Need expertiese in crappy NYC hotels

I am thinking of taking a weekend trip to NYC in late January with the Condiment Queen. Finding a bargain hotel in NYC is always a bit of a challenge. We have, over the years, however, had fine luck with various B&B's and such. As long as you are willing to forsake a bathroom in the room (how Euro), it seems like something reasonable can be found.

For instance, I found this on Hotels.com:
Hotel 17

Anyone know this place or otherwise just have some good suggestions for cheap NYC hotels. All things considered, we like to stay in lower Manhattan.

Rob

Here's a good bargain place in midtown:

http://pickwickarmsnewyork.com/

Tiny rooms, not really "downtown" (but as another thread here proves, many people have different definitions of "downtown" - I think most New Yorkers consider "downtown" to be around the Wall St. area), but a good, reasonably central location, and who goes to Manhattan to spend all day sitting in a hotel room?

I've also gotten approx. $100 a night deals in Manhattan on Priceline.

I always like to stay at the Washington Square Hotel. Sometimes they run specials, and you can get a room for 100-125 per night. The neighborhood is great!

http://www.wshotel.com/english/ws_toc.htm

Rob, I made the mistake of putting friends up at 17 once. Won't do it again. The reasons are too many to list.

The very nice alternative that I found was The Carlton conveniently located at Madison and 27th Street just a few short blocks from Union Square, its wonderful restaurants and its even more wonderful farmer's market.

Since having moved to Chicago, I even stay at the Carlton when I return these days. The rooms and beds can be extremely small, so go for a deluxe room if its availabe. It's well worth the extra $25 to $30 a night you'll pay. However, they are really nicely appointed and clean. Each room has a marble bath.

Unless there's a big convention in town, you shouldn't pay more than $129-$159 per night. You can see rooms online at:

www.carltonhotelny.com

I used to go to NY at least twice a month on business. I stayed at the Helmsley Middletown more times than not. After a while, the staff got to know me and always made sure I got my favorite room whenever possible. It's usually got good rates and it's in a great location. The rooms are clean and large, but a little dated in the furniture department. Some even have kitchenettes. There is no restaurant or room service, but lots of places to eat or have food delivered nearby.

Helmsley Middletowne Hotel
148 East 48th (at Lexington)
New York, NY
212 755 5000

Don't remember the name, but hotels change all the time so it doesn't matter. In 1999 we stayed at a decent hotel in the theater district for around $150 a night. Great security. When my room key wouldn't work their electronic key system detected it and a security guard showed up within a minute to see what I was up to.

Ask the airline employees where they stay in Manhattan. This place was full of airline crew people checking out in the morning. Also check out http://www.nyc.com

Try the On the Ave hotel in the Upper West Side around 77th and Broadway. very cool yet affordable boutique hotel. only downside is if you plan on spending alot of time downtown or lower manhattan. otherwise a great hotel and surrounded by great food! try Nick's across the street. Menu is HUGE and they are open 24 hours!!! best pizza (tied w/a million other places) in New York too.

Another increasingly popular thing to do is rent someone's apartment/condo. That's what we're doing for our trip b/t Xmas and New Year's.

Craigslist is a great source. You can search either the NYC board or look for NYC listings on the Chicago site. Look under "Housing > Vacation Rentals" or "Housing > Sublet/Temporary."

One advantage is that you'll have a kitchen available. Not to mention that sometimes you end up paying less than you would for a hotel, and you get the comforts of a "home-like" environment. I would just make sure to try to get some photos first or ask for references from previous renters.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/
http://newyork.craigslist.org/

I like using priceline. I once got a room at the Sheraton on Ave of Americas for $330 total for 3 nights.

It gets tricky though with priceline, and you are pretty much locked into the room, and you prepay. A great site for pointers and strategies is Bidding for Travel

SteveZ is absolutely right about the staff at the Middletowne. I first stayed there 13 years ago when I was on the company dole looking for a permanent place to live. I lived there for a month. The staff was so accomodating.

