Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nyc and hotel

I don't want to cuddle my pepperspray all night.

Ms. Saint — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:46:45 -0800

I need to go to a professional conference in New York City at the end of December. I'll be going alone. Where can I find a cheap, safe hotel? I've never been to NYC, and, really, I know more about the city through episodes of Law & Order more than anything else. I really don't want to end up staying in a bad part of town, or a sketchy part of town, but I also really need to find a really cheap hotel. And even though I already know that nothing bad would probably happen to me in sketchy areas, what I want is to feel safe while there. I don't care about size of the room, I don't care about any amenities at all (except internet access would be nice), mostly I just want a place where I can sleep without freaking myself out about being alone in a hotel in a giant, unfamiliar city. So I have some questions that someone more familiar with the town might be able to help with:

1) The hostels (Chocolat Hotel and Hostel, Candy Hostel, etc) look like really good deals, but I don't know anything about them. Does anyone have experience with them, able to tell me if they're good environments?

2) What general areas should I be looking at? I mean, I know the names ("SoHo," "Upper West Side," etc), but I know nothing about what types of neighborhoods those are. Where can I find something cheap, and what areas should I avoid (as being too shady)?

3) What can I expect from a hotel room with a shared bathroom? This whole concept is completely unfamiliar to me -- I've never had a shared bathroom in a hotel. I'm not against it, in theory, but I'd just like to know what to expect. Will I likely have to interact with anyone? Is it the sort of thing that often leads to frustration (the bathroom constantly being used, no hot water when you need it, etc), or is it really not a big deal?

4) Is there anything else I should know?

Thanks for any help you can provide. I looked through all the previous Ask.Me threads about NYC hotels, but: A) only one of them addressed the safety aspect, and it's three years old; B) most of the hotels that answers claimed were available for less than $200 are showing up in Expedia for way more than that.

Also, there's a chance I'll have to cancel my trip, so please don't suggest any discount webpages or anything where cancellations aren't accepted.

Again, thanks!

Hotel and food recommendations for a solo traveller to NYC

une_heure_pleine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:52:42 -0800

Visiting New York for the first time (from Australia) in a couple of weeks. Will be travelling solo, and am looking for hotel and food recommendations. (I did search, but the answers are a few years old now, or aimed at different budgets)

I'm perfectly happy with my own company most of the time, especially during the day. Even so, I'd like to meet a few people to go for a drink or dinner some nights, as I'll be there for two weeks. In the past when I've travelled solo, I've stayed in dorms. I'm a bit older now (late 20s) and have less tolerance for all-night boozing and general grottiness.

So, any suggestions for either a hostel with private rooms that's friendly but not party-central, or a budget hotel with a sociable common area where I might meet people? Budget is ideally no more than $80 per night but could stretch for the right place. Private bathroom is nice but not necessary.

Alternately, suggestions for other places to go/things to do where I might meet some people to hang out with for a night?

Also, I'm interested in checking out a couple of the better restaurants in town. I'm expecting to have to do this alone unless I randomly meet another foodie. Any ideas for restaurants in $30-for-a-main-course bracket where I'll be treated like a human being despite being there alone? My preference is for high quality, innovative food, rather than just wherever is hot right now.

Help me find a list of nice hotels outside of NYC?

coolguy#1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:55:16 -0800

Please help me find an affordable, nice/romantic hotel outside of NYC. My girlfriend and I are looking for a nice, affordable hotel outside of NYC (so we can take public transportation into the city) for our anniversary. We're just planning on staying for a weekend, but neither of us have very much money, so we're looking for something between the 100-200 dollar a night range that still might be a step above a chain hotel.

I'm asking because I'm having a hard time finding an easy way to search hotels that aren't necessarily in NYC, but are still close enough for the city to be considered accessible.

We would really appreciate any advice or personal recommendations from anyone who has done anything similar!

Thanks in advance for the help.

