25
Aug/10

Top tips for finding a cheap hotel (anywhere)

by under Advice

So after a few good reviews of hotels in the city I thought I would take the opportunity to list a few general tips on finding a great hotel room in any city worldwide. Hopefully these points will be new to you or something you’ve never thought of before!

  • Do trust the star rating system! This may be confusing for some as it’s the main guide they use when picking a hotel, however the star system really is a mess worldwide (not just in New York). Quite often a hotels star rating is assigned by the hotel itself, a government organisation or even the tour operator that you have booked with. All these parties often have an ulterior motive for giving a high rating. At best you should use the star rating as a guide and not the main reason to book.
  • Beware of the taxes! Quite often in some countries (not usually New York) there are taxes to pay on the room which can be as much as £10 per night extra on the booking price. You’ll often need to search the small print for these little extras but it’s always worth it, especially when you’re not paying there and then when you book. So many people have been surprised on the final morning with a bill 20% bigger than they had planned!
  • Bid for room sites. I have a friend who’s recently been using Priceline quite a lot. It’s quite a strange principle in that you specify a city and star grade (grrr) and then bid for how much you are willing to pay. What happens next is the bid goes around hotels in the area with free rooms and it’s up to them if they accept your bid or not. It is an interesting idea and you could end up with a high grade hotel at a cheap price but at the same time its not for the faint hearted. At the moment the only restrictions are that the service is USA only and you can only bid once a day.
  • Secret rooms. Hotel sites like Travelocity offer secret rooms which are not a whole lot different than the idea above, only difference is that you don’t actually get to know the name of the hotel before you book. You do get to find out the hotels rating, rough location and some user reviews but that’s about it. Some people have found a loop in the system though by doing the same search on the site and comparing the location, reviews and rating to a named hotel which can usually give you a good probability of knowing the hotel beforehand.

Ok so that’s my 4 top tips for getting a great deal on your next hotel room. The great thing is that most of the ideas/services can be used worldwide and not just in New York City which is always good for anyone who is travelling a lot. That’s it for now but I’ll try to remember any more good ideas for those of us on a budget for next time J

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13
Jul/10

Hotel Review : Hilton Garden Inn New York

by under Hotel review

So time for another post here on CheapHotelsInNewYork about a hotel that you might want to stay in the next time you visit the big apple. I know it’s been a while since my last post so decided to finally get my fingers typing here to help you guys when you are next looking for a hotel. This time going to be reviewing a very famous hotel chain that you will have all heard of called the Hilton.

There are definitely pros and cons when it comes to going with a real brand name when it comes to hotels. For example some people just see the chain name and forget to check for all the essentials you would normally look for when choosing accommodation. However there are also great benefits too as you are buying into a service that has a reputation to maintain and uphold. That doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes as everywhere does but it does mean it’s less likely in my opinion.

So on to the specifics of the hotel in question which is the Hilton Garden Inn New York/Tribeca which comes under the unusual banner of not yet being rated because it is quite new. They have 151 rooms available which means they should usually have rooms even at short notice which is good. As you would expect with such a high end hotel such as this they have wide-screen TVs and wireless internet throughout which is another thing to check off the list. A big plus point also is the location as it is only about half a mile from the physical centre of New York which as I have mentioned before is a real plus. You are right beside the many great art galleries, boutiques and even walking distance to the Federal Hall National Memorial which is a must for anyone coming to New York for the first time.

One slightly strange thing i have noticed about this hotel is the huge swing in prices depending on when you book. I’ve seen prices range all the way from £150 and £250 which is quite a big difference but as I have said before there are some real benefits to booking your stay for low season or even the low part of the week (Monday – Wednesday) when prices can be as much as 30% lower not just in the Hilton but all over New York.

So that was a slightly short review I have to admit but there was hopefully some good general advice in there too if you are thinking about finding that cheap hotel for your next stay. Until next time, happy bookings!

