NY hotel- how & when to book for good deal

castaway_lady

Hi there,
Looking for wisdom here. Next May/June I'm taking my parents to New York for a week long holiday. Saving is underway and we'll be booking flights in the new year airline sales.
So I'm looking for wisdom on how and when to get the best hotel deal. Given that my parents are in their mid 60s I'm keen to stay in central Manhattan, don't want to be subwaying all week & want to be in the centre of the action by night. Looking at the likes of Pennsylvania Hotel/ New Yorker/ Carter Hotel.
Totally happy to go budget hotel.

jaymcg91

Everyone has different perceptions of decent, but all 3 of those are absolutely ****e to me. Dingy, and old. Obviously some people can suck it up, but I'm not one of them . Did you look at the Pods? They're budget, but newer?

Bayberry

castaway_lady wrote: »

Hi there,
Looking for wisdom here. Next May/June I'm taking my parents to New York for a week long holiday. Saving is underway and we'll be booking flights in the new year airline sales.
So I'm looking for wisdom on how and when to get the best hotel deal. Given that my parents are in their mid 60s I'm keen to stay in central Manhattan, don't want to be subwaying all week & want to be in the centre of the action by night. Looking at the likes of Pennsylvania Hotel/ New Yorker/ Carter Hotel.
Totally happy to go budget hotel.

My parents have stayed in Leo House on 23rd St between 8th and 9th 2 or 3 times over the last few years. It's website describes it as "A Catholic Guesthouse for Travelers", but it's not Lough Derg or anything :-). They found it clean, comfortable, centrally located and very reasonable by Manhattan standards.

https://www.leohousenyc.com/

Flippyfloppy

Pennsylvania hotel rooms are really kind of ...... Stained. Like you'd imagine New York dinghy apartments to be in the 80's. I did stay there and had a great time out of the room, but if I was to go again I'd love somewhere plush. Read tripadvisor.

webpal

Simple answer is to book straight but make sure it's got free cancellation. That way your price is locked in, you can then keep looking for accommodation. Try signing to hotel newsletters, read their best price policies. I agree with above posters, seek alternative hotels. I've stayed in affinia Manhattan and it sounds like it's what your after. New York is big, I think you will have to use subway at some stage as there really isn't a centre of things so to speak.

castaway_lady

I've been before, so just seeking means people have used to get good deals.

I don't really care what the decor in the rooms is like, my opinion is if you're in NY to look at the walls in the hotel room you're on the wrong holiday. So long as the beds are clean and there's a decent shower at a good price thats all Im after.

Flippyfloppy

castaway_lady wrote: »

I've been before, so just seeking means people have used to get good deals.

I don't really care what the decor in the rooms is like, my opinion is if you're in NY to look at the walls in the hotel room you're on the wrong holiday. So long as the beds are clean and there's a decent shower at a good price thats all Im after.

I wasn't talking about the walls. Stained shower, bed bugs the works.

jaymcg91

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

I wasn't talking about the walls. Stained shower, bed bugs the works.

Just thinking about cheap hotels and bed bugs makes me shudder.

Costs €1500+ to get rid of bed bugs from your house. People should think about that before they try and save €50 in some dingy hotel.

yew_tree

Try AirBnb and get an apartment for yourselves.

Hazys

Use Priceline mystery hotel aka express deals the week of the visit.

You don't know the hotel you are booking till after you pay, but you know the location and star rating of the hotel. So you usually get a hotel for upto half the price.

New York isn't short of hotels and they are all mostly the same so it always works out.

I use it every time i go to NYC.

endofrainbow

yew_tree wrote: »

Try AirBnb and get an apartment for yourselves.

Air Bnb's are illegal in New York unless rented for more than 30 days :

https://www.airbnb.ie/support/article/650

Paul_Hacket

endofrainbow wrote: »

Air Bnb's are illegal in New York unless rented for more than 30 days :

https://www.airbnb.ie/support/article/650

So is jaywalking, do you ever cross the street when the light is't green? Literally nobody has been prosecute in nyc for renting an airbnb apartment and thousands of units are rented out on the site everyday. I've lived in NYC for over 20 years and helped dozens of people find places to stay here, airbnb is by far the best way to get affordable accommodation in a good part of town.

There are no good hotel deals in NYC unless you are willing to compromise a lot on location. Hotels like the Pennsyllvania and most of the lower end joints around Times Square really are run down, vaguely depressing and the locations they are in are just lousy bases for a trip to the city. Staying downtown is highly recommended instead as there's hardly any good bars, cafes or restaurants around Times Square - it's just not a pleasant area to stay in as opposed to visit once or twice during your trip.