Cool NYC hotels

March 1, 2005 8:05 AM

NYC Hotel Splurge: My bf bought Spamalot tickets for a weekend in June and we are looking for reasonable deal on a high end hotel ($250-350/night) to live it up a little. Royalton? Sofitel? Other? Also seeking food recs.

The theatre is on 44th & Broadway. We really like the cool urban feel of the photos of the nearby Royalton, but the reviews are so so, and for less cash we could get a suite at the Sofitel, which gets uniformly super reviews. Both of these hotels are a block away from the theatre. Should we think about other places instead? Looking for a little bit of a wow factor b/c we don't get to travel together alot. Also, any fun (vegetarian friendly) dining experiences nearby? (The archives haven't really addressed this.)

(BTW, I am finding that internet services yield lower hotel rates than the regular hotel sites, so finding a really special hotel experience for the rates cited really seems possible.)

posted by onlyconnect to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

You might try hotwire.com. I've seen 4 and a half star places in the theatre district go for $150 a night on a weekend. I'm not sure, but I think you can generally find better prices about a month or so before your trip. If you don't like the idea of not knowing which hotel it is before you buy your tickets, you can take a look at the amenities/general location listed on hotwire and compare them to the New York hotwire hotel list on the Better Bidding Forums to try to figure out which hotel it is.

Better Bidding also has hotel lists and a forum for Priceline.
posted by amarynth at 8:17 AM on March 1, 2005

The Library Hotel on 41st and Madison is really cool.
posted by gaspode at 8:36 AM on March 1, 2005

I love the Royalton. The rooms are smallish - but everything about the place is cool. Last time I checked a room there would be at the top end of your price range.
Note that I associate some of my best trips to NYC with staying there so I could be projecting undeserved goodness on the accommodations when in fact is was the people seen and the adventures had. YMMV.
The Hudson is the same folks - a lot cheaper - but as I understand it - much smaller rooms. I've had drinks there - it also seems pretty cool - if not a bit loud.
If you're not married to the idea of staying right near the theater - I've heard nothing but glorious things about the SOHO Grand. Likewise the TriBeCa Grand. There might also be more interesting vegetarian friendly restaurants down that way. Found this in the archives. Focus on Vegan but lots of good recommendations in there for restaurants.
Have fun.
posted by Wolfie at 8:40 AM on March 1, 2005

NYC style? There are only the Grand hotels.

DO NOT stay in the theater district. Clusterfuck and no restaurants. South of 14th street, really south of Houston (SoHo, Nolita, Tribeca, Greenwich Village), or 8th Ave (btw Leroy and 20th) are the best NYC experience, in my opinion.
posted by scazza at 8:58 AM on March 1, 2005

When I'm in New York I almost always stay at the Dumont, currently called the Affinia Dumont. It is really one of the nicest Manhattan hotels I've stayed in for the price. The trick with Manhattan is everything is insanely expensive, but even with two hotels in the same price range I've always found the Affinia treats me better. For example of false luxury, I stayed at the Waldorf, once. Never, ever, ever go to the Waldorf. They are being managed on brand recognition alone and their hotel is filthy and the service is awful. Now that I'm done venting about that..

I'm concerned that you want to stay too close to the theater district. If you are looking to walk to the theater by all means do that, but there are so many areas worth your time nearby. Murray Hill is my favorite (33rd and Lex, as you can tell from my hotel ^_^) but seriously.. a taxi will take you to 44th at any point, expand your horizons and check out what kind of NYC locale you'd like to explore while you're there!
posted by cavalier at 9:05 AM on March 1, 2005

As I live in NYC, feel free to email me.
posted by scazza at 9:07 AM on March 1, 2005

And oh my gosh, Mike Nichols is directing? Huh. That whole cast is very interesting.. I stopped paying attention when Eric Idle made his first announcement.. I said, oh god. But now it looks interesting... hmmmmmmmm....
posted by cavalier at 9:09 AM on March 1, 2005

Before we moved here, my wife and I stayed at the Parker Meridien and absolutely loved it. Staff was perfect, room was great, very close to Central Park and not far from the theatre district. Not sure what the prices run that time of year, but it's worth a look.

