I plan to travel in May and spend 5 nights in New York and 3 nights in Washington DC.
I've been surprised by the cost of hotels and am wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a cheap but safe hotel in an area close to transport and the main attractions such as Times Square, Central Park etc.
Thank you.
Thanks but I was after personal recommendations.
Thanks for consulting this squints at notes Australian bargain site for travel planning.
A bikie will be with you shortly.
Not sure I understand your comment? I thought Australians who had been to the US would have some tips on overseas accommodation.
One of the Howard Johnsons?
Trap for first timers in NYC is to stay near Times Square. Better to stay in the 'burbs; Brooklyn or Upper West Side near The Beacon which is one express stop away from Times Square. Then you're surrounded by supermarkets, shops and food outlets. Last visit I needed two rooms so tried Yotel in Hells's Kitchen. For my first time in DC I stayed at the Phoenix Park Hotel, across the street from Union Station.
I actually stayed at the The Beacon when I did the New York marathon years ago, like you say was easy enough to get around to the various areas. Also was able to access wifi via a nearby cafe in the room. Have stayed at two other places in New York over the years but it really comes down to savings/available time when you factor in transport movements. Definitely not a budget friendly experience trying to be near main attractions for obvious supply/demand reasons not to mention New York is one of the most expensive places in the world in terms of real estate.
Thank you. I will look into those areas.
Also highly recommend the Beacon, it’s in a great location just near a subway that takes you straight to downtown, walking distance to Central Park, the natural history museum, 20 min walk to the Met. There is a supermarket across the road where you can get stuff for cheap meals (it’s not a cheap supermarket but cheaper than a restaurant); some of the Beacon rooms have kitchenettes. Good coffee around as well (Bluebottle)
New Jersey is an option and a lot cheaper (lots of serviced apartments) but it’s not the same. For your first trip, stay in manhattan regardless of the extra cost
In Washington you can try Foggy Bottom area or even Georgetown (although that’s not super central but an easy Uber ride). I can recommend the River Inn, albeit I chose that because it had a kitchenette and I had younger kids. But it’s in a good spot for the tourist areas (easy walk to the mall); not a huge number of restaurants really close but there are some, and a solid hotel
Thanks for that. Im thinking I'll just have to forget the cost and just do it. You only live once. :-)
Thanks for the DC recommendations.
First time in NYC? lol
I suggest not to stay anywhere near Times Square or Central Park you’ll be paying a minimum $1000 a night for a hotel.
Better off staying around Chelsea, Tribeca, Soho, Hell’s Kitchen or Brooklyn.
I’ll be in NYC in September for 2 weeks with a family of 4. We’ve booked an Airbnb it cost us close to $10k
Thanks, I'll check those areas. I had no idea what areas are safe and close to transport.
I understood that AirBnBs are now banned in New York.
Have you considered New Jersey instead?
I'll look into that. Thanks.
I stayed at the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor
Ferry at the doorstep to Midtown/W 39th or it's the last stop if you catch the bus to Port Authority Terminal. Jump on and it'll go straight through Lincoln tunnel to Port Authority
Guests of The New Celebrity Ding-Dang-Dong stay at the world-renowned Plaza Hotel, New York's most exciting hotel experience.
Dunno about "New York's most exciting hotel experience." Just walking on the streets and braving the traffic would be the most exciting experience!! It's an eye opener, that's for sure. But I have not been back there since my last visit in 1995. Stayed at the Hyatt Grand Central on that occasion which I had got bargain basement price.
But the Plaza is probably one of my favourites out of all the hotels I have stayed at. Was there back in the 1980's, firstly when it was managed by Westin Hotels, and the second time was after Trump bought it and Ivanka was in charge of the renovations. It was a great experience on both occasions, specially breakfast in the Palm Court. But it was affordable back then. Currently showing in excess of $1800 a night!! That is insane but it is NY we're talking about.
Last place I stayed in was the moxy, in Chelsea about two blocks away from Penn station. Perfect location. Nice view of empire state.
Get ready to walk because that's half the fun of NYC but it's close to a lot of subway stations.
