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This is a great shabby chic hotel in downtown Manhattan that offers comfortable accommodation at a price you're unlikely to be able to beat in New York.
Woody Allen used the hotel in his film Manhattan Murder Mystery and the hotel claims that Madonna has stayed there at some point, though I have no idea if this latter fact is true or, indeed, if anyone could care less.
There are shared bathrooms on every floor and these are cleaned regularly and always in a decent state. The rooms, depending on size, have a wash basin and a TV.
Very comfortable all round and, although a fair way out of the centre of New York, the hotel is very close to the Union Square/14th Street subway station, which is the intersection of a number of subway lines, effectively making it very easy to reach anywhere in the city.
225 E. 17th Street, New York, NY 10003
+1(212) 475-2845
www.hotel17ny.com/
Google map: bit.ly/gCH3ju
New York City wakes to fresh snowfall, the season's first. It's a Saturday in December. You breakfast in the warmth of your hotel's restaurant watching newscasters talk excitedly about the snow as if this is the first time ever that it's fallen. "After this I'm getting my toboggan out and going to Central Park" one gleefully declares.
Outside, picture postcard families shuffle by, towing rosy cheeked children in galoshes and ear muffs carrying imperfectly formed snow balls.
Later, you wander the unusually quiet streets around Soho. There is no traffic. Warm orange light glows out of the festively decorated shops making it feel as though you've stumbled into the Christmas village on your mantel piece. Warm air and smells of cinnamon and orange hit you as you enter, along with animated welcomes "How you all doin' today? Cold isn't it"
Later still and you're in Central Park watching ice skaters glide effortlessly by, framed by New York city skyscrapers. The smell of roasting chestnuts fills the air. What sounds there are are muffled by the snow, but somehow not the echoing sounds of the tourist laden horse drawn carriages passing by and the jingle of the bells of the many jolly rotund Father Christmases collecting for charity at every street corner.
And as you pass through a snowy Washington Square on the way back to your hotel that evening, you stumble upon the local residents choir singing carols by candlelight. You can't help but join in, despite being cold and eager to get back to your hotel to sit by the cosy lobby fire with a hot coffee and warm cookie.
The perfect end to a perfect day in an unexpected winterland.
Hilton Garden Inn 6 York Street, New York, NY, United States
+1-212-966-4091
bit.ly/9fzUlG
Google map: bit.ly/c4r4Ao
This is a very uniquely decorated 'hotel' which is more like a hostel, but is particularly cheap for New York accommodation and the artwork is like no other.
www.carltonarms.com/
160 East 25th Street, New York NY 10010
+1 212 679 0680 or +1212684 8337
Google map: bit.ly/aRmiic
A lovely kitsch and cute classic films themed hotel with an in-house cat and lovely staff. Each room is named after a filmstar (we were in the Kim Novak suite) filled with film posters that they had starred in and even larger pictures in the lobby, halls and breakfast room. Feels like a home from home in the middle of the Big Apple - you're right on the corner of Chelsea, the meatpacking district and the west village. They post you a newsletter under the door every morning with suggestions of things to do and sights to see and they will book you tickets to anywhere you want to go. We went on honeymoon and they sent flowers to our room. Very very charming, free internet and business centre with compuetrs and printing, lovely breakfast and staff who would do anything to ensure you are happy in this lovely hotel.
317 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
+1 (212) 929-1023
www.chelseapinesinn.com/
Google map: bit.ly/cHYLFn
Hotel right in middle of Manhatten, just a stone's throw from Grand Central Station.
Would class it as a three/three-star plus hotel and maybe a little tired around edges. However at £70 a night, this was great value for NY.
Look around at the various accommodation websites and you'll see a big difference in price for this hotel from £140 to £70 per night.
We used Expedia as it was the cheapest.
45 East 45th St. At Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.theroosevelthotel.com/
The hotel has an excellent staff and you can't beat the location.
Great value for your money.
On Times Square
Why not try hotels down near Battery Park or in the Financial District and commute by subway/taxi to Midtown? Typically hotels can be half the price outside Times Square and environs, and often 'try harder' to impress guests. Also, the Hyatt just across the Hudson is another great option - right next to the PATH train and also has a water-taxi service to Manhattan close by. Again, it is often less than half the price of equivalent city hotels, and has a stunning view of the city as your night-time panorama!
The Carlton on Madison is a great hotel in brilliant location in Manhattan. The standard classic rooms are incredibly comfortable with plenty of space. An added bonus is the Penhaligons toiletries in your room. Getting around is easy - the subway is one block away and buses uptown go from across the road. The hotel is also in easy walking distance of the midtown shops on 5th Avenue.
88 Madison AvenueNew York NY 10016 Phone: 1-212-532-4100
Staying in the Financial District is definitely much cheaper than staying in the midtown area. Especially over the weekend as prices drop significantly! It's a quiet tube ride away and nowhere near as busy. In addition the staff are much nicer and go out of their way to help you.
Financial District, Battery Park
A proper end-of-the-day marguerita with more booze than ice in it, served by a truly professional bartender in a proper hotel bar. Do it!
Edison Hotel, next to the W Hotel off Times Square, Manhattan.
When coming from London to NYC it'd be rude not to stay in The London, just to be able to confuse people back home. Lovely new hotel on W54th and 7th, perfectly located for an early morning jog round Central Park before meetings in the day, and real handy for 5th Avenue shopping and Broadway shows. Friendly staff and probably the best concierge in town. They also have Gordon Ramsey's restaurant there, and he does room service... so stick it on expenses and have a real treat.
