Decent NYC hotel?

[Flaxbee]

My family has asked me for a recommendation for a NYC hotel, they assume that since I lived there for 18 months 4 years ago I still know this stuff. In fact, I never really knew many hotels because I lived in the city and had no need for hotels, my friends/family stayed with me whenever they visited.

But now, I'm not there. I need a few decent hotels to check out, they can be in the $150-250/night range (it seems to me March is usually cheaper) but the lower end of that range is better. Need: Manhattan, midtown to Upper East Side; clean bathrooms! Clean rooms! No need for anything near the theater district, and don't wanna be downtown. I've looked on various web sites, but the star-rating system doesn't really tell me much, the last time I was there I recall that the Metropolitan on Lex. got a decent rating but the rooms were nasty so I can't recommend that to family.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

[Red_Storm]

1. For the price range you mentioned..........

there's a Marriott on the east side (52 & 3rd)

[pagerbear]

2. Try hotels.com

But don't believe all the marketing for some of the crappier places.

[FARAFIELD]

3. the Pennsylvania

Right next to madison square garden

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Doubletree in Times Square would fit the bill

Very nice hotel. My sister and her family and my mother all stayed together there a few years ago when they visited. Their room was more expensive, cuz it was a suite, but for a regular room it was about $150-160 a night.

It's very convenient to subway lines, and it's a nice place.

Also good is the Marriott a few blocks up, couple of them in the low 50s along 7th Avenue. I don't know what kind of prices they have, but their nice, though not extravegant (like the Plaza or Four Seasons) hotels.

Another option, if they aren't coming during graduation time, is the little hotel inside Union Seminary at 121st and Broadway. I think they run about $100 a night, and it's a beautiful late 1800s neo-gothic structure with lots of history and a beautiful, enclosed courtyard - the largest one in NYC.

[SheilaT]

5. How long are they staying?

A couple of years ago we sub-let a one bedroom apartment on the upper west side and it worked out to about $150 per night. I think. I know it was about the same as a hotel room would have been, but we had a real, full apartment instead of one small NY hotel room. A friend who lives in Westchester County came to visit us for a couple of days and he was able to sack out on the couch.

I no longer remember the name of the company we used for the sub-let, but I found it cruising around the internet. I probably typed in NYC and apartment rentals on google.

In the summer of 2000 we stayed in a B&B on Staten Island which was great fun. The down side was the time to get to and from the city every day, but the up side was getting completely away from the city every evening. That trip it was the four of us: self, spouse, and two sons. The apartment sub-let was just spouse and self.

[mark0rama]

6. Too bad you didn't say Upper West Side.

Last July I stayed in a very decent hotel - Quality Hotel on Broadway (at 94th) for about $80 per night. Right across the street from the subway station, and in a really great neighborhood. It's an older hotel, rooms are small, elevators are barely larger than phone booths, but it's pretty well-kept. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a rate there approaching that since.

On a previous visit, I stayed in Midtown at the Radisson at Lex and 48th. Nice hotel, but that part of town didn't feel so much like people lived there. It just seemed full of office buildings that were closed for the weekend.

On edit: I haven't seen that rate since because it's not July anymore. Looks like they'll get that cheap again when the weather turns hot again.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. And also, depending on when they are coming, and if they are willing

to go upper east side, I'll have a spare room they can rent for cheaper than any hotel they'll find, and they'll get to hang out with a Shrub-hating infidel. :-)

And if they're really nice people, I'll cook them one hell of a good meal while they're hear, perhaops involving ribeye, duck, or scallops. Or, hell, all three, knowing me. :-)

[Flaxbee]

15. Lol! Thanks, they're also

most definitely NOT in the * camp...
I think they're thinking of sometime in March, perhaps as soon as the first week of March.

[pagerbear]

17. Er.....

Are other DUers welcome to this dinner of ribeye, duck, and/or scallops?

[gator_in_Ontario]

8. Le Marquis in midtown

inexpensive, nice, and near the subway!

[Renew Deal]

9. NYC has many great hotels.

It's hard to go wrong here. You can get a room for about 150-600 a night. I would try priceline. I am in philly this weekend for conference. I put in $55 and central philly. I got a room in the heart of the city that is worth $100 a night. You should try it. You might get lucky. Try a 4 star room in the area you want. If you don't get that, put in more money and a lower star. So if you are looking to spend $150, put in $90 and 4 star. Then go $105 and 3 and 2 1/2 star.

I once stayed at the Beverly Hilton for like $90 a night. It was great for that overpriced dump.

[pagerbear]

11. Au contraire!

It's very easy to go wrong! In any city like NYC there are lots and lots of dumps--really crappy places. That's why when doing something like priceline or hotels.com, my suggestion is to look for something at least one star higher than you might otherwise settle for.

[pstokely]

10. avoid the Ramada New Yorker

the moonies own it

[pstokely]

12. don't use Travelocity

they are currently advertising on Hannity

[pstokely]

13. don't use Travelocity

they are currently advertising on Hate radio

[mouse7]

14. There's this one inexpensive place I know of...

It's a little family owned place. Let me know.

[DinahMoeHum]

16. Too bad you didn't mention Greenwich Village. . .

if you don't mind sharing bathrooms with other guests, here is one:
www.larchmonthotel.com

Free continental breakfast is included.
Of course, you can always walk or take the subway for more substantial fare.

Quite a number of European travelers stay there.


:bounce:

[sweetheart]

18. 2 options on that range

Before you said "not downtown" i would say ritz battery park city... the rooms overlook the statue of liberty, battery park is nearby and its brand spanking new...

This one is my preferred midtown one on central park south (59th) towards columbus circle. Rooms have lovely views over central park
and its in a nice upscale zone.
http://www.starwood.com/westin/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=1188

Depending on the dates, the waldorf astoria can be quite satisfying as well... just when visiting the city whilst not living there, i
prefer a little feeling of space.

[MaineDem]

19. Last time I stayed at the Comfort Inn Midtown

It's on 46th, just steps from Times Square...literally.

It's small but clean and includes a decent continental b'fast. We paid under $100 but this was a few years ago.