Monday, November 9, 2009

Best Budget Hotels in New York

New York City is the most populated city in United States and even as region, new York , it is more popular among travelers. This is the no one destination in Untied States for foreign visitors and it is the cultural, financial, entertainment, industrial, fashion and commercial center for United States. There are no specific time as best time to visit New York and as we all know, New York Hotels are not very cheap. Therefore finding best hotel may be difficult. If you are on a limited budget, there are few hotels can be recommended as best budget hotels in New York


Pennsylvania Hotel

Hotel is in a great location, next to Macys, opposite Maddison square gardens, and to blocks from The Empire State building. Hotel is clean and friendly. Great diner in the lobby, Lindys. Shopping is right downstairs with Macy's, Old navy and the Manhattan mall with a 5 minute walk.


Beekman Tower Hotel
The Beekman Tower is ideal for a shopping, site-seeing holiday in New York. Visitors can to walk everywhere from this location as it's only 10 minutes brisk walk from 5th Avenue! . Would recommend this highly to anyone who plans a trip to New York as a good hotel in New York.


Novotel Hotel New York

Novotel Hotel is more close to Times Square and many other attractions in New York city and best place for budget travelers with value for money and the location


Affinia Fifty
Those on business will find New York`s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center only 2 miles away from the Affinia 50 hotel, while other close by places of interest include the Empire State Building , the Time Warner Center , the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History Carlton On Madison Hotel. Affinia Fifty Hotel New York is ideal for both business and leisure travelers.


Paramount Hotel

Paramount hotel is in a great location, only a 2 minute walk from Times Square and popular among travelers as very clean Hotel. Rooms in Paramount hotel is little small , If you are spending more time in hotel room, this may not be the best place, but the Paramount hotel is recommended as a budget Hotel in New York

Skyline Hotel
The Skyline Hotels rooms were comfortable and clean, staff is very accomodating to any guest to Skyline Hotel New York and always professional and very helpful. A lot of information was available in the hotel lobby. Hotel is just a short walk away from the many attractions which New York has to offer

Fitzpatrick Grand Central
Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel in New York is located just one block from Grand Central Terminal. LaGuardia Airport is based within a distance of 8 miles

Pod Hotel
The Pod Hotel offer spacious and comfortable accommodations for all the budget travelers coming to New York. The hotel is highly stylish with high tech facilities for visitors.
These are some of the best Budget hotels in New York City.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Chelsea Pines Inn - New York

Over the summer I made plans to spend four fall days in New York City. True to my hopes the weather was absolutely perfect this October weekend. Booking a flight was the easy part. Finding a place to stay was not. I have a few friends in NYC, but like many New Yorkers their places are small and or shared. I didn't want to impose and preferred to be independent without worry of disturbing people when returning from jaunts around town or coming in late at night.

Recommended budget hotels like the Pod were all booked. I checked out a few sites like New York 50- a site devoted to hotels and rentals for around $50 a night. Needless to say the reviews were atrocious. I found various lists of top rated budget hotels including this About.com collection, but they were booked too. I checked out a condo rental site with attractive rates, but balked when I learned they wanted a 50% deposit forked over via wire transfer. Yeah right. Take a credit card already - This isn't 1950. For a month I occasionally read reviews and prices. Holiday Inns, Hampton Inns and the other chains run north of $300 a night in Manhattan. The nicer hostels were booked. Tripadvisor's reviews of budget hotels were actually amusing to read - if not frightening. When finding a place for under $140 I would pull up the Tripadvisor review and read horrifying tales of bugs, mold, surly staff, and even beetles crawling over people as they slept. I wish I had bookmarked some of the reviews as they're hilarious. I'm far from high maintenance, but I do require my room beetle free.

Someone on Lonely Planet mentioned the Chelsea Pines Inn to another poster looking for accommodations. It was the neighborhood I wanted to be in, for a very good price, and they had availability. Tired or searching and comparing I immediately booked it.

