Another NYC Thread - Accommodations for 5

[Colleen27]

NYC seems to be a hot topic these days!

We're planning on visiting either over spring break or in the fall (Sept/Oct) and I am having one heck of a time finding suitable accommodations at a halfway decent price. I expect NYC to be expensive but two $400+/night hotel rooms isn't in our budget! We'd like a relatively central location because I anticipate some later nights and don't want to have to worry about late-night subway rides or public transit closing times, and we're going to be hitting all the standard tourist spots (Broadway, the Met, Statue of Liberty, etc.).

Usually we stay in places like Embassy Suites, which is perfect for the five of us (three kids, 17, 14, and 7), and I'm not one to insist on luxury (we really like Pop Century). But I'm not finding anything comparable, or anything affordable enough that two rooms seems like a reasonable option, in a decent location in NYC. We won't have a car, so parking isn't an issue. Any recommendations?

 

[mrsabbott]

Have you tried looking through vrbo.com? Also, we stayed in Jersey and took the train over and it was significantly cheaper.

 

[GAN]

It's NYC ...nothing is going to be budget-friendly unfortunately! But as mentioned, I think VRBO may be your best bet. Something along these lines:

https://www.vrbo.com/688954

Never used it in NYC, but used it in other major cities around the globe ...never had even the slightest issue. Best of luck -it's a great city(except for the Yankees).

 

[2TxAgs]

Choice hotels ... we've got the Cambria Hotel in Chelsea for $200/night. It has excellent reviews on tripadvisor. Minutes to the subway or bus. Sleeps 4, so you'd need 2 rooms, but there may be other options that meet your needs.

 

[clori]

We stayed at Affinia Manhattan which is near Penn Station so easy to get around. We had a 1 bedroom suite with two beds, a living room with sofabed, full kitchen and two full bathrooms. I got it using travelzoo for $135 a night but it was a few years ago. Another basic hotel we stayed in was Chelsea Savoy hotel. I only had 4 of us there but my girls don't do well sharing a bed. I asked about a cot and was given what I was told was an L shaped room and a cot that fit in the little section. It is also near Penn Station and was under $150 a night. Last year when I was checking for my nephew I found I think a Hampton Inn and Suites with two queen beds and a cot near Penn Station that included breakfast for about $250 a night (maybe it was a Hlton) for his March spring break but the other boys wanted to do a youth hostel instead.

You can try going to hotels.com and putting in your dates and number of people to see what comes up then if anything compare it to the hotels website. I usually find the Penn Station/Madison Square Garden hotels cheaper than Times Square and you can take a subway or walk - I felt safe walking alone with dd14 close to midnight from Times Square to Penn Station last April.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Also try the Affinia Shelburne in midtown. It's a short walk to Grand Central Station. They have rooms with two beds and sofa sleepers, plus kitchenettes.

 

[HeatherC]

I recommended the Marriott Courtyard Midtown East on the other thread. They have rooms with two queen beds. The rooms are big enough to add a raised air bed for the fifth person. A lot of NYC hotel rooms are way too small to do that. You can also walk to a lot and the subway is right near it as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[lovin'fl]

Honestly the rooms are so small and tight in Manhattan that we, also family of 5, had to get 2 rooms. We were with inlaws who also had family of 5 and my DS went in room with their 2 DSs which meant that DH and I had 2 DDs in room with us and that was cramped. Anyway, either go into NJ and commute over and then you can get a suite (Country Inn and Suites has nice 2 part rooms...Newark airport has one) or you might need to get 2 rooms if in Manhattan.

 

[WVMomof3]

We stayed at Affinia Manhattan which is near Penn Station so easy to get around. We had a 1 bedroom suite with two beds, a living room with sofabed, full kitchen and two full bathrooms. I got it using travelzoo for $135 a night but it was a few years ago.

We have also stayed here. Rooms were very large, more like mini apartment. Still expensive, but with the kitchenette and 2 bathrooms makes it more comfortable. And you can fit all 5 in one room. We stayed with a group, so had 3 rooms. They were all very different in size and layout.

 

[elgerber]

We stayed at the Beacon. It was a wonderful location, out of the craziness, but a block or so from a subway station. We had a bedroom with 2 double beds, and a sleeper sofa/kitchenette in the other room. It only had one shower, but we loved it, and if we ever went back we would stay there again.

 

[leebee]

DoubleTree Suites in Times Square? We stayed there about 18 months ago. 2Q beds, 1 sofa bed, kitchenette (microwave, coffee pot, 4' tall fridge, bar sink). We reserved about 48 hours in advance during April school vacation week and I think it was about $350 a night. My guess is that you could check hilton.com for AAA rates, honors members rates (search for MVP rate), etc. to bring the price down.