Looking for a midrange NYC hotel with suites.

libraryhead — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:18:03 -0800

Looking for a midrange NYC hotel with suites. I've seen the previous questions, but none address my particular picky requirements. I'm making last-minute arrangement to visit New York the weekend of June 13-14. Three adults and two kids, so we're looking for a non-tiny suite. Price range in the neighborhood of $250/night. East side would be most convenient -- maybe something Union Square-ish? Chelsea Suites is booked, alas. I haven't found a travel aggregator site that will let you search for suites, and the choices are too overwhelming. Help us find somewhere to rest our weary heads!

Advice on finding a not-tiny, affordable hotel room in NYC

ManInSuit — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:27:45 -0800

Advice on finding a not-tiny, affordable hotel room in NYC Hi. I wonder if the anyone can help with advice on finding a hotel room.

Here’s what I’m hoping to get

1) I’ll be doing some work around the financial district (a block from the NYSE). So I don’t want to be too far uptown. I guess I’m happy anywhere up to 42nd street or so… (And I guess, near a subway that’ll get me to the office quickly. But my sense is, there are subways all over that’ll do that…)

2) A given, I assume: High speed internet in the room. (Wifi is best. Free is best. But I can deal w. paid/wired if I have to).

3) Max price of $200/night

4) I’m traveling with a friend (who’s stowing away on my business trip), and since we’ll be sharing the room, I’m hoping for something not-too-tiny. A small suite would be awesome, though possibly unrealistic at our price range.

Item #4 is the question that leads me to post to the green. I haven’t been able to find any internet resources that provide much information on room sizes. I tried putting “suites” into various hotel search engines, w. mixed results. One place (Murray Hill East Suites) has an affordable price for “studio suites”, which sounds like an oxymoron to me. (What the hell is that?) Mostly, after some searching, I’m just baffled.

So…. I wonder if anyone has either:

a) ideas for strategies for finding a room that meets these criteria
or
b) specific suggestions for hotels to try.

Any help much appreciated!!

What NYC hotel should I pick for a Christmastime visit?

objdoc — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:28:53 -0800

What interesting but not too hipster NYC hotel should I choose for a four-night near Christmastime stay in December? I'm heading to New York City in December for a work related conference near Times Square. We are also thinking about attending the Metropolitan Opera, and going to see The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center while in town. My partner plans to check out the Met and the Guggenheim while I am working, along with window shopping the Christmas displays around 5th Ave.

Last time we stayed at Le Parker Meridian which we liked well enough.

We'd like to find someplace interesting to stay, reasonably accessible to where we plan to spend most of our time. Caveat: we are late 30's but not terribly hip, even though we like architecture and design.

Price range: $350 or less, more only for something great

need NYC recomendations

jmugrapler — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:51:36 -0800

Looking for a great hotel/restaurant Combo for June in NYC... planning to propose, so much... I am planning on proposing to my long term girlfriend and subsequently taking an overnight trip up from Philly to New York. I am going to propose here in Philly before leaving, so suggestions for question popping are not what i am looking for. Though, a really good one could sway me. My fear, and rationalle is that after 6.5 years, she knows its coming, and the trip for no reason would surely give me away so I want to do it before.

I need recomendations for a cool, unique hotel, and a really great restaurant. For the hotel I am hoping to stay in the $300 range, and probably about the same for the restaurant. So far I have been leaning towards the W, which is right in my range and looks fun. Anyone have any experience either way? Is the midtown location a major drawback?

I dont really have an agenda other than go up there and have a fun night. Other diversions and breakfast, lunch drink places are also welcome. Not really fans of the club scene, but we both really like wine and love Belgian beer.

For a restaurant, the GF is up for anything so adventurous is definately a plus. I am not very framiliar with new york restaurants for comparison, but in Philly she really likes Buddakan, Cuba Libre, Lacroix, and Friday Saturday Sunday.

Good: Sea Food, sushi, French, Steak
Bad: Chains, Touristy, Bland

Please help!

What's your opinion on short-term sublets when visiting NYC?

xotis — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:09:07 -0800

What's your opinion on short-term sublets when visiting NYC for a few days, in lieu of a hotel? Is it a safe option? Details: I’m going to be visiting NYC for a weekend at the end of May. I’d like to get a good taste of the city outside of the touristy spots. This is not my first visit to NYC, and I’d like to stay in Brooklyn this time.

