If you're like most people who are planning on taking vacation in 2010, you're probably beginning to think about where you want to go, and, if New York City is on your list then now is the time to start planning and booking. New York is consistently on the top of the vacation destinations list year after year, and, even with over 70,000 hotel rooms available for booking on any given day, it's always wise to have reservations in place and not take the chance that the hotel of your choice will have availability.
So how does one go about selecting a hotel in New York City? It can easily be broken down into three steps of planning: who is traveling, what you plan to do in New York City, and, price.
Who is traveling?
It might surprise you that not all hotels, especially in New York, are not created equal, and, what might work for the business traveler might not work for a family or honeymoon couple. For example, you might be very surprised to learn that only a handful of hotels in New York (specifically Manhattan) have swimming pools, and, for families a swimming pool is often high on the criteria list. Likewise, a honeymoon couple who find a great deal on a four or five star hotel in the Wall Street area maybe disappointed with location as a non-business traveler since many of the the Wall Street area restaurants and businesses close on weekends. So that's why what you plan to do is such an important part of selecting your hotel.
What you plan to do in New York City
If you're like most people visiting New York City, you'll want to visit the major attractions of the city, and, generally speaking many of these lie within the area known as Midtown Manhattan. Midtown Manhattan is approximately 31st Street to 59th Street running South to North and from Third Avenue to Ninth Avenue running East to West.
Getting even more specific most tourist will find midtown West the "best" location for visiting purposes. Midtown West will give visitors access to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Broadway theaters, restaurants, and, tour buses. Additionally, it will put you within a few blocks of the 42nd Street/Times Square subway station that will allow you to get to other parts of the city fast and inexpensively.
Price
What is often shocking to people is that sometimes (but not always) hotels of higher quality can be less expensive than those of lesser quality. In other words, sometimes you can book a 3.5 or 4 star hotel cheaper than a 3 star or lower status hotel. How is this possible? The answers will range greatly and could be anything from a promotional that particular hotel is running to booking in early and getting a great price.
Keep in mind the average price of a NYC hotel room is $350 per night, and, there are few off-peak times in New York City so year round high prices are common. The best way to price shop is to either enlist the aid of a travel agent who specializes in New York City or use online websites such as Travelocity and Expedia to help you price shop.
Keep in mind booking early will help ensure the best availability and usually the best prices. Armed with knowledge you'll be able to find the best hotel for your needs for your visit to New York City.
Enjoy the Big Apple!
NYC from New Jersey
Did you know that New York City is easily accessible from nearly every part of New Jersey? These links will help you plan your NYC trip:
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