New York exchanges

[Merilyn]

Has anyone stayed at either of the locations in NYC that we can use point for? I have heard a lot about the Plaza and my kids stayed there once. I need some info about the Murray Hill location. I went to the web site but couldn't find out much. Is is a nice place? Is it located close to everything? Thanks for any info you can give me. There will be 6 of us and we would like to use as few points as possible and still have a good place to stay. Would it be better to just pay for a place and if so where is a good place.

 

[burnsoc]

Hi,
I've never stayed at the Murray Hill place, but I can tell you where it's located. I used to live and still work in the city. Murray Hill is on the east side of Manhattan in the 30's. You'll be very close to the Empire State Building, Macy's, and Madison Square Garden. You'll be a walk of around 10 blocks from Times Square and the theater district. It's a great location. The Plaza is very dear to my DW and I as that is where we got engaged. If you're looking for that "magical" vacation feel, you can't go wrong by staying at the Plaza. It's at the foot of Central Park. It's about 15 blocks from Times Square. Across the street is FAO Schwartz toy store. Both locations are great for visiting Manhattan. Any place is easy to get to by walking, bus, subway, or taxi. Both have excellent restaurant's close by. If you have any more questions about NYC please feel free to PM me.-Chris

 

[DownNeckBoy]

I truly think that you will be better off searching the net for a good hotel rate. Although the Plaza is a true New York landmark, the point cost does not seem worth it to me. Add in the general hotel malaise due to the war and the economy, and you should be able to secure great rates.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[bnlbebes]

I also asked my wife to marry me the night we stayed at the Plaza, however have never considered trading points to stay there. You can find much better deals on the net, especially if you want to try Hotwire or Priceline.

As for Murray Hill, I can't offer any insight, but I wish you good luck!

 

[nezy]

I have stayed at the Shelbourne Murray Hill. It was classic old Manhattan. It actullay has a n old Brownstone feel to it. The room was a 1BR w/ a pull-out couch-a small dining area and a small working kitchenette. We stayed 1 night-before the Thanksgiving Day parade. We are very familiar w/ the city so we knew how to get around. the Plaza is closer to more of what you may want of Manhattan. As was mentioned you may be able to get a decent rate on something else-

Do not stay West of 7th Ave or Broadway or North of 70th Street . Downtown can be tricky-but there are some very trendy neighborhoods.

 

[dbond]

Our family of 5 stayed at The Plaza hotel last summer using points. We have been to NYC many times and always searched for the best rates before. We've experienced many different hotels. I have to say, The Plaza experience is one that we will treasure forever. There really is a difference. There is an indescribable elegance when you are a guest that no other hotel we've visited can compare to. I've visited the hotel in the lobby area and restaurants many times before but staying there as a guest was truly special. The points were a chunk, but well worth it in our opinion for a one time opportunity for our family.

 

[PamOKW]

The Shelburne is part of a chain of residential properties that are run as hotels. They are very nice and a perfectly fine way to stay when in NYC.

The Plaza is a world famous, world class hotel. As dbond says, it is an experience staying there.

It all depends what your prioritiy is. The Plaza is also right on 5th Avenue and next to Central Park so you are steps from many tourist attractions and shopping. The Shelburne is a little further down and east....not a bad location but not "in it".

Here's a website for the Shelburne. You can also go to the home page and see their other properties.

Shelburne

 

[bridgemanva]

We've tried the whole variety of NYC accommodations this year both trading into the Plaza, which was a lovely experience, the Shelborne which hands down is my family's place to stay from now on and we had gotten a good rate at the Sheraton in Manhattan which was quite a disappointment.

We'd planned several trips into NYC this year each for a different purpose. The Plaza was a great adult favorite luxury and memories of times past however at the end of the day it was a hotel room. The Shelborne offers the space to stretch out small by DVC standards but in NYC quite spacious and well appointed and the full kitchen was a must on our son's birthday trip to NYC because he had to bake fresh cookies to bribe his way into MTV's TRL show which was his goal for the trip. The location was close enough for us, we found of all of our experiences in the city this year we liked not being quite in the middle of all of the attractions. We also found the staff to be quite attentive by New York standards. The Sheraton I would not recommend, we thought going with a known large chain we'd be satisfied tis was far from the case.

I hpe this info helps with your decision.

 

[MrsG]

DH & I stayed at the Shelburne two weekends ago. It is on Lexington Avenue, a 10 minute walk from Penn(sylvania) Station and about 5 mins from Grand Central Station. It is close to Madison Avenue (great window shopping). It is low-key, not as glitzy as the Plaza. We had a great stay as it was a time away from the hustle-and-bustle of Times Square. We stayed in a studio suite (all are suites with a small kitchen, coffee maker, microwave, fridge, stove). The room was comfortable, nothing real fancy. We did not regret our decision to forgo the Plaza for the Shelburne and would stay there again in a blink.

 

[nezy]

I posted earlier that we stayed at the Shelbourne and were very pleased. I agrre w/bridgemanva that it is mor spacious than any other NYC hotel room.

My daughter asks if we can stay ther every time we drive into Manhattan, which is often enough since my DH is in the FDNY and we are only 20 min. or so outside of the city.