I’m considering doing a short-term sublet/rental of an apartment for 3 days/2 nights, rather than staying at a hotel. I’d like to get a better sense of what it’s like to be in NYC than what I feel a hotel can offer. I also like the idea of staying in a place that has a greater sense of being at home, than a hotel offers me when I travel. My budget is around $200 a night if I do a short-term rental.

When I’ve researched the subject, I’ve read some things that have me a bit nervous about a short term sublease/rental.

But, I’ve also read some things that make it sound like a pretty positive experience.

I’ve found a handful of places on craigslist that look awesome, and I have also found a bunch of places on this site that I really dig.

So, to recap – have any of you done a short-term sublet/rental of an apartment for only a handful of days in NYC? What are the reasons to not do this and to stay in a hotel instead (besides the obvious like costs, and conveniences)? What are some good steps to take to avoid getting scammed? I’m just looking to tap into some of your experiences.

Thanks Hive!

PS: I searched the archives, but couldn’t find any posts specific to my question. Your search-fu may be better than mine, so I apologize in advance for wasting your time if this topic has already been covered ad nauseam.

NY08

NekulturnY — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:07:58 -0800

NYC travel filter: it's kind of a big town, it seems, but I'm sure it has exactly the thing I'm looking for. I'm going to NY for the first time somewhere around May 08. I'll be staying something like 5 days with Mrs. NekulturnY. We want to experience Manhattan - we think (cuz that's where all the action is, no?).

- where do we stay? What neighbourhood is fun? We're not night ravens, but very much into nice restaurants. Masa is on our wish list, or Per Se - suggestions for less known (and less pricey) but equally gastronomic are welcome.

- Which hotels should we consider? Our budget is about 250 - 350 dollars per night: will that get us into a decent/well located hotel? Say we wanted "plush" as well as "pretty central", how much should we budget (and where would we look)?

- could we watch some exotic and barbaric American sports like an NFL game? Or this cricket thing you do with round bats? How would we arrange that? Price?

- And a curveball: if I wanted to do a one day Robert Moses-trip (bridges, parks, swimming pools), how would I go about?

Where to stay with infant in NYC?

mr.marx — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 13:04:18 -0800

Need recommendations for NYC hotels that are suitable for a baby boy (~10 months), his mom and his grandparents. Should be clean, safe and not too expensive. Ideas? (Asking for a friend).

Stay in NJ to see NYC?

sacre_bleu — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:15:36 -0800

Take the family to NYC-filter. Can a couple and their three active children save money while enjoying the Big Apple by staying in a New Jersey hotel? Where would you stay in New Jersey, within walking distance of a PATH station?

Ideally, we’d drive to the hotel, park there and enjoy a decent room or suite for under $150 a night. Hopefully less than 20 minutes out of Manhattan by train under normal traffic conditions.

Impossible? I understand the PATH stops running, but we'd be in bed by midnight anyway.

Sub-question: Anywhere else outside the city that offer reasonable hotel rooms and mass transit under 30 minutes into Manhattan?

Best rate at Maritime Hotel?

skwm — Sun, 06 May 2007 16:36:19 -0800

How to get the best rate at the Maritime Hotel in NYC for June 9th?

Brooklyn! Where to go?

zaphod — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:23:31 -0800

Brooklyn, where to stay what to see that's not obvious? Going to visit cousin John whose over from Ireland for 2 weeks and staying in Brooklyn, near the corner of Washington & Lafayette Aves (NE of Prospect Park).

First, I need a place to stay and Brooklyn seems to have a shortage of Hotels! WTF, everyone wants to stay in Manhattan? ;)

About the best, closest place I can find is the Brooklyn Marriott at about $230 a night with taxes ($199 + $30), which for 2 nights is a wee bit steep. Do you know anywhere else that's a bit cheaper and that you'd recommend? I found a bunch of places with decent reviews on some other sites, but then some Googling turned up some interesting Police reports about hourly customers for a few places .... even somewhere the other

Secondly, what to see and do, eat & drink, avoid & run, that tourists wouldn't normally see of Brooklyn?