The amazing thing is this: I had guests in town and recommended it for their stay in 1999. I stopped by after work to greet them, and the front desk was staffed by Arturo, the same Maylasian guy who had worked there 13 years before.

As I entered the lobby eight years later, he greeted me by name. Leona might be the queen of mean. But, she has this hotel thing down pat.

Sadly, the Middletowne has become a bit pricey in recent years as it has grown in popularity. Back in 92, i got it for $109 per night.

YourPalWill wrote:SteveZ is absolutely right about the staff at the Middletowne. I first stayed there 13 years ago when I was on the company dole looking for a permanent place to live. I lived there for a month. The staff was so accomodating.

The amazing thing is this: I had guests in town and recommended it for their stay in 1999. I stopped by after work to greet them, and the front desk was staffed by Arturo, the same Maylasian guy who had worked there 13 years before.

As I entered the lobby eight years later, he greeted me by name. Leona might be the queen of mean. But, she has this hotel thing down pat.

Sadly, the Middletowne has become a bit pricey in recent years as it has grown in popularity. Back in 92, i got it for $109 per night.

Yes. I remember Arturo. I used to stay there around the same time as you (early 90's) we used to get rates ranging from $89 - $135, depending on demand, I guess. Sorry to hear it's gotten pricy. I think at the time we both were going there, it was the best bang for the buck in Manhatten.

I've stayed at Hotel 17 many many times. Never had a problem. Everybody who works there is very nice. Shared bathrooms can be a problem with some people. Not me. And at Hotel 17 I've never even seen another guest in the hallway much less had to wait for a bathroom, which have always been clean and orderly. The only complaints I've heard from other guests at the front desk are due to the fact that they didn't understand they wouldn't have a private bathroom when they checked in.

You really can't beat $80 a night in Manhattan (unless you count some of the transient hotels that have rooms for the night for $25-$50---those I wouldn't suggest to anybody though).

It's in a very nice part of Manhattan too, not super touristy like where most of the hotels are. It's nice to walk out of your hotel and be a few blocks from an amazing farmers market in Union Square, which is also a great starting point for most trips since a lot of subway lines converge there.

Also, if you're going in late January, why not push it back a few weeks and see Christo's Gates in Central Park.

http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.html

CMC wrote:I've stayed at Hotel 17 many many times. Never had a problem. Everybody who works there is very nice. Shared bathrooms can be a problem with some people. Not me. And at Hotel 17 I've never even seen another guest in the hallway much less had to wait for a bathroom, which have always been clean and orderly. The only complaints I've heard from other guests at the front desk are due to the fact that they didn't understand they wouldn't have a private bathroom when they checked in.

You really can't beat $80 a night in Manhattan (unless you count some of the transient hotels that have rooms for the night for $25-$50---those I wouldn't suggest to anybody though).

It's in a very nice part of Manhattan too, not super touristy like where most of the hotels are. It's nice to walk out of your hotel and be a few blocks from an amazing farmers market in Union Square, which is also a great starting point for most trips since a lot of subway lines converge there.

Thanks all for the advice so far.

I would be interested in hearing more specifics about what people did not like about Hotel 21. As noted above, we are plenty willing to stay in a room w/o bath if it means more money towards our food budget.

And as noted, it is a part of NYC that I really like--it is rarely commented on, but that part of 5th Ave has probably more buildings in the "Chicago School" of architecture, the original school of Sullivan, Adler, etc., than Chicago does (now). If I was living in NYC AND making tons of money, it would be where I'd like to live.

Rob

I'm in NYC about every other month and my objective is try and pay less than $200/night, have a decent sized room, good bathroom and minimal cockroaches.

My most recent find is The Avalon on 32nd between Madison & 5th. http://www.theavalonny.com. Just stayed there last week and had a large suite, marble bath and dynamite rate. Nice thing is they keep their rates pretty standard, regardless of season. And, they provide free high speed internet access.

