Book by: ASAP
Travel by: Through September
The deal
There are few more thrilling cities to visit than New York, with its dynamic, inimitable mix of world cultures, towering skyscrapers, and vibrant neighborhoods. Forever reinventing itself, the Big Apple has new gems to discover on each and every visit. And, this summer, see the latest additions — and spend less — with our top hotel deals.
Notoriously expensive, we’ve rounded up five surprisingly affordable specials in a few great New York City neighborhoods like the Bowery, Meatpacking District, Chelsea, and Midtown. Rates start from only $99/night.
In the heart of the city’s fashionable Meatpacking District, the historic Jane Hotel offers some of the most affordable and unconventional accommodations in Manhattan. Originally built in 1908 as a sailors’ lodging house, the red-brick Georgian-style building on Jane and West streets once sheltered Titanic survivors for 25 cents per night.
Recently restored, the landmark property now boasts 200 hip, little guestrooms decked out like cabins aboard a yacht. Rates for these 50-square-foot berths start at only $99/night, with amenities that include 23-inch LCD TVs, DVD players, free Wi-Fi and iPod docking stations. Downstairs, the hotel’s Victorian-style lobby bar is a trendy destination for thirsty creative types and the city’s hottest nightclubs are all within easy stumbling distance.
Celebrate summertime in the city with an affordable stay in the Big Apple’s popular neighborhoods. From now through September 7, New York City visitors will receive 15 percent off rack rates at three boutique Gem Hotels in Manhattan. Stay in Midtown, where you’ll find comfortable accommodations just steps from the Empire State Building, Macy’s and the Broadway theater district.
Other affordable Gem locations include Chelsea and Soho. Discounted summer rates start at just $135/night, a price that includes free high-speed wireless Internet and local calls, and wide-screen flat-panel LCD TVs.
Designated as a national literary landmark, the storied Algonquin Hotel has played host to New York’s writers and cultural elite for more than a century. It all began shortly after World War 1, when Vanity Fair writers and literary giants such as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and Robert E. Sherwood began lunching together in the hotel’s Rose Room.
Known as the Algonquin Round Table, the group met regularly for nearly eight years, collaborating on hit plays, bestselling books, and critical articles that changed the face of arts and theater for good.
In keeping with its legendary literary traditions, the hotel is now offering a special discount to fledgling and professional writers: 25 percent off rack rates though 2009. Come with your published manuscript or work in progress to snag the low rates (we found Writer’s Block rates in mid-September from $199/night).
For classic New York City accommodations, consider a stay at the grand Waldorf Astoria, a luxury hotel since 1893. From spacious guestrooms to innovative dining to its posh new spa, this elegant landmark property leaves little to be desired.
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Take a Bite Out of The Big Apple
Book the Waldorf’s Museum of Modern Art VIP ticket package and you’ll receive free VIP admission to one of the world’s premier art institutions (allowing guests to bypass lengthy ticket lines). Visit the museum before October 5 and you can catch the Travels in Conceptual Art exhibit. We found the MoMA package available in August at a cost of $269/night, for deluxe queen accommodations. The package is offered through 2009.
Manhattan’s formerly rough-and-tumble Bowery has been racing to reinvent itself in recent years. Alongside the tenement buildings that once defined the neighborhood, visitors will now see plenty of upscale shops and restaurants, a thriving gallery scene, and the monumental New Museum of Contemporary Art. Following the gentrification, the imposing 21-story steel and glass tower of the Cooper Square is the latest design hotel to open in the area. Designed by Carlos Zapata, the building’s architectural features have been likened to a shark’s fin. Inside, you’ll find 145 spacious and sunlit guestrooms with twice-daily housekeeping, 400-count Italian Anichini sheets, and high-def flat panel LCD TVs. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer stunning views of the downtown skyline, and rates start at $375/night.
The dollars
Based on double occupancy. Taxes and fees are additional.
The catch
Thinking of parking in midtown? Fahgettaboudit.
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