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29
May/10

Eurostars Wall Street : 4 star luxury at the stock exchange!

by under Hotel review

So its time for another review here at cheaphotelsinNewYork and what better than to choose a hotel that sits on one of the most famous streets in America and that’s Wall Street. This first thing that i do have to mention before i start is that Eurostars Wall Street is a 4 star hotel and as you would expect not exactly cheap! However despite the name of this blog i have always wanted to review a range of hotels so hopefully you can make your own mind up.

So as you may have guessed this hotel is right in the middle of the New York financial district and only a short walk from the stock exchange. Im sure you can imagine because of its location this residence is very popular with many working the markets around this part of the city. As you would expect with any luxury hotel you have many extras you’re not going to see in your average “budget hotel” such as cable tv, Free WIFI and marble bathrooms that have to be seen to be believed.

The hotel also has quite good links to the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island as it is close to the Southstreet seaport, ive always thought it nice to be located close to one of the biggest attractions in New York. One thing i must mention before i finish the review is the price which is not cheap by any means! A standard double is going to range between £280 and £350 per night. One surprising thing i did find is that their luxury room can be had for not a lot extra (£30 on some nights) which is sure to tempt many. Another weird pricing structure caveat i found was they had quite a few rooms available cheaper at the weekend when I checked which is very unusual in New York. One reason could be the many stockbrokers who use this hotel only do so during the week and so rates can be much cheaper during the weekend when other hotels are fully booked.

So there you have my first review of a truly luxury hotel here in the Big Apple. I know that for some this hotel will be well out of their price range but even so it’s always nice to have a look at some true opulence, even if it’s just for one night or even just looking at some photos.

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21
May/10

Hotel review : Days Inn North Bergen

by under Hotel review

So ill start the post by saying this hotel is around £100 per night during the week and about £10 extra at the weekend which for a hotel this close to the city centre is a great deal. The hotel in question is The Days Inn North Bergen which some of you will know is part of a worldwide chain. I know that hotel chains have got a bad reputation in general over the last few years and i know many friends of mine explicitly avoid them. However one point about big chains such as the Days Inn is that they do have a level of responsibility and reputation to maintain as one failing hotel is more than capable of running the whole business. Another plus is that if you do stay in a chain somewhere and like it then you be more or less sure the same chain hotel in another country/city will be up to the same standard (more or less).

The hotel is 3 star and is located on Tonnelle Ave which is in Hudson about 1 mile North of the city centre. The hotel does have some good features such as free WIFI internet and parking for over 400 cars which is quite handy. The best thing about this hotel apart from is being so cheap is its location which is really great. Ive said for a while that Hudson is a great base for any stay in New York long or short as it’s easy to get to big attractions like the Rockefeller Center and Radio city music Hall. As ive mentioned before a great location really allows you to get the best out of New York and it’s important to remember that you are here to see the city and not the hotel. How much time are you really planning on staying in the hotel? For many people myself included the hotel is just a cheap place to sleep as I will be spending as much time as possible enjoying all the capital has to offer (it has a lot). It’s true that you do need somewhere relaxed and comfortable recuperate after a long day but we don’t want to pay over the odds for it either.

There are hotels cheaper than this in New York such as those in South Jamaica but as mentioned above location is so important if you want great access to the big attractions which are mostly set around the city centre. Also if you are prepared to hunt around and book well ahead of time then you really can get some great deals. For this Days Inn if you book 2 months ahead for some rooms the price can be as low as £80 which is about as cheap as i think it can get for a hotel under a mile from the heart of the city. So there you have my first review of a real discount hotel here in New York which has both a quality and brand you can rely on.

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21
May/10

Map of all hotels in New York

by under Locations

If youve never been to New York then booking a hotel can be a pretty daunting experience to say the least, all the way from Annadale to Yorkville you have a wide range of hotels catering to a very wide range of people. One problem that i know many people have is actually visualising the placement of a potential hotel in relation to other attractions and places you’ll want to visit. To help i dug out this google map which should hopefully have all hotels listed, just click on the little dot to get more info on each one.

