Hi, we've booked a room with two double beds in the Hotel Pensylvannia in New York, some bad reviews about the hotel but also excellent ones, the location is brilliant, near Macy's and Empire State Building. It cost us £600 for a room for four nights, worth it for the location. We searched high and low, you can get cheaper ones, but we wanted a hotel with a certain amount of comfort (not a dormitory in a hostel) this was the cheapest we could find, decent quality and good location. The Ramada Plaza is also nearby at a similar price but not sure what it's like. Hope you find something you like. Alison

If you use the Search facility there are loads of topics in this forum on New York. There is also a topic at the top of our City Breaks forum which may have some information.

luci

what about a b&b.take a look at tripadvisor for some ideas.

We stayed in Radio City Apartments in May this year. Excellent location - Times Square, Rockerfeller Centre, 5th Ave and Central Park all close by. We booked well in advance and got a studio room with kitchen for $155 per night.
http://www.radiocityapts.com/
Reviews here - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d93393-Reviews-Radio_City_Apartments-New_York_City_New_York.html

I think that Radio City Apartments will be fully booked up for December, I tried booking for December way back in June and there wasn't any availability. I am going to stay there in March next year (after reading Puddleducks review) and I am paying $200 (which includes taxes) for a studio room, apparently prices for 2008 have increased. Still not a bad price though as lots of NY hotels charge the earth.
AS Kiershey says check trip advisor, you will find lots of recommendations.

i just came across this on martins moneysavers.www. colby international.com.looks good.

I have stayed twice in the Herald Square Hotel near Macys. It is very clean and all rooms have an ensuite bathroom.

It doesnt have many facilities like a bar or restaurant or a plush lobby area. But hey when in NY all you really do is sleep in your bedroom too much to see and do to spend time in your Hotel Room.

Like I say I would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel to anyone.

Sorry forgot to add its Standard Double room is $199 a night per room.

Thanks everyone. Found 2 which look ok - Howard Johnson and Hotel Edison near Macy's and Empire State. Some sites are asking me to select the district I want to stay in - what would you recommend for sight seeing but at the same time cheap hotels?

To be honest Gary after going there I don't think it makes an awful lot of difference as long as you're near a subway and also cabs are good value for just jumping when your feet have had enough! It's a great city to walk about in. Manhattan isn't that big and it's very easy to get about so it doesn't really matter. You could always get a good map of Manhattan and then look to see where your points of interest are and take it from there. (I think when I did that I decided on between 35th and 55th Street and we stayed on 49th Street)

oh and look on trip advisor for hotel reviews before you book - they've got loads.

I would select Midtown or Times Square area. Also have a look at Holiday Inn Midtown- sometimes their prices are reasonable.
Hotel Edison is used by a local group here, for their after Thanksgiving New York shopping trip every year. It's in a good location. I haven't heard any complaints.

A great website for info on which subway to take or the best route for walking from one NY area to another is http://www.hopstop.com I'm finding it a great help in planning my trip.

Thanks everyone. I've now booked - stayed in the New Yorker hotel, has mixed reviews but it was one of the cheaper ones and a friend of mine who stayed there said it was in a good location. So for 3 nights, 2 people i'm paying just over a grand and thats with BA flights.

So.... 3 nights.... got to work out what to cram into those 3 days now. What DEFINATELY should I attempt to do while I am there?

hi Gary, scroll down on this link for my trip report to give you some ideas - http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=16727&start=80

I really enjoyed our food tour of Greenwich Village - it was something a bit different (INVALID URL
For me walking the Brooklyn Bridge (from Brooklyn back to Manhattan) was a must. The views are great. Take the A or the C to High Street, which is the first stop in Brooklyn. Ride towards the front of the train, and use the exit that is closer to the front. You will come out on Adams Street, near the corner of Sands. Walk away from Sands, and away from the Bridge, all the way down Adams along the front of the Concord Village apartment complex, until you get to the corner of Tillary Street -- which is actually the next intersection, that's the main entrance to the footpath.
Grand Central Station & Central Park were also "must see's" for me. Apparently you get a tour in the station that takes you underneath to abandoned lines but sadly we didn't find that out until we got home (something to do next time then..)
The TOTR observation deck affords great views of CP and the city. On a clear day you can see all the way town to the SOL. http://www.topoftherocknyc.com
As you're only there 3 days, I'd say skip the SOL and Ellis Island as waiting in the queues will take up lots of your precious time. Instead if you want to see Lady Liberty, take the Staten Island ferry. It's free and will only take an hour for a round trip and you get close enough for your pictures.

For tour info see here - http://www.allnewyorktours.com
For directions see - http://www.hopstop.com
For restaurants: http://www.menupages.com

Hope that helps. Shout if you need anything else.

We've stayed at the Edison Hotel a few times; it's basic but in a fantastic location (a stone's throw from Times Suare) and has a great American Diner style breakfast place downstairs. I'd recommend staying there.

We stayed in the Salisbury Hotel last December, which is also a great place to stay. It's located on 59th Street, within walking distance of the Rockerfeller Center and it's amazing Christmas tree, the posh shops on 5th Avenue and also the top of Central Park. There's a subway station just a few minutes walk away.

New York is magical at Christmas time, so I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time!

U2fan

Question : I cant judge how far places are to walk. How long would it take to walk say the length of a block? I notice their width is longer than their height (if that makes sense). For example, how long would it take to get from Empire State to Brooklyn Bridge?

Hi garyholc

They say it takes approx. 60 to 90 seconds to walk one block. Here's more info.


U2fan

how long would it take to get from Empire State to Brooklyn Bridge?

Gary, if you're walking the bridge for the views then they are better walking from the Brooklyn side to the Mahattan side, rather than the other way around if that helps. (can't tell you how long it'll be to walk as we got the subway over to Brooklyn - see directions for you in my earlier post)