Another favorite is The Kitano on 38th & Park. http://www.summithotels.com. Japanese style rooms & service, impeccable bath and I love the location a few blocks from Grand Central in Murray Hill. Published rates start at $210 but get jacked up during high seasons. Flip side is I've stayed for as low as $160 with some published specials on their web site.

The Park South at 28th & Lexington is usually around $160-$180, clean rooms and nice baths but the rooms are smurf sized.

You'll usually get a better deal for the money staying on the East side. Not as fashionable as the West side, or hip as downtown, but there are some huge hotels that seem to have pretty good (for NY) deals over the weekend when business travellers are away.

near Carnegie Hall:
The Warwick
Central Park Hotel

East side of Midtown on Lexington (47th-51st)
The Metropolitan (former Loews)
Radisson
Helmsley

NYC hotel rates are thru the roof this year.

But I've got one word for you: Secaucus!

You can get a priceline room at the Crowne Plaza in Secaucus for $60. Outside the door is a NJ Transit bus ($2), an 18 min run to Port Authority through the DEDICATED Lincoln tunnel bus lane at all times of the day and evening. During rush hour, the bus is express, with only a few stops after the hotel. Bus frequency is 15 minutes rush hour, 30-40 min otherwise. The last bus at night leaves Port Authority about midnight.

From Port Authority (41st and Eighth Ave), you can get the A Train to downtown and Brooklyn, or trains to crosstown and Queens. Or, you can venture by foot up and down ninth Ave to Grand Sichuan International, International Deli, etc etc.

I use this option for business. Its kind of nice to step up on the bus, doze, and get to Port Authority in under 20 minutes.

PM me for details if this sounds intriguing.

Also try the Doubletree in Jersey City/ Newport. It's right next to the PATH train (Newport/ Pavlonia Sta.) that operates 24 hrs a day; about a 15 min ride to G. Vill. Also convient to chow neighborhoods of Hoboken and Newark.

Rob, the feedback that I got from friends who stayed at 17 was small rooms, small uncomfortable beds, dirty linens. This was about 5 years ago.

I just returned this afternoon from a weekend trip in which we stayed at the Sheraton Suites in Weehawken. There is a NY Waterway Ferry that leaves the back door of the hotel and drops you off at 12th Avenue and 38th Street.

The price was $219 a night during the holidays. But, it's normally in the $159 range.

If you decide to go the Secaucus route, there are two downsides in my opinion. There's not alot around the hotels there. So, unless you plan to rent a car, you may be stranded at your hotel. Second, you really need to get to know the bus schedule well. The 130 which runs that route goes express past Secaucus for a good part of Rush hour (I know because I used top ride it every day). The local bus returning at night goes through some tougher areas of Jersey City and Union City. You hjave to determine your own comfort level with that.

That said, I have gotten very good rates in the past taking rooms at The Hilton Garden Inn in the $70 range. There are cheaper options closer to the tunnel in Jersey City. But, the area is not as desireable for many travelers.

In regards to Will's friend's problems...

Hotel 17 changed hands about 3 or 4 years ago, so it's possible that it's under different management from when these problems took place.

I can't comment on dirty linen. I haven't seen it but that doesn't mean it wasn't dirty for Will's friends. Of course different ownership should weigh in when considering if that's an issue.

Bed size. Not huge. Queen size. But I'm a big guy and I can definitely say these beds are big enough. They're not super huge can fit 10 people Vegas hotel style beds but what's the point in those anyway.

Comfort of bed. Too subjective. I don't know what others are used to sleeping on. I've never felt the beds to be uncomfortable.

Room size. Again, not huge but far from being too small. I mean, it's Manhattan, most people from the rest of the country would be appalled at the size of apartments there. I'd say these rooms are about the same size as your average Motel 6/Holiday Inn (maybe a tad bit smaller but not by much).