We've also found good prices at the Wyndham New Yorker, but I have no idea if they have suites; we had a queen room and it was HUGE (sleeps 3... one bed, one convertible chair) for about $125 a night.

 

[kboo]

I live in NYC - your best bets are going to be VRBO or Air Bnb, the Doubletree, or the Embassy Suites (there's one downtown near Ground Zero). Good luck!

 

[disneyeveryyear]

We did a spring break trip 5 years ago for my DS's senior trip. We stayed at the Affinia 50 and also (like the PP) had a 1 bedroom suite with 2 queen beds, and a sleeper sofa. We had a full living room, dining area, small kitchen and 1 bathroom. It worked perfect for the 4 of us and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

 

[Colleen27]

Thanks for all the great leads! The Affinia Manhattan looks gorgeous and the price isn't bad for the size of the suite - more than I'm used to paying in other cities, but well within what I expect for NYC markup. $300-350, depending on if we go spring or fall, for a suite with a kitchen and second bathroom seems quite reasonable, considering the location and compared to the $200 we paid in DC and $250 in Chicago for Embassy Suites rooms with only one bath.

I didn't really look into VRBO or AirBnB because I know they're illegal by NYC law but wow, for something that isn't allowed there are a lot of listings! That seems like another good option, though frankly for a trip like that I'd take a hotel and housekeeping over a rental. I love VRBO for more laid-back trips where we're spending time in our lodgings, but we keep up a pretty crazy pace on big-city trips and I like coming back to a freshly cleaned room at the end of a long day.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

And know that instead of subways you can use the bus system really cheaply. It's economucal, clean, and easy!!! You either need exact change or a metro card.
If you're out late at night and don't wish to do public transport, it's easy and much cheaper to use Uber than a taxi.
NYC is more expensive than other American cities, BUT it's NEW YORK CITY!
Have a wonderful time, it's my favorite city in the world!

 

[ibob52]

I live in NYC - your best bets are going to be VRBO or Air Bnb, the Doubletree, or the *Embassy Suites* (there's one downtown near Ground Zero) Good luck!

That *Embassy Suites* . . was my favorite NYC Hotel

Unfortunately (for us) it was converted into a Conrad Hotel . . approximately 4 years ago.

Since then we have stayed at the . . EMBASSY SUITES SECAUCUS NJ a couple of times (Bus to NYC)

Last trip we stayed at . . DOUBLETREE SUITES TIMES SQUARE (best location for the girls)

 

[wilkeliza]

You should be able to find hotels for 200-300 a night in NYC. I live here and when ever someone comes into town they have not paid over 300 for a room.

I will just put out a warning that technically short term apartment rentals in NYC are illegal. If you rent from Air BnB or VRBO and the owner is not on property then you are breaking the law. NYC is currently letting Air BnB operate but just know what the law is so you don't end up caught on the street.

I live in the Nomad district next to the Ace and NoMad hotel. We have never put anyone up in either because of the price. In NYC just like Disney you really only need a clean bed and a place to get ready. We used the Cambria on 28th when my Grandma and cousin were in town. The room was a decent size and it is close enough to everything that if you are here in the spring, summer or fall you can walk up to Times Square or Harold Square or a quick subway to anywhere. It is close to the 1 train and N/R and a moderate distance from the 6 and the orange line.

 

[okeydokey]

I recommended the Marriott Courtyard Midtown East on the other thread. They have rooms with two queen beds. The rooms are big enough to add a raised air bed for the fifth person. A lot of NYC hotel rooms are way too small to do that. You can also walk to a lot and the subway is right near it as well.

Hope this helps.

We are staying here in July. The rooms have two queens and a pull out sofa.

 

[Aristocath]

I have stayed at several of the Affinia properties and they were all quite nice and comfortable for our family of five. We also enjoyed the Doubletree in Times Square. Also, if booking two rooms look at some of the boutique hotels in midtown. There are deals to be had, you just have to look. I visit NYC two to three times a year and next week I'm staying at The Edison Hotel for $95/night. I have reservations for March at the Hotel Mela for $146/night. Prices tend to rise as the weather gets warmer. If I had to choose between Spring Break and September/October, I'd choose September. Hotel rates are lower and the weather is nice. But who am I kidding? Nick York is always a good idea.

And I agree with the poster that mentioned that AirBnB and VRBO are illegal. It was a problem in my cousin's building and the residents put a stop to it.

 

[dancemonkey]

I just stayed at the Marriott downtown. I think it was 167 a night with triple a