, how long would it take to drive to White Plains on a Saturday night? I enjoy driving in big cities as long as traffic isn't deadlocked. If we land at 9:30 p.m. in Islip, can we be registered at a hotel in White Plains by 11:30 ?

2nd Question - I'm seeing a couple of 3* in Flushing. Maybe the Holiday Inn and something else. What is the neighborhood like around these hotels ?

I'd post some more details on hotels I found, but HOTWIRE just took the site down.

3rd Q - I'm saw available 3* in Tarrytown, Yonkers, and Mt. Armonk - any idea where these are ? Any concerns with the neighborhoods? Any thoughts are helpful about the likelihood of landing in a nasty area in Mt. Armonk, Yonkers or Tarryton.

4th Q - If we splurge and spend $200/night in the city, what'll they charge to park ? I know my wife will hate driving into the City, but I'd do it if we could get the kids to bed at a reasonable time. I see the Warwick. We stayed at one in Seattle and loved it. What's it like ?

5th Q - I'm open to any local secrets/hints, even if it doesn't involve Hotwire. I'm open to anything as long as I can park the car, get the kids to bed at a reasonable time (12 midnight East Coast Time), not have to change hotels, and have an easy drive to Boston on Mon.

Thanks.

D

[sdduuuude]

Looking into a Limousine service for Saturday night. Any thoughts on who to choose ?

This would eliminate the need for a rental car and parking space until Monday a.m., at which time I could pick up a rental car.

Looks like $180 to White Plains. $130 to the City.

[sdduuuude]

I can connect to Hotwire now. Here are some specifics:

Tarrytown / Armonk - Can I drive here in 2 hours on a Saturday night from Islip ?

3* in Tarrytown $64 - Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness, Business, High Speed Internet.

3.5* TarryTown $123 - Fitness, Swimming, Restaurant, Business, Internet, Golf, Tennis.

3* in Armonk $68 - Swimming, Restaurant, Laundry, Internet

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Long Island Airports

3.5* LaGuardia/Flushing $134 - Shuttle, Fitness, Swimming, Restaurant, Business, Laundry, Internet

3* LaGuardia/Flushing $129 - Shuttle, Fitness, Swimming, Restaurant, Business, Internet

3* JFK/Jamaica $129 - Shuttle, Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness, Laundry, Internet

Customer Favorite

- Maybe Doubletree ?

-------

Any ideas on this one?

4* Midtown Central $225 - Restaurant, Business, Internet

[dahammer]

Welcome! I hope you and your family all get "A" boarding passes on SWA and can sit together, I have heard stories that recent changes in Southwest's seating policy that favors frequent flyers sometimes makes it difficult to get an A pass even if you check in right at the 24 hour mark prior to departure. Good luck!

I think some of the answers depend on where and when you will be picking up and returning your rental car. Is it a one way rental or round trip?

As for your first night's stay, others may want to chime in, but I don't think you would want to drive to Armonk or Tarrytown for your first night, I think the trip is do-able in 2 hours, MSN Maps has it at 1:15, but you are driving on the Long Island Expressway and going over the Throngs Neck Bridge and up the Hutchinson parkway, so even at that hour of the night you could hit traffic. You may also want to consider the Rye or New Rochelle, NY as these areas are closer to the Metro North train and offer easy access to I-95 going north to Beantown.

The LaGuardia airport area is OK, I have stayed in several of the LGA hotels and although I have felt safe, there is really nothing to do within walking distance. Some of the hotels in the area are not close to the subway, but the Holiday Inn is a few blocks away from a station.

If you make it into the city for your first night, parking will be at least $40 per day. BTW, are you searching HOTWIRE with 2 adults and 2 children?

[sdduuuude]

Thanks a bunch for the help.

I think some of the answers depend on where and when you will be picking up and returning your rental car. Is it a one way rental or round trip?

We are flying out of Manchester, NH so it is a 1-way.

I am searching 1 room, 2 adults, 2 children.

Right now, that 4* at $229 in Midtown Central is looking pretty good.

I would skip the rental car altogether and just get a ride into the city.

And maybe even take the train to Boston and pick up a rental car in Boston.

Any idea if that price will improve the week prior? I don't have a backup, other than settling for a LaGuardia that same week.

Any recommendations on decent, reliable limo/shuttle companies to get us from Islip to Manhattan. Having someone there to pick us up will save the time of getting a rental, too.