And yeah, small TV with limited cable. I guess it depends on how much time you plan on spending in your hotel room if room size and things like that matter. They don't matter at all for me as long as I can get a good night's sleep and maybe regroup there once during the evening after walking for 10 hours straight. Thats about all the time I spend in hotels when on vacation. Marble bathroom floors, room service--all that stuff is wasted on me.

Another thing, Hotel 17 will let you check your bags before and after checking in. From what I understand a lot of hotels in the more tourist/in-demand areas don't allow this in Manhattan anymore--for obvious reasons.

YourPalWill wrote:If you decide to go the Secaucus route, there are two downsides in my opinion. There's not alot around the hotels there. So, unless you plan to rent a car, you may be stranded at your hotel. Second, you really need to get to know the bus schedule well. The 130 which runs that route goes express past Secaucus for a good part of Rush hour (I know because I used top ride it every day). The local bus returning at night goes through some tougher areas of Jersey City and Union City. You hjave to determine your own comfort level with that.

That said, I have gotten very good rates in the past taking rooms at The Hilton Garden Inn in the $70 range. There are cheaper options closer to the tunnel in Jersey City. But, the area is not as desireable for many travelers.

Yup, there's absolutely NOTHING around the Secaucus hotels, except a convenience/liquor store on the corner and an edible bagel place about a ten minute walk away.

But 'tougher areas'? That's like warning everyone not to ride the Red Line after dark, IMO. I didn't realize Chicagoans were such urban pussies

Seriously, my experience over the last year is very different. I ride the bus in the morning rush hour and mid-afternoon, and return both at rush hour and midnight. Never more than 20 minutes. A mix of commuters and working people--like any mass transit system anywhere. No toughs, no hassles: testament to extravagant federal mass transit subsidies and a city that works. Port Authority these days is like Disneyland, its 1970's Midnight Cowboy ambience and sleaze sanitized to the extreme like the rest of Times Square.

As for Express/Local rush hour issues, the stop by the Crowne Plaza is served at most hours inbound; and outbound, even at unscheduled hours, just ask the driver to drop you at the Crowne Plaza--works like a charm for me (EVERY bus stops at all hours at the Panasonic stop, which is 100 yards past the Crowne Plaza stop, so this is like a non-issue). You can get the bus schedule at the NJ Transit site, and also at the hotel front desk.

For a weekend visit sans car, Jersey City is good too. Priceline rooms frequently are available for either $37 or $55 at the new Jersey City Hyatt Waterside, with PATH trains downstairs and the ferry at the door. Parking, however, is $35 or so. Also, you can airtrain/PATH train to this Hyatt from Newark Airport in less than 20 minutes for about $10--if you are two travelers probably best just to cab it; and PATH trains to World Trade Center take ten minutes. Bad news: PATH train frequency is less on weekends than weekdays, so check out the schedule and make sure it works.

Bottom line:
Safety wise, I prefer Secaucus overall.

Jersey City is good if your chow focus is SoHo, Chinatown, meat packing district and Brooklyn.

Secaucus is good if your trip is lower-Manhattan / mid-town / Queens focused. You can get the A train downtown express directly from inside Port Authority which jets you to Canal St in like 8 minutes, and have good Queens access (to Astoria, Sripraphai and Flushing China/Korea town) via subway not to mention the adjacent delights of 9th Ave in what remains of the wholesale purveyor district such as Azuri Cafe at 10th and 50th, International Deli at 9th and 41st and the Greek Bakery 4 blocks north at 45th, and Grand Sichuan.

Steve, my point was not that I was uncomfortable with the local bus route. Instead, it was that some people may be.

I took the route everyday for three years. The route makes every stop on the Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel after midnight including Union City and Jersey City. The ride to my home in Rutherford (which is one town beyond Secaucus) was often well over an hour on that route.