Chelsea Pines sits on 14th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue. Typical to the area its a narrow building with five floors, with about four to five guest rooms per floor. Giving the rooms a distinct style and character, each is dedicated to a former actor or actress from Hollywood's golden years. There's a sunroom and patio for socializing and meeting fellow visitors, and breakfast is served every morning until 11am. Even though I always travel with earplugs just in case I wind up above a noisy street, the sounds below on 14th Street didn't wake me at all. It was fairly quiet at night, and central airconditioning helps too. (Above photo of 14th Street taken from room.)

Something else makes this place special though: The variety and diversity in their rooms and rates. The deluxe, modern rooms on the lower floors are decked out in granite, have iPod docks, flat screen TVs and modern fixtures. Standard rooms reside in the middle floors, and the fourth and fifth floor house smaller economy rooms with a partial shared bath - (not uncommon in NYC hotels.) My room wasn't as modern as the updated ones, but that was ok by me because the rate was below average for a place of it's overall superb quality. When I return I may opt for fancier accommodations, but this time my needs were simple. There are plenty of economy rooms dotting the city, but being able to find an economy room that's also in a well hosted and well kept building is rare. I'm appreciative of proprietor Jay and the staff for offering their guests a variety of economic options, which results in a nice blend of guests too.

Although there were a few faces manning the front desk I didn't meet, I chatted with the owner Jay a few times and met a small group visiting from Scotland. Chelsea Pines is clean, comfortable, and more than spacious enough for myself traveling solo - and I'd recommend it as a "second home" to anyone staying in the city.

They're at 317 West 14th Street in Chelsea, and about 30 steps from the subway too. Check out Chelsea Pines Inn .com for rate details and their history. And any other hotel should be so fortunate to have their Tripadvisor ranking.

If you find them booked when visiting NYC check out this article in New York Magazine listing other highly rated budget hotels.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Hourly Rate Hotels New York City

New York is a beautiful city and is on of the best holiday destinations in this world. Its elegance and sophistication is truly world class. Many leisure travelers as well as business travelers come to this city; therefore New York has a large number of hotels which vary from discounted ones to luxurious ones. Hourly hotels are usually those hotels which charge by the hour, they are very suitable for people with tight budgets.

So, now let me tell you about some of the hourly rate hotels located in New York City.

1. The Windjammer Motel Inn

This is one of the cheapest hourly hotel located in Sheepshead Bay, New York City. But this is not the best option that you can consider because the rooms are small and messy. On weekdays the rates are $40 for four hours and on weekends the rates are $40 before 4 p.m. and $50 after it.

2. Portland Square Hotel

Portland Square Hotel is a good option if you are looking for an hourly hotel because it has well maintained rooms with soft beddings and leather couches. The Portland does not give you the facility of rent by hour but it does have a day rate. The rate for a day stay varies from $99 to $179, and the night stay rate is $180 to $290.

3. Airway Inn

The Airway Inn is located next to LaGuardia, and the airport location makes it very suitable for tired air travelers. The Airway Inn Authorities not only provide accommodations for prostitutes or lovers but it is also a very good option for travelers tired after long flights. The rates are $61 for four hours and after 9pm it is $70 for four hours.

4. La Semana

La Semana is another hourly hotel located in the New York City, it is not very suitable for weekend trips but it is perfect for an afternoon stay. It is conveniently located in West 24th Street near Madison Square Park. Here you can get a deluxe room as well as a room with a Jacuzzi. The rates are $85 for a room with a Jacuzzi and $73 for a deluxe room for three hours.

5. Manhattan Hotel

This hotel is the best hourly hotel located near the Times Square; it is located right in the midtown hence very suitable for a large number of people. The hotel has a shabby structure and the rooms are very dirty including the bed and the sheets. The rate is $65 for three hours.

So, these are some of the hourly hotels which you can easily locate in the New York City.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Hourly Rates and Hotels in New York City

Hourly rate hotels are a dime a dozen and is usually associated with prostitution or sexual escapades of young teenagers. However, a person may also look out for an hourly rate hotel, for other reasons as well. As it is, you may need a hotel, in case your flight is delayed by a few hours, or, if you arrive at a city and you only have a few hours of work there.

