Any hidden gems?

Hey folks!

So I have just booked two tickets to JFK on flights 3 outbound and 4 inbound, which I am hoping to make my first 340-600 flights.

Anyone know of any amazing hotels that are reasonably cheap within Manhatten or within reasonable travelling distance to the centre? Also, all the hotels that seem to be coming up on places like hotels.com have cheaper rates for shared bathrooms and then the price rockets by about 2 or 3 hundered pounds for private bathrooms. Why?! Does nowhere have reaosnably priced shared bathrooms? I am not sure I can come to terms with this concept, I won't know anyone else using it! But I am hard pushed to fork out a couple of extra hundred for my own bathrooms. Any recommendations would be great!

Also, does anyone know of any hidden gems that we can get up to while there? We will be doing all the usual cliche'd touristy things like Central Park, Empire State and Ground Zero, but what else? Something that not a lot of people know about that you guys have done which just blew your minds. y)

As well (sorry to harp on!), does anyone have any experience with the New York Pass? Was it worth it? Would you do it again? ?|

Recommendations on bar's and restaurants also greatfully received

Thanks boys and girls, look forward to hearing from you!!

I have always sworn by Priceline, I go every christmas and always get a bargain with them. Last year I got the intercontinental for £98 per night, the rack rate was $1550 and advertised rate £267-450 per night plus tax!!!

Use the name your price function- bit like an auction but only bid what your comfortable paying and only in an area you really really want.

Oh wow, that sounds like the bargain of the century. What happens on the bid bit then? How does it work? What if I don't bid enough? I am assuming I will just lose the bid?

I am not going 'til May, but I like to get all this stuff sorted early, because otherwise I tend to just panic!

Hi,
Going myself on thurs ,will be only my 2nd visit so still a relative novice compared to alot of fellow v-flyers but the one thing I would recommend would be an open top bus tour of manhattan ,we done in November and you get to see so much in a couple of hours but wrap up well !
Blacky

Hi AJWR,

I have been to NYC for the past two years and am heading back there again in April this year. I can highly recommend the Distrikt Hotel. I've stayed there on my past two trips and am returning there again in April this year.

Re the New York Pass, we used that year before last and have to say it was well worth the money. We made good use of it and the savings we made virtually covered the cost of the card.

If you want to know anymore, feel free to message me and I'll try any answer any questions.

Regards

Kyle

Central Park Zoo
Sea Lions & Luminous frogs

Oh wow, that sounds like the bargain of the century. What happens on the bid bit then? How does it work? What if I don't bid enough? I am assuming I will just lose the bid?

I am not going 'til May, but I like to get all this stuff sorted early, because otherwise I tend to just panic!

If you don't bid enough, your bid is rejected and your card is not charged -- you can bid again in 24 hours, or earlier if you add more areas or star ratings.

It is a great site if you know what you are doing -- my advice would be to read up on it first. There are plenty of web guides, and a good site (better bidding, I think it is called) with advice and hotel lists for cities.

Others may disagree but I think that where priceline comes into its own is when you don't or can't plan ahead -- last-minute bargains pop up in good hotels which have empty rooms. But obviously that is a risky tactic for a holiday, and like I said earlier, I would make sure you are comfortable with the process before you bid because bookings are unrefundable.

If your bid isn't high enough they will come back to you, asking you to change part of your bid-the price, area, star quality etc.. Or come back in 24 hours and try again. Monday and Tuesdays seem to give the best results, bidding on a weekend or Friday when everyone is cheering themselves up looking at holidays makes the prices and bids sky rocket. You are not bidding against anyone else in the traditional sense, just the indivual hotels.

This system isn't designed for booking too far in advance but its worth a try, you may get lucky. Also google for conventions in NYC for when you are goingas that raises prices I can see there are two big ones between 19-26th so if going then, sooner rather than later maybe the best advice in booking hotels.

I wouldn't use anything else apart from Priceline in the USA. It allows me to stay in nicer hotels than I normally would use.

Top of the Rock (Rockefeller centre) - best views in NYC
The High Line (http://www.thehighline.org)
Guggenheim museum
One hour harbour cruise (Statue of Liberty Zephyr Cruise)
Soho
etc.......!! Enjoy.