Before the cousin said he was going to Brooklyn I had the, incorrect, impression that Brooklyn was a bit unsafe. But, after a wee bit of research I've released that it's a vast city within NYC that has it's own character & charm that's unlike Manhattan. So, you the Brooklynite reading this, where should we (me the Paddy in Boston, and the cousin from the wilds of Ireland and his German gf) go to see the joys and experiences of Brooklyn? Always looking for suggestions for good places to eat & drink too!

Where to sleep in NYC?

btkuhn — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 07:12:01 -0800

I'm a college student, being flown up for a job interview in Manhattan this Friday. I asked the firm I'm interviewing with to schedule my return flight for Saturday morning instead of Friday night so that I can explore the city, but now I'm finding out how expensive lodging in the city is. I'm from North Carolina and don't know anyone currently living in NY, which is fine with me because I was looking forward to walking around by myself. I don't mind my own company, and enjoy exploring new places alone and meeting new people. I'm looking for suggestions for a place to sleep for a few hours Friday night. Here are my sole requirements: safe, reasonably clean, and most importantly cheap. I'm just going to be sleeping for a few hours and heading out, so all that is essential is a mattress and a roof. I saw the Gershwin Hotel suggested on a previous thread for $40/night which is within my budget, but there are no rooms available for this Friday. I'm going to be stretched for money as it is, so heavy emphasis on cheap. My interview is in the financial district but I'm not deadset on staying in that area afterwards, so recommendations for anywhere in south/central Manhattan are fine. Thanks!

Creepy as in "Casper" hotel near NYC?

the jam — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:50:01 -0800

Looking for NYC-area hotels with stories of hauntings and/or assorted creepiness. Friends are coming to town this Friday 13th and are looking for some correspondingly creepy digs. I know about the Chelsea and the Algonquin hotels, but they're too expensive. We're looking for some less bourgeois ghosts. New Jersey, Long Island, and slightly upstate are ok, too.

Affordable lodging in New York City?

4midori — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:02:27 -0800

I'm traveling to New York City in September. Is is possible to find a hotel that is clean, quiet, and safe without spending a fortune? I don't need much space or amenities, but I do need a place where I won't be awakened by street noise or rude guests. I will be visiting people in Upper Manhattan and Brooklyn, so anything that's reasonably close to these spots is fine.

I'm not opposed to staying in New Jersey, or other spots that are not NYC, as long as there is convenient train access in to the early a.m. that doesn't take forever. I will not have a car.

By "not spending a fortune," I mean a hotel under $200/night, preferrably closer to $100/night.

New York City - Recommended Hotels or Hostels

lpqboy — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 10:10:12 -0800

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!

NYC Hotel

Juicylicious — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 06:30:46 -0800

I Need to Find a Hotel in NYC i so screwed up [mi] I have a trip to NYC with my friend, arriving 11/18, departing 11/22. It was left to me to make the hotel reservations. Unfortunately I procrastinated until, well about 2 hours ago. As you can imagine, I'm having difficulty.

It's been recommended to us to stay in soho or the lower eastside, between 14th & canal. My friend has a friend that lives in Brooklyn and works in the lower eastside. The only sightseeing requirement that my friend has is to see the Statue of Liberty. I want to shop. I'd like to go to the Nuyorican, 236 east 3rd st, avenues b&c. Otherwise, we've been playing it by ear. So much so, that I totally blew off making hotel reservations. Stupid.

The three hotels that were recommended to us, Chelsea, Off Soho, Gershwin, and Howard Johnson are all booked. And, I can't find a hotel-booking website: hotels.com, tripadvisor, expedia, travelocity, that allows me to search using lower eastside, soho as a category.

I'm totally open to other areas of the City, but I have no idea where to start.

Can anyone point me to hotels in that general area, hopefully less than $225 per night?