So, if you are looking for such an accommodation option, then the following are some of the options that you can choose from:

1. Airway Inn
Located near LaGuardia, this cheap price hotel does not give much of an impression. So, do not expect much in terms of quality or service. However, since it is located near the airport this gives a perfect breather for those who have their flight delayed for quite a few hours. You may also want to catch a nap. Offered at $61 for four hours, plus $13 for each additional hour and $70 for four hours after 9 p.m. with $13 for each additional hour, this property is a relatively better option in this area.

2. Days Inn, Brooklyn
Do not expect much in terms of quality. But as we say, quality never comes cheap; you should not have any regrets. So, although it is not much in terms of aesthetics, but you can sure have the advantage of cost effectiveness. The charges are around $49 for three hours.

3. Manhattan Hotel
Located near the Times Square region, this hotel offers accommodation at $65 for three hours; and although you shall find a number of such hotels around this place, this is one of the best options that you have. The property too does not seem to be too dirty, making it a viable option.

4. St Mark's Hotel
The property does not offer much in terms of quality and so; do not look out for it as well. Located at this place since the 1960s, this property offers accommodation at $50 for a minimum of two hours, plus $25 for each additional hour.

5. La Semana
The West 24th Street location near Madison Square Park, the hotel charges $73 for three hours in a deluxe room, or $85 for a room with a Jacuzzi.

The above hotels are not recommended for stay with your family, but definitely provide respite from troubles of a delayed flight, an interview call visit and so on.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Is the New York Pass Worth the Money?

People visiting New York City for the first time are always shocked by the shear cost. The get a sense that most of the major events that everybody wants to see, from the Empire State Building, to visiting a museum is going to set you back twenty dollars on average. This is per person, per event. Sure, children are typically less but two adults and two kids will leave still leave you paying $60 for one attraction.

When people come to New York they always have the dream of seeing everything there is to say. The truth is though, they're only going to get to about four or five attractions in a day, depending on when you start and when you decide to pack it in. Part of the reason is due to the lines to get in to certain places, e.g., the Empire State Building, could have you waiting in lines in excess of two hours. This is no joke. I have personal experience in this.

If you want to reduce your cost when visiting New York City then you should consider picking up a New York Pass. As I stated before you may only get four or five attractions in for a day. If you take the average of $20 per person, that's $80 to $100 that you would have shelled out to visit those attractions. The New York Pass costs $75 for a one-day pass and $110 for a two-day pass, $140 for a three-day pass and $180 for a seven-day pass. So you can see how you can really save if you in the city for multiple days.

Now there are a few things to think about when considering whether to buy a New York Pass. There are a lot of things to do for free, like going into Central Park or window shopping on 5th Avenue or visiting FAO Swartz or the Sony Plaza. You could spend a considerable amount of time doing these things so a New York Pass would be a waste of money in that situation. Also, make sure that you call all of the places that you are planning on visiting as there is a fair amount of these attractions that are being renovated. Some of them, like Lincoln Center at the time of this writing, is not doing any tours because of renovations.

My wife and I met up with some of our college friends in the city about a month ago. I convinced the group to get a New York Pass for each person (it cost less for children). We save money after the first three events (the Empire State Building cost $20 followed by the New York Skyride which would have been $35 and then Madame Taussaud's which would have cost $29. That's $84 and we didn't even get to lunch yet. My wife and I also had the two-day tickets so the savings were really spectacular. If you are planning on hitting all the major attractions on your visit to New York City the New York Pass will definitely save you a lot of money!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

New York City Hotels With a Balcony

The city draws a large number of visitors every year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in America. The city is home to a number of attractive locales that you can enjoy, during your visit to this place. The influx of such a large number of tourists has prompted the set up of several hotels and lodges, to accommodate them as well.

This place offers a number of accommodation options that you can choose from. Now, in many cases, people tend to prefer rooms with access to a balcony. A balcony is one of the most desired features, as you can get a view of the surroundings, plus you get fresh air and sunlight as well.