People of many different backgrounds read this board. What may be acceptable to you and I may not be to others. Whatever their comfort level, it is unfortunate to refer to them as "pussies" in my opinion.

YourPalWill wrote: What may be acceptable to you and I may not be to others.

Well said.

From a safety perspective, however, I would choose to ride the bus from Port Authority late at night rather than the PATH train or subway. A bus has a bus driver and a radio. On the train you are essentially all alone, and there's those late night deserted train platforms. In Port Authority, there are security personnel and cameras every where.

The Port Authority-Secaucus Transit Center routes are for the most part 20 minutes to the Harmon Cove Townhouses stop in Secaucus (about 50 yards from the Crowne Plaza). The schedule for the #124 (rush hour weekdays) and #129 (7 days) bus is here http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T1124.pdf . Note that these newer (relative to when you sojourned in Rutherford) routes do not continue out to Rutherford or on to Paterson.

As a born and bred bridge and tunnel (Queens) NY-er I have ridden trains alone since the age of eight. So this is the voice of a lot of experience. FWIW.

I stayed at a sister property of Hotel 17 last June called Hotel 31. It was fine. Small room, but the queen size bed was adequate for me and my friend. Linens were clean, and there were two baths on our floor, neither of which was ever occupied. The location was great -- a short walk from an awesome cheese shop whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment.

I can vouch for Hotel 17 being fine, especially for the money. We were just there last week, and everything was clean, efficient, very pleasant staff, very nice about holding onto our baggage after we checked out, the beds were big enough for two of us, and the location is great. Be sure to check out Bar Jamon just a few doors down. It's the bar version of the restaurant Moto which is on the corner of 17th. FANTASTIC spanish wine list! Have a great time.

Another possibility w/ shared baths is Chelsea Star, don't have the details right now, but it was just as good as Hotel 17, I was there last year.

Since I am usually visiting family in Tribeca, I tend to stay down south. A while back I had a very nice stay in a place down by Wall Street that is part of a business chain whose name escapes me, but was offering rooms through Travelocity for a while (not now, it seems based on a check). I can't seem to find the chain name anywhere, but I would go back there - I think the room was around $90. No restaurant or anything, though.

The Best Western over by the Seaport was also quite nice last time we stayed there, but it has been a while. It was fun to be by the fish market and the seaport, too.

Just scanning some web sites, it looks like you should be able to get pretty good prices for a winter weekend - lots of choices between $100 and $150. As to commuting over from Jersey, that is a very good option, as well, and will be much cheaper.

Hey, Rob, I can vouch for the Ameritania -- it's the hotel next to the Ed Sullivan theater, and where Mujibur and Sirajul from Letterman used to work in the adjoining souvenir shop. Spartan but clean IKEA-furnished rooms, OK bathrooms, faux-hip lobby as if it's trying to be an Ian Schrager-designed hotel on a beer budget. Good location, and a bagel shop right next door.

A little-known option is the Travel Inn on far east 42nd, almost near the Convention Center (which arguably makes it a decent but cheap place to stay when attending a show, as I've done.) You'll have to walk about 7 or 8 blocks west to Broadway, but it's in a relatively safe area and does have good access to the Port Authority.

>>Brent

Vital Information wrote:I am thinking of taking a weekend trip to NYC

Rob,

I suggest finding the last couple of issues of Art of Eating. Feature article is Why, Where and What to Eat in New York, with issue #66 focusing on restaurants and #68, the current issue, on food shopping.

Enjoy,
Gary

Rob,

Wiv has given you some sage advice. Those issues were most enjoyable reads, and they will certainly accompany me on my next trip to New York. If my copies weren't already on loan, I would send them your way.

Richard once mentioned two local libraries that archive the publication, but my memory fails me.

Regards,
Erik M.

I can vouch for the Washington Square Hotel (Trixie's suggestion). The rooms are fine, neighborhood great, and you used to get a free continental breakfast in a charming little dining room (real china, real tea, good pastry).