West 54th St New York
www.thelondonnyc.com
New York City is THE city, it's got its reputation and it's always the one place I'm excited about visiting. Every visit is different and the city is constantly changing, there is so much to do and see!
It's one of those cities that on your first visit can be pretty daunting, so I thought I'd pop together a couple of tips that can help you on your first visit.
Leaving or Departing the City
JFK is normally my airport of choice but there's really not much in it. The easiest way into the city is to jump in a yellow cab, it costs a $45 flat rate, plus tips and tolls. Upon making your way to the taxi line you'll be offered all sorts of bus and limo services, ignore them, it's only the cabs that are properly licenced for this. You can of course also book your own car, I do this for the return back to the airport using Dial 7 who charge a decent rate and use fairly new sedans.
Accommodation
New York has so many hotels, so find one that's close to where you're going to be based. I normally use The London, which is well located on West 54th street, not far from the park and Times Square. It's a lovely new hotel with one of the best concierges in town. It's also home to Gordon Ramsey's restaurant, which is perfect for that dinner on expenses... But if you're paying yourself, go at lunch time, same food, half the price. Yum yum.
Foodies
You could write a book on the places to eat in New York… in fact, hundreds of books are already out there, but for my money the top places for a business lunch or dinner are: Gordon Ramsey at The London, The River Café in Brooklyn, Prune for Brunch in The East Village and The Spotted Pig in the West Village. The Spotted Pig is probably the best Gastro Pub in New York, and a perfect places for fans of meat! The River Café has a simple but beautiful menu and offers incredible views over the river to downtown NYC… ask for a window table. Gordon Ramsey I've mentioned above and Prune is a delightful little local place that does THE best brunch in the city in my view... Complete with a huge menu of Bloody Marys. Get there early though or be prepared to wait an hour or so. Just down the road from Prune is Katz Deli which is always rammed and a classic NY food experience - give it a go.
Off Time
If you're not too busy then why not pick up a jogging map from your hotel concierge and take a run round the park to stay in shape. I also love going to the Top Of The Rock at the Rockefeller Building, giving you stunning views of the city and especially usefully in getting to know it in your head if you’re a first time visitor. You can see where everything is and get a rough idea of distances. 5th Avenue is probably your best place for shopping with plenty of places to visit, including the maddening Abercrombie and Fitch which will give you a headache. But you can get your stuff much cheaper from there than in the UK. Department store-wise I find Bloomingdales always serves me best. Don't forget to go shopping in the village as well, Spring Street has some classic locations where you can find the most random of things. If you get a chance to see a Broadway show, rock up to the TKTS half price booth in Times Square and get into a show on the cheap. Spring Awakening seems to be one of the best shows on at the moment. And if you're there on a Friday you can pop into many of the big museums for free, MoMA being a great one to kill a few hours in.
The best thing about New York is that there is always something new, and it's the one place I've never got bored in despite many trips. So make the most of it.
It's clean, it's cheap, it has wi-fi and it's close to Penn Station.
The smell of pot from across the hall and the scrum for breakfast (think British Bulldogs with bagels) can be put up with too.
I stayed there as part of my travels:
writeronthestorm.wordpress.com
Hotel in Lower Manhattan which has a cheap dorm room sleeping 10. Dirt cheap and perfectly acceptable. Within walking distance of everything.
7 East 27th Street, NYC.
Had to adjust our hotel booking due to changes to flights. The Milford hadn't been our first choice and so a hasty decision was made in booking it.
Do we regret it? Well, yes and no. It's a bit sad and needs updating so if you are after a bit of luxury, it's not the place for you. Other than that, the staff are helpful and efficient and security is very tight. The rooms, although dated, were clean and tidy.
We were out of the hotel 12- 14 hours a day so even if it was all-singing, all-dancing we wouldn't have used such facilities. Cheap and cheerful sums it up. It was very busy with guests and we weren't aware of anyone making any complaints so I guess most people were of the same mindset that it was simply a bed for the night and nothing more. We've paid more for much worse accommodation and service in the UK and other countries.
It's a great location on 8th and 45th, with so much on its doorstep. I would expect if it gets an expensive makeover in the next couple of years then the room rates will go up accordingly. Get it booked while it's still reasonable value.
8th Ave and 45th St, Midtown Manhattan
Website where you can barter for a price for a hotel room. Rooms get cheaper on weekends as businesspeople stay at home. It's almost always cheaper than booking directly. You don't get to know exactly which hotel you'll be staying at - only the area. But a room's a room, innit.
It is not just a hotel telephone directory as it includes all of the hotel official contact info as well: phone, fax, email, postal address, website link.
Some hotels are featured with an additional hotel page where pictures, special offers and last minute deals are posted.
It is quite good to know that a hotel directory of this kind actually exists and that you can refer to it when tired of looking at hotel reservation services and not finding the hotel contacts!
Hotel in Times Square. This is a luxurious hotel with attentive staff that is close to major shopping and attractions. 5th avenue is right outside the door, MOMA is down the street, Broadway shows are within a 5 minute walk. They have also opened a new restaurant "Fireside". Its going to be a new dinner hotspot in NYC.
21 East 52nd Street at Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
www.omnihotels.com
Carlton Arms Hotel is $94 for a double with themed, wacky and arty decor in rooms and corridors. Basic and friendly, it's like staying in a community arts centre. Central with sights and restaurants in walking distance.
160 East 25th Street, corner of 3rd Avenue. 212 679 0680. artbreakhotel@aol.com
If you want to treat yourself splash out at the W. Great location and a very cool hotel, enjoy a bit of New York chic. Alternatively visit the Whiskey bar downstairs.
Times Square
Is this your business?Search Been there