It is the popularity of such rooms that their tariffs are also generally higher than that of normal rooms. As it is, if you are looking forward to a stay in such a room, then in that case, the following are some of the options that you can choose from:

1. The Muse Hotel
This magnificent property offers a number of facilities to its visitors, such as WIFI and High-speed Internet access, home stereo with Ipod/mp3 docking station, Complimentary morning newspaper, a magnificent Spa with in-room spa services, In room dining, Frette linens, pillow top mattresses, goose down feather beds & pillows, plush towels, Complimentary morning coffee with tea in the living room, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, 37" and 42" LCD HDTV featuring over 150 channels, Fully stocked honor bar with Schott Zwiesel glassware, in room safe sized for a laptop, 24-hour complimentary onsite fitness center, ADA compliant rooms, as well as cordless phones with voicemail and speakerphone; and of course, you have a beautiful balcony at your disposal.

2. 60 Thompson
This magnificent hotel provides you, a number of facilities, such as Tour Desk, Self Parking, Secretarial Services, Safe Deposit Box - Front Desk, Restaurant / Café and Porters; and most important of all, you also get your own balcony, where you can enjoy the beautiful sky, the cool breeze and the cool NY skyline. You are majestically treated by the warm and friendly staff and you get a hotel experience that you cherish for a very long time. The place also offers easy access to a number of transport facilities, which means travelling would not be really tough.

3. Bryant Park
This is another magnificent hotel, where you are offered balcony-rooms. The balcony offers an opportunity, to enjoy time with your family and view the beautiful sunset, while enjoying your coffee. The property offers a number of facilities, such as Self Parking, Secretarial Services, Sauna, Safe Deposit Box, Room Service, Restaurant and a number of other amenities. You are also offered easy access to a number of transport facile ties, thereby helping you to explore this magnificent city.

The above hotels are definitely worth a visit for a true hotel experience; and of course the balcony adds to the charm.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

New York at a Glance

There are almost 300 places of interest in the area of interest, they range from the bustling New York Stock Exchange, and from historic synagogues to dazzling skyscrapers.

The following content will provide a time-saving guide to New York's most interesting sights.

Museums and architecture each have a section, and there are guides to the people and cultures that have given the city it's unique character. Each sight is cross-referenced to its own full entry. Below are the top ten tourist attractions to start you off.

New York's Top Ten:

1. Ellis Island
2. Empire State Building
3. South Street Seaport
4. Rockefeller Centre
5. Museum of Modern Art
6. Central Park
7. Metropolitan Park
8. Statue of Liberty
9. Brooklyn Bridge
10. China Town

More details about this top 10 attractions:

Ellis Island:

Half of America's population can trace it's roots to Ellis Island, which served as the country's immigration depot from 1892 until 1954. Nearly 12 million people passed through its gates and dispersed across the country in the greatest wave of migration the world has ever known.

Centred on great hall or Registry Room, the site today houses the three story Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Much of this story is told with photos and the voices of actual immigrants, and an electronic database traces ancestors. Outside, the American Immigrant Wall of Honor is the largest wall of names in the world. No other place explains so well the "melting point" that formed the character of the nation.

Visit early to avoid the crowds.

Visitor's Checklist:

Departure every 30 minutes.
Timings: 9.30am - 3.30pm summer (winter hours vary).

Empire State Building:

The Empire State Building is the tallest skyscraper in New York. Construction began in March 1930, not long after the Wall Street Crash, and by the time it opened in 1931, space was so difficult to rent that it was nicknamed "the Empire State Building." Only the immediate popularity of the observatories saved the building from bankruptcy - to date, they have attracted more than 120 million visitors - and soon became a symbol of the city the world over.

Simple Person with high thinking. Likes to travel, hear Music, reading books and writing books. Traveled more than 10 countries for the past 6 Years. Visited United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, London, Switzerland, Paris, Belgium, Germany and more.

Involved in online article writing since May 2007. Previously worked with software company for a period of 9 Years. Presently involved in developing a very huge site for New York Visitors which helps all travelers to New York City.