Crash Course in NY

January 4, 2014 10:33 AM

Me and the missus will be going to NY in Spring!

We'd like to find nice accommodations that are reasonable. We don't plan on spending much time in the room, but it should be clean, in a nice-ish area on the island, connected for easy exploration. Suggestions for accommodations? Hotel? Bed and breakfast? Hostel? Apartment rental? All info appreciated. Cheap or expensive, nice or not, I'm just looking for personal experiences to help us plan. We're in Manhattan for five days in May if that helps. Looking at different price points, but trying evaluate value for the buck, so all stories help.

posted by mazola to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (9 answers total)

My two favorite places to stay in Manhattan so far are Yotel and East Village Bed & Coffee. Both of them feel like very "New York" experiences - trying to overcome space limitations with style (in very different ways). I think a five-day stay in either might be pushing the limits of their charm, though (especially sharing a room at the Yotel). Hands down the most interesting places I've stayed in Manhattan have involved crashing at friends' apartment rentals (both on the Lower East Side) for a weekend, but in both cases, the renter had the place for three weeks or more. But if you can find a reasonable apartment rental for 5 days, that's what I'd suggest.
posted by EvaDestruction at 11:04 AM on January 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on 26th street between 6th & 7th Avenues near Chelsea 2 years ago. It was a great central location with two major subway stops within two blocks of either direction of the hotel, really close to Madison Square Park. Small but clean with newish rooms - it was our first trip to NYC so we were happy with the location.
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 11:20 AM on January 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I am a native New Yorker. When I go back and don't want to stay with family or burden friends, I usually stay in Brooklyn or Queens. Manhattan is so much more expensive that even the cost of a cab across the East River home late at night doesn't offset the savings. That said, the Pod Hotel on 51st Street has bunkbed rooms that are clean and reasonable if you really don't plan to spend any time indoors doing anything except sleeping.

Most of New York City happens in Brooklyn and Queens. If you only see Manhattan you've missed most of it.
posted by 1adam12 at 1:06 PM on January 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I got a great deal on the Intercontinental Barclay through American Airlines. We paid $200 a night for a gorgeous room in midtown. A fantastic deal!

The Comfort Inn was also a fun place, less upscale, amazing location, with lots of neat little restaurants close by. It's a funky older place, weird and wonderful. Clean, but old. Great breakfast included.

Got a great Travelocity deal on a Butler Suite at the Essex House, $400 a night, but OMG, what a palace that room was!

Don't discount regular hotels out of hand, go through your airline to see if they have any deals, you may be very pleasantly surprised.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:46 PM on January 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Ima leave this here just for fun. Have a great time!
posted by michellenoel at 4:56 PM on January 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

Another thought!

The Aloft hotel in Harlem.

I may stay here the next time we come to New York. Lots of great restaurants in the area, and pretty close to the subway.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:04 PM on January 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

The Aloft is in a great part of town. There are many, many new and delicious places to eat in that 'hood. (I live a few blocks away.)

Make sure to hit up a meetup when you're in town!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:52 PM on January 4, 2014

Radio City Apartments! I stayed there years ago and loved it. Great location, plenty of space, kitchenette. It does tend to get booked up quickly, though!

Most of the time when I've gone to NYC I've gone through Priceline to get a hotel. I've always gotten decent hotels. I like to use betterbidding.com to get an idea of what to bid, plus I like to see what hotels I may be likely to get based on what others have gotten for similar dates.

We're actually going to NYC at the end of April and used Hotwire this time - we will be staying at the Element Times Square West for $130/night!
posted by SisterHavana at 11:25 PM on January 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Airbnb in a brooklyn neighborhood relatively close to manhattan, such as Greenpoint, Williamsburg or Cobble Hill or DUMBO or Brooklyn Heights; or you can try Long Island City if there are any good Airbnb listings there, because it's a really quick trip to Manhattan while connecting you to cool stuff in brooklyn and queens too.

I suggest borough Airbnb listings because they will be cheaper and just as nice as ones in manhattan. Getting home to your room late is not that difficult - cab ride won't be much if you're in a neighborhood right over the water from Manhattan.
posted by zdravo at 6:40 AM on January 5, 2014 [2 favorites]