"The LaGuardia airport area is OK, I have stayed in several of the LGA hotels and although I have felt safe, there is really nothing to do within walking distance. Some of the hotels in the area are not close to the subway, but the Holiday Inn is a few blocks away from a station. "

"Nothing to do within walking distance" is OK. We'll just have to taxi to the subway, then into the city.

Any idea what the Manhattan or La Guardia hotels are ?

[thereuare]

sdduuuude,

Please note the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE search boxes at the top of the board, the links in my signature, and in the support page.

[dahammer]

Here is a link to MacArthur Airport and transportation to the city. I can't recommend a limo service, but I think that's the way to go. Looks like this will run about $120 or so. You will save a few days' car rental and parking. What is the cost of a one way rental to Boston? Taking the train from NYC to Boston is also a relaxing way to go, its about 4 hours and kids under 12 are half price; the lowest fare is $177 to $252 using the regional service. The Acela train charges more and all fares are adult, so the lowest fare is $336 and you will save about 30 minutes with the Acela.

It appears that the LGA Hotels are the 3.5* Crowne Plaza and the 3* Holiday Inn, I can't determine the MTC property. Getting a cab from the hotel to the subway station is not a problem, but the return trip may be more difficult, especially at night. FYI, it appears that the 4* Jersey City Hyatt is available on HOTWIRE for your dates, the rate is $133. This hotel is adjacent to the PATH train station and 6 minutes to the World Trade Center station; its a great hotel for seeing the city. I would stay at the JC Hyatt rather than staying in the LGA area. Its hard to say if the availability will improve as you get closer to your stay, you should immediately book a cancellable backup.

Probably the first question we should ask is what is your budget per night for a stay in Manhattan?

[sdduuuude]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on the 4* in Manhattan. Travelling with kids, convenience is everything and we'd save loads of time the next morning as we would have a short trip to Central Park.

Paying $100 to park the car at the hotel for two days is actually a good deal for me. A car for a week is only about $300 and driving myself saves a $100 cab ride. Plus it allows me to put my luggage and kids in the car on Monday and drive to Boston straight from the hotel with no hassle. (I'm from California - we drive everywhere.)

If I take a limo to a Manhattan hotel, then rent a car there Monday morning, I save parking costs, but it is about $100 more for the car, plus $100 for the ride.

If I take a limo to a Manhattan hotel, then a train to Boston, I still need a car in Boston. I save $100 in parking and $50 on the rental, but I spend $100 for the ride and $220 for the train.

So, the last question is - could the drive to Hoboken possibly be easier than the drive to a Midtown Central hotel from Long Island ?

I had ruled out Jersey because it is on the other side of Manhattan and I have to cross two bridges and go through Manhattan, but if that is an easy drive and I'm not on the road for more than 90 min from Islip, I'll do it to save $100 bucks or so.

[dahammer]

I'm from California - we drive everywhere

I drive everywhere too, but when staying in NYC, I try to avoid it, to each his own....driving from NY to Boston is no box of chocolates either :) You will at least be driving against the traffic on Monday morning. PS, if you are driving through New Haven, CT during lunch, a stop at Frank Pepe's is in order for some world class pizza.

That looks like a really decent rate for a one way car rental. To get to the JC Hyatt, you will need to drive through Manhattan, past your MTC hotel and through the Holland Tunnel, the Hyatt is right on the river with a great view of NY. Valet parking at the Hyatt is $32 a day. If you proceed with a HOTWIRE purchase, please use the links on the board.

good luck!

[sdduuuude]

So, the MTC with Restaurant, Business Center and High Speed Internet is the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers .

Total bill for 2 nights at a 4* in Manhattan: 536.83

Travelocity shows $244. Hmm. No big deal there but I think it will be perfect.

Looks like parking is $38/day.

I tried to use your HOTWIRE link, but Hotwire kept denying me the room

I went to book the 4* in MTC and it repeatedly shows that it is not available.

It shows up in the search.

I choose it.

I put in all my info - credit card, etc.

It says "NO LONGER AVAILABLE"

GRRRR.

I tried this a few times, then used an older accounts and it finally worked.

Not sure what happened.

In the confusion I was opening new windows and I'm not sure if you got credit or not.

Thanks for all your help.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your sucess... looks like you thought this one thru.

If you need an inexpensive meal, or just have the late nite munchies (7:30PM-3:30AM) you can check ot the "Chicken and Rice" food cart on the SW corner of 53rd and Sixth Ave, just a short walk from the Sheraton... they're very well known and almost always a line. The white sauce 'makes' the meal, watch out for the hot sauce as it's the hottest thing i have ever tasted. Here's a video:

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Thanks for using our HOTWIRE link to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your trip.