Coming to New York City for the Holidays?

So you want to come to New York City for the Holiday Season, but think it’s too expensive? Well, with average hotels room rates hovering at about $275 per person, and much more during the Holidays, you’re instincts are correct: New York is expensive. There are, however, a few affordable places that can make that dream destination quite manageable-and you might have enough money left over to buy a Yankee’s or Mets baseball cap.

But first, instead of trying to find the cheapest hotel, or place to stay, consider a few factors. Staying in lower Manhattan, Chinatown, or Upper Manhattan, might, in theory, save you a few dollars. But if you need to jump on a subway, or take a taxi, every time you venture out of your hotel room, the cheaper rooms might end up costing you more. Additionally, if getting where you want to go takes twenty or thirty minutes-that’s twenty minutes going out in the morning, another twenty or thirty coming back after lunch, another twenty or thirty minutes going to dinner, another twenty or thirty minutes coming back, that’s almost two hours a day in travel time. In a taxi that could easily add up to ten dollars or more per trip, forty or fifty dollars a day. So, consider carefully where you want to stay.

Ideally, in New York you want to be able to walk to your destinations. That’s why most of the big hotels are centrally located in midtown Manhattan. Central Park is a short walk, as is 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Center, the Broadway Theatres, many stores and many museums. During New Years Eve everyone wants to stay within walking distance to Times Square, where the tens of thousands of tourist congregate to watch the ball drops. Having to take a subway, with thousands of reveling drunks isn’t very fun. Also, because of the crowds, taxis are almost impossible to find. This leads many to automatically assume they will not be able to stay close to the action. Here is a list of a few places you might want to consider.

And, remember, book earlier as rooms fill up rather quickly. You should also realize that when a hotel is listed online as filled, often by talking with a hotel representative directly you will be able to find a vacation room. Also, many people book rooms in more than one hotel, as a backup; later, when they’ve decided on which hotel they want to stay at, they cancel reservations, freeing up otherwise booked hotels. This means, continue to check until you find the room and location you want.

Americana Inn Hotel
69 West 38th Street (6th Ave. and Park)
http://www.americanainnnewyork.com/
No phone listed
Christmas week: $145.00
New Years Eve: Sold out*
After January 1st: $75.00

Amsterdam Court Hotel
226 West 50th Street (7th and Broadway)
http://www.nychotels.com/amsterdam.html
Phone 1-888-66-Hotel
Christmas week: $297.00
New Years Eve: $417.00
After January 1st: $189.00

Washington Jefferson Hotel
318 West 51st Street
http://www.wjhotel.com/
Phone (212) 246-7550 or (888) 567-7550
During Christmas week: $199.00
New Years Eve: $349.00
After January 1st: $189.00

414 Inn (Bed & Breakfast)
414 46th Street (9th and 10th)
http://www.414hotel.com/
212-399-0006
During Christmas week: Need to call Inn directly for Holiday rates.
New Years Eve: Need to call Inn directly for Holiday rates.
After January 1st: $189.00

La Quinta Manhattan
17 W. 32nd St., (Broadway and Fifth Ave.)
http://applecorehotels.com/la-quinta-manhattan/
Phone (212) 290-2460 or (800) 551-2303
During Christmas week: $249.99
New Years Eve: $329.00
After January 1st: $125.99

Grand Union Hotel New York
34 East 32nd Street (Park Ave. and Broadway)
http://grandunionhotelnewyork.com/
No phone listed
During Christmas week: $150.00
New Years Eve: $200.00
After January 1st: $150.00

Regency Inn and Suites
215 West 34th Street (7th and 8th)
http://www.regencyinnandsuitesny.com/Index.htm
Phone (212) -947-5050 or (800) 651-6111
During Christmas week: $192.00
New Years Eve: $202.00
After January 1st: $192.00

Portland Square Hotel New York
132 W. 47th Street, New York City
http://www.portlandsquarehotel.com/index.asp
Phone (212) 382-0600 or (800) 388-8988
During Christmas week: $139.00 – $269.00
New Years Eve: $269.00
After January 1st: $129.00