New York Hotels

[LuBlu]

I am planning a trip to New York and wondered if anyone has stayed in any of the following hotels? We have been to NY before, but this time myself and Mr L are taking the in laws too (their first time in USA). I have been done a fair bit of hotel research and have narrowed down to the following;

Wingate by Wyndham Midtown Manhattan
The Belvedere Hotel
Millennium Broadway Times Sq
Affinia Manhattan
Dream Hotel

Any feedback on any of them would be great - Thanks!!

[Breezy23]

Have stayed in the Belvedere last November. Well situated, dreadful lift service though. You can wait ages and they aren't very big. Didn't use the bar or restaurant. Strange sort of kitchenette area with a microwave, coffee maker and fridge, not a lot else. No kettle so if you want tea you have to microwave the water. Hotel gets good reviews, but as only time to NY have nothing to compare it to. Very friendly staff, just something I can't quite put my finger on about the place, old fashioned but not in a cute way.

[BBWCHATT]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Travel/Question 463946.html

[BBWCHATT]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g60763-New_Y ork_City_New_York-Hotels.html

[Bumble-line]

We have stayed in the Affinia Manhattan, it was fantastic, would recommend. Had a very large room, with kitchen and dining area (like an appartment) clean, and very helpful staff. Would stay there again next time. I LOVE NEW YORK.

[puzzled54]

Re a previous answer, hotels in America don't have kettles, they have coffee making machines. Actually, I can't think of anywhere else in Europe that has kettles in hotel rooms, it's a very English thing.

[VillageVicar]

LuBlu: I do hotel �inspections� in certain key cities several times a year. Whilst the list I follow is of one particular type, there are occasions when I use alternate hotels.
Of your list, I�ve stayed in the Millennium Hotel. I have placed staff in the Wyngate and the Belvedere.

The Belvedere is an originally art deco hotel. Whilst the building has been through many changes, I found the rooms to be acceptable and clean. Many of the rooms, however, are extremely small, when compared with typical room sizes in Manhattan.
I will say that I�m not fond of the area at all. Being on the �fringe� side of the theatre district, it has traditionally been a �low rent� area. And whilst a large number of the least desirable have moved away, there still remains a small element of �characters� in the area.

In Manhattan, as you may have seen in your previous visit, the �flavour� of the area can change dramatically in as little distance as two blocks. 48th and 8th Ave, as I recall.

The Wyngate is a national chain that maintains a moderately good standard throughout the states. Their rooms are of medium to large in size and the amenities are comparable with that of Holiday Inn � if that�s any guide.

The Affinia is one of the many aparthotel�s that have sprung up in the states over the past ten years. For those not in the know, an Aparthotel is combination accommodation that offers a sitting room/bedroom combination � usually with a mini-kitchen, consisting of microwave, sink and fridge.

Continued

[VillageVicar]

Part 2

The Affinia is smack in the Garment District of Manhattan � not too far from Herald Square, Macy�s, Penn Station, etc. Again,it�s certainly not my favourite part of town, but if you have work in the Garment District, it may be to your interest. Personally, I�d prefer to be at the Doubletree, in the same area, over the Affinia, but that�s a subjective view.

The Dream Hotel at 55th & Broadway is a good location. Again, I must offer an extremely subjective view. However, it�s based on years of experience. This is one of the new trend of �boutique� hotels. It is trendy, it is different, it caters to an element of people who need to be part of the extremely fickle aura of current trends. The challenge is often not with the facilities at all, but with the staff. A large portion of the staff are not traditional hoteliers and certainly not rife with those whose life desire is to serve in a hospitality setting. Instead, the �trendy� hotels cater to starving actors and actresses who are playing a part (for lack of any other way to describe it), rather than honing up on their skills of anticipating the needs of the guest. It can be an extremely volatile hit or miss staying at these hotels. And as long as you approach it with this in mind, you probably won�t have any problem. For me, in the same area, I�d prefer to be at the famous and quirky Algonquin Hotel, or possibly at the Drake a bit further up 6th Ave.


Continued

[VillageVicar]

Part 3

The Millennium is an old hotel that has been given a fresh breath of life. It has been stripped and remodelled with a contemporary d�cor, although the lobby/reception areas still show some of its original architecture. The location is just off of Times Square and the street itself between 6th Ave and Broadway (right at Times Square) isn�t the most pleasant city block in Manhattan. As I recall, there�s a Duane Reade�s pharmacy on one corner and a long-standing popular restaurant, but for the life of me, I can�t recall which one. Again, in that area, just to get a bit away from Times Square, I�d much prefer (in this general class) either the Algonquin, or possibly the massive structure of the Hilton further up 5th Avenue.

If you�re adamant about staying near Times Square and having a moderate rate, you might consider the Courtyard located at 110 W. 40th. And, of course, if Mega hotels don�t bother you, there�s the Marriott at Times Square.

I wish you well

Fr Bill

[LuBlu]

Brilliant VillageVicar, exactly the type of feedback I was looking for. Someone who has been and seen the hotels... We've chosen the immediate Times Sq area due to being somewhere with something going on on all sides of it, from previous experience I don't want to be too far east or uptown (the Mum in law isn't a good walker).

Thanks again

[VillageVicar]

LuBlu, thank you for the kind word. However, I would encourage you to consider being slightly farther uptown. My thought is tri-fold: Noise, accessability, and safety. (yes, I know, there are police on every corner at Times Square)...that certainly doesn't make it 'safe.'

If you�re looking for some other options, in the mid-price range is the Buckingham at 57th and 6th

http://buckinghamhotel.com/hotel/hotel.cfm

Nearby would be the famous Carnegie Deli at 54th and 7th, which you may have seen in some of Woody Allen�s films (Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, etc.), a couple of blocks north is Central Park and a couple of blocks east is Fifth Avenue, where you can turn left and hit Bergdorf Goodman�s and Tiffany�s, or head south and cover Brooks Brothers, Cartier, Saks Fifth Avenue and everything in between.

In the same area as the other hotels you listed, you might wish to look at the QT. Again, not what I would typically use, but certainly different:

http://www.tablethotels.com/Hotel/en/6666/Revi ew/The-hotel-QT/New-York-New-York-USA?_SID_=20 071018175154-ab630594556e5280baafa53076844d54


Despite the Times Square being cleaned up quite a bit, it still remains a magnet for some interesting characters. I�d rather scoot over to Madison Avenue and stay at the old Roosevelt, which certainly may appeal to your in law�and you have all the benefits of Grand Central Station, the famous Oyster Bar, Brooks Brothers, etc. all at your fingertips.

I wish you well

Fr Bill

[Dee Sa]

also put on your list the Marriot Marquis on Times Square, its where Arnie took the white horse up in the bullet lift in the film True Lies.
We always stay there, its so central and the steak house is to die for.Good luck wherever you stay.
my friends once won a competition, one way on Concord and stay at the Four Seasons on Central Park, they did not like the hotel.