Times square is neither a square nor of these times. It's a hell hole filled with fake superhero impersonators who will hustle you for a photo. Avoid it. Always aim for 9th Avenue/hell's kitchen side of things if yr headed anywhere between 40th and 55th on the west side. 59th St will bring you out at the bottom of central Park West…I think…maybe I'm thinking of Simon and Garfunkel but it's around there….
Harlem is actually quite safe these days and is a better and cheaper option than Brooklyn. Express trains run downtown all the time.
Get to know the culture.
Because of the weak dollar and if yr wanting to stay in Manhattan, don't be surprised if even the crap options are 350 a night.
Washington is likely the same, with the added issue that certain areas can be quite dangerous especially after dark. If you want close to the tourist areas, fork out … From memory the galleries and museums in DC are free so you're saving there.
Thanks, very informative.
The point that Harlem is nowadays a lot safer than the outer areas like Brooklyn is a very good one (or, it was in 2019), and is worth remembering. It is also more interesting to stroll around in, and the food is great! We stayed at The Morningside Inn, which isn't quite in Harlem, but is getting close (it's somewhere around 104th Street, about a block in from Central Park), and the proprietress (Nina) couldn't have been nicer to us. We had no trouble walking to Times Square and mid-town, thus eliminating the need for subways, but, of course, these are readily available if you want to go downtown. The Morningside was, then, WAY underpriced for Manhattan, but the point is that you are in Manhattan, not in Brooklyn or Queens or the Bronx….and that, surely, is where you want to be when you're in New York!
I used to always stay at the Jane Hotel, which has a great West Village location, Wes Anderson ambiance, tiny rooms with decent share bathrooms and very reasonable prices. Alas someone has bought it and has simultaneously put up prices and commenced renovations, so possibly a bit risky… still $200/night for that location is hard to come by… https://www.thejanenyc.com/
NY - Pod 51 and or Lexington (downtown and midtown in Manhattan). Lexington included a light breakfast which saved a few bucks. For Washington….can’t remember sorry…. But make sure u do the Smithsonian and Arlington.
For Washington DC - We've stayed at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC.
It's in the heart of DC, close to so many great restaurants and shopping. They have a happy hour with free snacks and alcohol. You can find it routinely 50% off booking through third party websites.
On our first visit to DC, we made the mistake of booking at the Hyatt as we thought it would be good being close to the tourist attractions. The hotels air con sucked as the compressor was in the room cupboard and we couldn't sleep. But being close to the museums was fine in the morning, but was a hassle to go out for lunch or dinner as you're not near the main eating areas. This is how we came across Kimpton as we had enough of the Hyatt after 2 nights.
Thanks, this is a good tip I wouldn't have thought of
I would recommend Holiday Inn Express, 48th St Manhattan NYC. USD 132 pn twin last May. Room is kinda small but adequate. The best thing about it is only 5-10min easy walk to the Times Square and Empire State bldg. And the bad thing I did was forgetting to leave tips in the room.
Yeah - this is one we often forget. Idk what the rate is these days but a couple of bucks a day for house cleaning is really important
I can recommend the Sofitel in Washington DC, it’s close to the White House, seems to have lots of security roaming around, rooms were big and nice and was a nice shop over the road selling soups
and a great breakfast
Stayed at Marriott Marquis near Times Square , location is great but lacked food options inside the hotel but plenty of places around outside the hotel for food . Very quick walk to Times Square
Watergate Hotel in Washington would certainly be worth a thought.
Too many bugs
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posted a link but the post would not go through .
When I was last in DC, I stayed in the DuPont Circle Hotel. Very nice indeed, in a nice part of DC and not outrageously expensive for a 5 star hotel.
NYC, I stayed in what is now the Westgate New York Grand Central near the UN, mainly because it was dirt cheap for a Manhattan hotel (it was a Hilton at the time so fairly decent).
Not sure about May prices but Washington by Luxurban is a good location and was on the cheaper end. Don't forgot to check AirBNB and couple with 10% giftcards when they come up.
Try some library magazines.