A..... shared.... bathroom :0

Never tried Priceline, but that's mostly because I was under the mistaken impression that it was far less targeted than it is. Our usual approach is to book something cancellable early with Booking.com and then monitor the prices closer to the date.

Depending on what you mean by 'bar', McSorley's is fun and the Heartland Brewery serves seasonal brews...

Paul

[mitchja]

I always stay at the Hotel Mela

It's quite small and compact with no catering facilities but the rooms and nice and most are a reasonable size. It's literally a 60sec walk to Times Square. They often have special offers and I've never paid silly money to stay there considering it's fantastic location.

Having just returned again from New York last week I am a serial user and big fan of the New York pass - the one with 70 Included attractions - not the others.

Do some planning of what you want to see and group things together. Take into account that museums close on different days as well

Also get an unlimited ride metro card which is $30 for a week.

Try backbid.com for hotels whey you put in dates, area facilities and class abd approx budget and hotels will bid for your custom. You only enter your CC details when/if you chose a hotel .

Sorry and last week I stayed at the Dylan on 41st and Madison and v close to Grand Central Terminal and the NY Public Library.

Room was good size and clean etc.,only downside was the dire wifi but other than that was a good hotel.

And hidden things

JP Morgan Library
Museum of the City of NY
NY historical societiy
NY public library has good exhibitions

Thanks so much for all your response and advice guys, I will definitely look into the New York Pass and see what we can get. Is it still valid at weekends two, as we are going Thursday to Tuesday, so it might not be worthwhile if it isn't.

I will certaily check out the hotels you have all recommended too. I am not sure I can allow my brain to compute the prospect of a shared bathroom, so I would really like to try and get around this.

One other thing, I am planning this trip as a surprise for my sister, is there anyway Virgin would send me actual tickets for the trip, or am I going to have to just print off the email??!

Cheers!!

Thanks so much for all your response and advice guys, I will definitely look into the New York Pass and see what we can get. Is it still valid at weekends two, as we are going Thursday to Tuesday, so it might not be worthwhile if it isn't.

....

One other thing, I am planning this trip as a surprise for my sister, is there anyway Virgin would send me actual tickets for the trip, or am I going to have to just print off the email??!

Cheers!!

Yes it is valid 7 days a week.

Forgot to say book it from Expedia via Quidco for 12% cashback. The Pass online site seems to have perpetual al la DFS sales so get your calculator out for which is cheaper. It is far more expensive to buy in person at one of the NYC vendors.

You can get paper tickets but at something like £30 a pop.

Defo Top of the Rocks, especially at night to see the colours on the Empire States Building. Restaurents : Lobster Grill if you want something upper class and Rosie O'Grady's for pre-theatre (or anytime)good food and atmosphere.
As for hotels, I would recommend Holiday Inn Express, 45th Street, 5 mins walk from Broadway, Times Square etc. great staff, typical quick self service New Yorker breakfast included, which was surpirsingly good and tho I can't remember the price, it must have been good or we would not have used them (plus getting the HI Priority Club Points). Ok so no great views from the rooms but very clean and the position could not be faulted.
Get a cab into town from the airport as waiting for the bus (if it actually turns up and if you can actually get on it!)is a waste of your valuable holiday!
Have a great time, check out what shows are on as well before you go, you can book tickets on-line and pick them up at the will-call (ticket office) when you get there.

Have a great time, check out what shows are on as well before you go, you can book tickets on-line and pick them up at the will-call (ticket office) when you get there.

But don't be surprised when the audience whoop and holler every time somebody vaguely famous makes an appearance on stage.The RSC it ain't, but that's just how things are done...

Brilliant, thank you very much.

I will certainly look into everything that you have all mentioned, and hopefully we will have an awesome time =D

Just got back from 4 nights in NYC.

If you fancy splashing out on dinner, we went to Jean George, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel and Per Se. We would recommend them all.

I can recommend the Embassy suites hotel near Battery Park, southern Manhatten. The only downside is that its a 25 min bus ride to the likes of Times Square. However, the hotel is quiet and you get two rooms, a lounge area and bedroom with complimentary breakfast and afternoon cocktails.

Very good for ground zero which is about 200m away, and good for the war memorials and ferrys to statue of liberty.