New York City - Recommended Hotels or Hostels

March 17, 2005 10:10 AM

Dear New York City Mefites, I've got a bit of an unexpected trip to your fair city and am looking for recommendations for hotels or hostels. I'm hoping you can recommend places that I'm missing because they either don't have a web page, or are buried beneath massive piles of seo inflated sites.

The trip is a week away, I'm looking for a reasonably priced (I know, it's New York!) room for 2 somewhere in Manhattan not too far from subway access. I've called the few places I could find in past NYC AskMe threads, but with no luck - they are either booked up, don't offer private rooms for 2 (hostels) or are internet-found hotels quoting expensive rates!

We're traveling in and out of Grand Central, if that helps. We won't be staying for long, but would like to find a nice safe place to stay while exploring the city!

Thanks a bunch for any insight!

posted by lpqboy to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (19 answers total)

Best answer: Cheap and very New York. Great little neighborhood.

http://www.bedandcoffee.com/
posted by xammerboy at 10:14 AM on March 17, 2005

Hotel Wolcott - great location, very nice inside, and very cheap for NYC (~$100 per night a year ago as I recall)
posted by gregchttm at 10:26 AM on March 17, 2005

Just a quick edit -- it appears that the Wolcott has raised it's prices to about $180 per night since I last visited -- but if you're looking for a safe place close to touristy things, it still probably a good deal.
posted by gregchttm at 10:40 AM on March 17, 2005

Try the Carlton Arms on E. 25th St. -- inexpensive and quite funky.

http://www.carltonarms.com/
posted by AJaffe at 10:47 AM on March 17, 2005

Btw, New York is one of the safest cities in the world. There's more violent crime in almost any other city.
posted by xammerboy at 10:48 AM on March 17, 2005

lpqboy, I just returned from a trip to NYC. I used Expedia.ca to plan my trip, and saved bucketfuls of money by prepaying for my flight and hotel. For the hotel (NY Hilton on 6th and 54th) the conference rate that was quoted to me in US dollars before taxes was the nightly rate I got in Canadian dollars after taxes! Expedia threw in, at no extra charge, a shuttle between the airport and the hotel which would have cost $17US (or $50 taxi - from Newark)

Given that you are arriving in Grand Central, you will want fewer options with your trip (no plane, perhaps no shuttle) - but do take a look at Expedia. Also, take a look at the lunches, dinners and entertainment that they offer on their site as part of your travel package. Significant savings there, too.

While in NYC I saw ads for Priceline - with a tagline of 'if you paid $118 for your hotel room with Expedia, you could have paid $60 for the same room with Priceline!'. I understand that, with Priceline, you don't have control over what hotel or what type of room you get - but if you want to save some more, then Priceline may be worth investigating.

Have a great trip!

On Preview: what xammerboy said. I never felt as safe anywhere as during my 8 days in NYC. Two or three cops on every corner, esp near the usual tourist attractions. No problem walking to the deli five blocks away, in the evening, either.
posted by seawallrunner at 10:54 AM on March 17, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm calling around like mad trying to get something. Keep 'em coming!

(xammerboy - No luck on Bed and Coffee, but it looks very affordable and very cute! I'll keep it in mind when I come through again!)
posted by lpqboy at 11:12 AM on March 17, 2005

i'd say not to do priceline--they can put you in Jersey or way out on Long Island or far out in Queens by JFK.

hotels.com sometimes has good deals for manhattan.

there are really cheap places on the upper west side, with bathroom in the hall, but i've heard horror stories (upper broadway in the 90s and 100s)
posted by amberglow at 11:15 AM on March 17, 2005

there's a b&b place on 47th or 48th street between 9th and 10th avenues...i'll walk by and get the name tonight for you, lpq.
posted by amberglow at 11:16 AM on March 17, 2005

lpqboy, see also this wikitravel page on sleeping accommodations. If you hadn't ruled it out already, I would've been seconding Bed and Coffee. Good Luck!
posted by safetyfork at 11:19 AM on March 17, 2005

The Riverside Inn is between $50-100 a night, depending on the type of room/number of people. There's also a Riverside Hotel on 88th, that's $90-125 a night.

There's also a hostel nearby on ... 83rd? 86th? but I can't remember the name.

I had some friends stay at the hostel last year and they liked it. The Riversides are nice enough that my boyfriend's parents recommend it to people coming in to the city.
posted by whatzit at 11:21 AM on March 17, 2005

I stayed at the Comfort Inn Central Park last month for $85 a night. The room was tiny but nice, clean, comfy, and had a private bath. The hotel is half a block from Central Park and has good train access. We had a specific deal called the “Local Special” or something like that. It was supposed to be extended to NY residents, but the reservationist at the 800 number readily extended it to us.
posted by boomchicka at 11:34 AM on March 17, 2005

[Hoping it's okay to piggy-back on this - I'll be at the Sheraton, West 53rd and 7th Ave (just south of Central Park) in May. The conference rate is $150 - which I thought was good - but if anyone has any other recs in that immediate area they would be very welcome. I have never been to NY before, so any commute should be short and idiot-proof.]
posted by carter at 12:17 PM on March 17, 2005

Best answer: If you want a Hostel, I've stayed twice at the Gershwin Hotel and been quite satisfied. I wouldn't bother believing the hype about it (veritable arts festival my ass) but the location (27th and Fifth) is pretty decent, the rates are relatively good and it's just a block from Union Square/Flatiron, Broadway, and a bit south of the Theatre district. It's a hostel though, I wouldn't call it a hotel.
posted by furtive at 12:18 PM on March 17, 2005

There's Hotel 31. It's very cheap, usually has a room, and the rooms are nice (though really, really small). Shared bathrooms. Very clean.
posted by xammerboy at 12:45 PM on March 17, 2005

I've also heard good things about the Gershwin. You may also be able to get a good deal at the Skyline Hotel at the corner of 49th and 10th. You will have to call them to get the best rate though, since Expedia always charges more than the hotel's own published rate for some reason.
posted by yellowcandy at 1:04 PM on March 17, 2005

Response by poster: THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU!

After calling five bajillion places, I landed a room at the Gershwin. I don't know if there's something going on in the city next week, or if reserving this late is unheard of in NY, but nearly everywhere I called was booked up!

Thanks to all for your suggestions - I followed up on every one before getting something. Very much appreciated!

(Amberglow - If it's on your way, I'll give them a call. If not, don't sweat it. Thanks!)
posted by lpqboy at 1:12 PM on March 17, 2005

You know the Chelsea Hotel (of 'writin' sad eyed lady of the lowlands in the..', Chelsea Girls, Mark Twain, Arthur Miller, Dylan Thomas, etc. fame)?

I stayed there, it was wonderful. Big weird rooms, literary history out the wazoo. Nice neighborhood. Worth switching reservations if you're into that sort of thing.

Have fun!
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 3:38 PM on March 17, 2005

You're already taken care of, but for future searchers: we just got back from three great nights at Hotel QT. Fantastic location in Midtown, and the only bar-with-a-swimming-pool-in-the-lobby I've ever seen. They're still "soft opening", but lovely folks. We got a good rate ($125) through expedia.
posted by gleuschk at 7:32 PM on March 17, 2005