New York on the cheap.
August 9, 2011 8:26 AM Subscribe
I am going to New York for 4-5 days towards the end of October and need cheap accommodations. A shared bathroom is no biggie but I am too old for anything that veers towards the hostel side of things. It needs to be in Manhattan. I am male by the way if that makes a difference. Thank you for any suggestions.
Define "cheap accommodations."
People here seem to like Air BnB for such things.
Frankly, Manhattan is much more expensive than are other areas of the country, so my suggestion would be to adjust your expectations accordingly.
posted by dfriedman at 8:31 AM on August 9, 2011
People here seem to like Air BnB for such things.
Frankly, Manhattan is much more expensive than are other areas of the country, so my suggestion would be to adjust your expectations accordingly.
posted by dfriedman at 8:31 AM on August 9, 2011
As a person living for free in New York City for most of the month, I would advise you to consider Brooklyn. (There are subways! And boats!) Also Craigslist. And catsitting.
Airbnb is not at ALL affordable for New York, I find.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 8:37 AM on August 9, 2011
Airbnb is not at ALL affordable for New York, I find.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 8:37 AM on August 9, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies, I should have been more specific, first time posting and all. I can swing 90-100$ a night, so that would be my version of New York cheap.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 8:50 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 8:50 AM on August 9, 2011
Best answer: Friends of mine have stayed here - http://www.larchmonthotel.com/guestrooms.html - which comes in only slightly above your estimate after taxes are factored in.
posted by devbrain at 9:00 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by devbrain at 9:00 AM on August 9, 2011
Best answer: I'd also recommend The Larchmont Hotel in Greenwich Village (between 5th and 6th on W. 11th). I've stayed here myself and while the rooms are tiny and the bathrooms are shared, it's clean and well-kept, with a great location and a free breakfast.
posted by neko75 at 9:02 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by neko75 at 9:02 AM on August 9, 2011
If I were you I would stay at the St. Marks Hotel it is a New York Icon to say the least. Read the reviews and do some research first though.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:05 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by Ad hominem at 9:05 AM on August 9, 2011
Best answer: I had a good experience at the Hotel Alexander. I believe it's been remodeled since, but I only spent $500 or so for a week-long stay. The shared bathrooms were immaculate and when I asked for the nicest possible room (since I was staying for more than just a night), they were able to give me a huge corner room.
posted by annaramma at 10:00 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by annaramma at 10:00 AM on August 9, 2011
It used to be cheaper, but The Chelsea Lodge is $124/night + tax for a single. Shared bathroom, but you get your own shower.
posted by photovox at 10:05 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by photovox at 10:05 AM on August 9, 2011
seconding The Larchmont Hotel, and I've also had great luck using Priceline to score $200 midtown hotels rooms for $70.
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 10:19 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 10:19 AM on August 9, 2011
The Carlton Arms shows $80/night with a shared bathroom.
posted by Violet Hour at 11:42 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by Violet Hour at 11:42 AM on August 9, 2011
Chelsea Hostel has rooms from $60 upwards. If you don't want to share a bathroom you can pay a little more and get a room with bath.
I stayed there in late 2007 and it was ok back then.
posted by WizKid at 12:54 PM on August 9, 2011
I stayed there in late 2007 and it was ok back then.
posted by WizKid at 12:54 PM on August 9, 2011
Ditto the Hotel Alexander - I paid a bit more for a room with a private bath, but it was still only something like $150/night when I stayed there last year. Small room, but clean and comfortable - would certainly stay there again.
I also recommend the Chelsea Savoy, if you're willing to go over $100. $150/night gets you a small, comfortable room with private bath, and Chelsea's a lot more fun than the Upper West Side. (That's where the Hotel Alexander is located). Plus, you're literally right next door to a subway stop.
posted by Mr. Excellent at 2:07 PM on August 9, 2011
I also recommend the Chelsea Savoy, if you're willing to go over $100. $150/night gets you a small, comfortable room with private bath, and Chelsea's a lot more fun than the Upper West Side. (That's where the Hotel Alexander is located). Plus, you're literally right next door to a subway stop.
posted by Mr. Excellent at 2:07 PM on August 9, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you everyone for your responses, very much appreciated.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 2:42 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 2:42 PM on August 9, 2011
I don't know why I'm the only one who's suggested this, but Priceline in Manhattan is an eminently reasonable way to get a cheap hotel if you are not insisting on staying in a particular property.
At your price range, you are well within the current "winning" bids for 2* and 2.5* (according to Priceline) hotels in Manhattan such as the Best Western, Hampton Inn, etc. Going up to $125 per night would get you solidly within the zone for 3* hotels. (I am getting all of this info from biddingtraveler.com, although there are other Priceline bid aggregator sites out there.)
For an October reservation, it would be quite reasonable for you to book an easily cancelable, refundable reservation at a specific property, and then continue bidding on Priceline at your lower price points, repeating the bidding process every so often up until your stay. (Hotels release inventory to Priceline periodically, including spurts closer to the last minute.)
I am frankly mystified why Priceline does not get mentioned more often in Ask threads. Maybe I'm just too much of an old fuddy-duddy, standard hotel-type traveler but the benefits of Priceline at the 2.5* to 3* level are that you are generally getting name-brand hotel chains with none of the "shared bathroom" logistics that come with the lower price points.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 7:03 PM on August 9, 2011
At your price range, you are well within the current "winning" bids for 2* and 2.5* (according to Priceline) hotels in Manhattan such as the Best Western, Hampton Inn, etc. Going up to $125 per night would get you solidly within the zone for 3* hotels. (I am getting all of this info from biddingtraveler.com, although there are other Priceline bid aggregator sites out there.)
For an October reservation, it would be quite reasonable for you to book an easily cancelable, refundable reservation at a specific property, and then continue bidding on Priceline at your lower price points, repeating the bidding process every so often up until your stay. (Hotels release inventory to Priceline periodically, including spurts closer to the last minute.)
I am frankly mystified why Priceline does not get mentioned more often in Ask threads. Maybe I'm just too much of an old fuddy-duddy, standard hotel-type traveler but the benefits of Priceline at the 2.5* to 3* level are that you are generally getting name-brand hotel chains with none of the "shared bathroom" logistics that come with the lower price points.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 7:03 PM on August 9, 2011
I guess most people (including me) don't trust priceline.
http://consumerist.com/2009/12/watch-out-for-undisclosed-resort-fees-when-using-sites-like-priceline.html
http://consumerist.com/2010/11/look-out-for-hidden-resort-fees-when-booking-rooms.html
http://consumerist.com/2011/04/hotel-issues-refund-priceline-keeps-all-of-the-money.html
posted by WizKid at 9:31 AM on August 10, 2011
http://consumerist.com/2009/12/watch-out-for-undisclosed-resort-fees-when-using-sites-like-priceline.html
http://consumerist.com/2010/11/look-out-for-hidden-resort-fees-when-booking-rooms.html
http://consumerist.com/2011/04/hotel-issues-refund-priceline-keeps-all-of-the-money.html
posted by WizKid at 9:31 AM on August 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by HeyAllie at 8:31 AM on August 9, 2011