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21
May/10

Hotel review : Vincci Avalon Manhattan

by under Hotel review

So this is my first hotel review here and i thought i would start with a hotel that is going to appeal to a lot of people. First thing to note about the Vincci Avalon is that its a 4 star rated hotel in the north of the city on E32nd Steet. It’s in quite a busy section of Manhattan situated close to both 5th Avenue and the Empire state building so you’re going to have great access to all the tourist hot spots. Also  Its quite an elegant hotel set in a European classic style with Italian marble and an ornate finish which looks quite unique. The big factor that your probably all waiting on is the room rate which is between £160 and £180 per night depending on the time of week (did i mention you should book for the start of the week?). I know to a lot of people £180 a night is not cheap but you have to factor in that this hotel has one of the best locations in Manhattan and maybe even New York as a whole for that matter. I know i have mentioned before that i usually like to stay outside the city a little to help keep costs down however i think if you’re planning only a short stay they it would probably be worth splashing out just a little on a hotel like the Vincci Avalon to make your stay more enjoyable/easier.

As you would expect with any modern 4 star hotel you get all the usual mod cons like WIFI internet and Gym access (2 blocks away). They also have some great business and conference suites if you’re a business traveller or need to accommodate a large party. I suppose what I’m really suggesting with this type of hotel is that you find a great base from which to explore the city and that’s what you have here. Great access to Madison Avenue and right in the heart of Manhattan you’re really going to get the unique “feel” that New York has to offer. I’m a firm believer that you only really get the true experience spending as least a few nights in the heart of the action.

So that was my first hotel review here on CheapHotelsinNewYork and hopefully you can get an idea of things to come and how i judge accommodation. I know that some of my readers will be looking for something much cheaper than the room rates quoted here. It’s worth noting that this is a 4 star hotel and as such is at the top of the scale when it comes to price but my aim will always be to have a range of places to stay in New York so you can pick the best place to stay for you. Until next time…

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21
May/10

How to find a cheap hotel in the Big Apple!

by under Advice

So this is my first post here at cheap hotels in New York and as you may have guessed from the title my main aim is to help people find great deals on discount accommodation in the Big Apple. New York is famous all over the world and so more and more people are picking it as their holiday destination both for long and short stays. The first thing you are going to notice about any potential hotel in New York is that your average room is going to be quite expensive relatively speaking, both when you compare it to the rest of America and other major cities like London and Paris. Still this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a good deal if your prepared to look around.

With all this being said i thought i would list a few points that i always check when booking any hotel, both to help keep the price down and also to filter out hotels that don’t fit. First i always make sure that im not paying for facilities/services I’m not going to use. A good example is if the hotel has a Gym or swimming pool, i know for a fact I’m very unlikely to use either of these if I’m on a short stay so i definitely don’t want to be paying for them. Now i know a lot of people may be thinking that these types of “extras” are free but you can bet they are filtered into the final room price somewhere.

The time you come to New York will also have a big effect on the final price you pay. Now most people think i mean the season when i say this but I’m actually talking about the time of week. Hotels here are much cheaper (sometimes 50%) at the start of the week (Monday – Wednesday) compared with the end of the week and the weekend. New York gets a lot of weekend visitors from big resorts like the Hamptons during the weekends in the summer season so if you are able to pick your dates then i suggest you take advantage of the low prices by booking outside the peak.

Like any city the location of your hotel will be a big factor in how much you pay and this is reflected in some prices you see in the main tourist districts. Ie if you want to be close to any of the major attractions like Times Square or Grand Central Terminal then you can expect to pay top Dollar. I’m a big fan of travelling just a little bit outside in the main areas to get a better price, as you know the Big Apple is famous for its taxis and its so easy to get one on any street and travel to the main attractions.

I know that after price most people base their hotel choice on star rating to help them choose, especially if they’ve never been there before. It’s not totally ludicrous but its worth remembering that many hotels are self certified which means they choose the star grade themselves. For this reason i usually like to go with a hotel that’s been assessed by some sort of reputable outside source. All this kind of info should be available on their website and for the few minutes of time it’s going to take its worth doing.

So that’s my first post out of the way and hopefully you’ve got something out of it. One thing i do want to do very soon is get some great cheap hotel reviews here so you can compare what’s available. So until next time…

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