Also, having seen Spamalot during the first week of previews - you're in for a treat. :)
posted by Remy at 9:14 AM on March 1, 2005

Also, keep in mind that from (reasonably) anywhere in Manhattan it's going to take minutes to get to the theater district/Midtown. To get to the show will be easy, think of what else of NYC you want to experience.
posted by scazza at 9:20 AM on March 1, 2005

NYC style? There are only the Grand hotels.


The Royalton is my favorite hotel in NYC. I actually "lived" there for about three months. If you're nice to the staff or say its your honeymoon or something you might be able to get one of the rooms up top with a balcony. They are actually the same rate as any of the other rooms but they won't just give them out.

In Soho, I'd rate the Mercer higher than the Soho Grand on the overall hipness scale. Both the Soho Grand and the Tribeca grand are cool but they wimped out on the bar area. However, the Soho Grand is more likely to give you a room with a decent view whereas the Mercer is kind of locked in in its little corner. I do agree though that you will have more fun staying down south than in midtown.
posted by vacapinta at 10:03 AM on March 1, 2005

It's encouraging that two different people here love the Royalton, so I think the Sofitel is right out despite its web reviews. Now we are pondering the advice here about not staying in the theatre district, so it will come down to a choice between the Royalton and the other suggestions posted here, all of which look very swank and perfect. Thanks for these -- they are very helpful!

(cavalier, I'm excited about Spamalot -- it got really good reviews in Chicago -- and the cast [Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, Hank Azaria] looks like alot of fun.)
posted by onlyconnect at 11:12 AM on March 1, 2005

"...For example of false luxury, I stayed at the Waldorf, once. Never, ever, ever go to the Waldorf. They are being managed on brand recognition alone and their hotel is filthy and the service is awful."

I took my GalPal to New York on the Queen Mary 2 last November, and we only stayed at the Waldorf because of Cunards package deal.

OMG what a pit! Overpriced, dirty, the suite was falling apart (sinks cracked, windows wouldn't open, one window wouldn't close), and the last night the fire alarms went all ALL NIGHT LONG. When we couldn't even check in for hours on the first day for several hours, we should have went elsewhere and claimed it back from Cunard.

I complained so much we got two nights out of five evening stay for free, but still I'd try the Four Seasons. I've stayed at them all over the world, and you can't beat the experience.

You can probably get something in or reasonably close to your price range also.
posted by Mutant at 12:08 PM on March 1, 2005

If you enjoy a cocktail, I heartily reccomend a visit to Angels Share on the just around the corner from 4th Ave & Stuyvesant. You'll see an awning. Then you walk up stairs into what looks like a cheap Japanese restaurant. But there's a steel door with a sign on it, behind which is an exquisite cocktail lounge filled with waiters in tuxedos who mix exquisite cocktails with top shelf booze that they pour out of shakers right at your table. It ain't cheap (figure $10 a drink), but the drinks are amazing, and you feel like the king hoohaa, in keeping with your "live it up" intentions.
posted by jonmc at 3:27 PM on March 1, 2005

My vote goes to the Tribeca Grand in..well..TriBeCa. I scored a room on this via Priceline once and it was great. It's quite modern. They have TV's in the BATHROOMS i tell you. That's luxury in my book.
posted by pencroft at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2005

I live right in the Theatre District and (not surprisingly) would recommend staying in it. Another hotel option close to the theatre is the W Times Square. The rooms aren't huge, but it's exciting and, um, romantic. And the views are spectacular.

If you are coming for the first weekend in June, bear in mind that that's Tony weekend -- which may affect room availability.

Please feel free to e-mail me.
posted by sueinnyc at 7:43 PM on March 1, 2005