Hotel Help!

4 families going to New York City to celebrate grandparents anniversary - includes 5 teenagers. We are trying to decide between Hilton Times Square , Westin Times Square and the new Residence Times Square. Which hotel is best when traveling with teens. How does Residence compare with Westin and Hilton?

Thanks

Hotel Help!

HI, DEB -- I think a suite arrangement is especially good when traveling with teens, but the suites at the Residence Inn TS are appreciably smaller than the chain%26#39;s norm and the decor might be a bit ';funky'; for the older crowd who probably would consider it rather chintzy-looking for the money. Service at the Hilton is much better than at the Westin which feels a bit too sterile for me (plus the clothing/luggage storage space in the standard Westin room %26amp; bath is skimpy, especially for a family).

Are you wedded to the idea of staying in Times Square? The reason I ask is because the grandparents in my family would find that to be a far-from-ideal location: the crowds, the ';sensory overload'; jangle their nerves, make them feel edgy. Plus, it%26#39;s definitely not the best neighborhood for dining or for shopping. If so, take a look at the Sofitel; last month, they had some decent pricing, its room sizes are generous for Manhattan and it feels more serene than one might expect given its TS location.

But, honestly, I%26#39;d encourage you to expand your horizons and consider accommodations in another part of town.

Hotel Help!

My 19 year old son and I (mom) just returned from New York City yesterday. We stayed at the Westin Times Square for 3 nights. I can%26#39;t tell you how much time I spent on this forum trying to decide where to stay! Here%26#39;s what I think about the Westin.

Location: PRO:Yes, it%26#39;s Times Square, but it%26#39;s at the opposite end of the block, so you don%26#39;t have the bright lights and the noise. A Loews Cinema and a Mexican restaurant are accessible through the lobby. Out the back entrance is an AMC and Madame Tussaud%26#39;s wax museum. Two stores down is a Cold Stone Creamery. It%26#39;s really close to several broadway theatres. Out the side door and 1 store down is a great deli that we went to every morning. Out the side door and across the street is a subway stop. Out the front door and across the street is a Ben %26amp; Jerry%26#39;s. I mention all those things, because it%26#39;s something the teenagers might be interested in. There is also a Shula%26#39;s Steakhouse on the lobby floor. I heard it%26#39;s good. CON: The crowds on the street (43rd) that backs up to the hotel at night get a little questionable. We were there on the weekend, so I don%26#39;t know if it%26#39;s always like that. There were A LOT of teenagers loitering on the sidewalks around the AMC and Cold Stone at night. The lobby door is locked at a certain time at night and only accessible with your room key which is great for security. This keeps the Loews and Mexican restaurant people out of the hotel. We stayed out past midnight every night and never felt unsafe as we were walking back to the hotel.

Rooms: We had a standard room with 2 double beds on the 41st store. It had plenty of room. The beds are very comfortable. The bathroom was very spacious. The closet was plenty big, but you would need to request more hangers. We used the safe everyday. There was a foyer in our room that you could use to store luggage. There was also a bench that held 2 big suitcases. It has a very large flat screen t.v. that my son loved, and a large desk that we used to put stuff on. We had a great view out our wall of windows.

We never heard any sirens or other street noise. The window opens and you can get fresh air. I didn%26#39;t like the pillow and would bring my own next time. The elevators were quick and we rarely had to wait.

Price: I got a special package. Purchase 2 nights at $359.00 and get 1 free. They have specials all the time.

Perks: It was raining our last day there and they gave us a nice big umberella to use as we went shopping. Dean, the concierge was very nice and helped us figure out how to get to the ferry that took us to the Cirque du Soleil - Corteo. Every time we needed a cab, the doorman got one for us - quickly. Nice big lobby to sit in and people watch. Upon request, we were given a 4:00 check-out time.

Suggestion: Keep your luggage with you and take it to your room yourself. It took about 30 minutes for the bellhop to arrive and we were itchin%26#39; to get out on the streets.

I would definitely stay there again. Being close to the subway and Times Square made everything convenient and exciting. We had such a good time!

On another note, my mother stayed at the Rennaissance Times Square and loved it. They weren%26#39;t able to guarantee me a non-smoking room because of a convention, so I didn%26#39;t stay there.

Blessings, my compliments on your detailed report.

Perhaps I should post this as a separate thread, but I%26#39;m going to just jump in with a related questions.

I am planning a trip to NYC to celebrate my mother%26#39;s 80th bd and have been reading the forum assiduously. I am also in a quandary as to hotel.

CockleCove...and others...please suggest alternatives to the TS location that (1) would be suitable for an older person who can%26#39;t walk tremendous distances (2)is maybe a blend of a lively neighborhood and residential area (3) not too much more than $300/night.

Unfortunately, I am limited to a cancelable reservation, as we have very ill family members.

Our main objective is Broadway shows. We have done the SOL and ESB, although eons ago. We will probably just explore the various neighborhoods and shop, in addition to the theater.

Many thanks to all who post on this forum. I have learned so much and enjoy the personalities expressed within the content.

I could have made myself clearer about one of the aspects of the Westin I disliked. Yes, there is storage space for suitcases in the closet [we too also had a large foyer but not every room has one] or on one of the windowside benches, but drawer space is virtually non-existent (I%26#39;d say there was none, but since it%26#39;s been a year since I was there, that recollection may not be entirely accurate). So you%26#39;re having to haul out a suitcase from the closet anytime you want to retrieve something or have the suitcases sitting around the room. And the space available for leaving toiletries in the bathroom is quite skimpy. For families traveling with teens, it%26#39;s a design which seems even less desirable.

One of the suggestions I would make to Deb, who seems to be most interested in a ';known quantity'; chain hotel, is the Embassy Suites adjacent to the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan. In addition to the fact that it offers quiet slumbers (a combination of design %26amp; because it doesn%26#39;t front on any streets which get much traffic), is along a beautifully landscaped Hudson River esplanade, is an easy (for most folks) walk to westside subway lines for quick access to Greenwich Village, Times Square and beyond, its FREE and extensive breakfast buffet -- offering a variety of hot %26amp; cold choices to suit the pickiest or heartiest eater -- is not duplicated in any other hotel. And if the teens are anything like my son, that%26#39;s worth a chunk of change in your pocket :-)

Sofibella, have you considered an Upper West or Upper East side hotel? Another possibility for you %26amp; your mother might be a B%26amp;B or inn such as the 1871 House, lovely location on E. 62nd St., very fair pricing, and good reviews here at TA.

http://www.1871house.com

For Deb, I would go with the Doubletree Guest Suites in Times Square. All suites, more room. The suites are all 1 bedroom whereas the Residence Inn is studios (all one big room).

For the other poster looking for an alternative location, if you%26#39;re going before the fall, the Rihga Royal is the place. Also all suites but about 10 blocks north of Times Square. Still well located for theater. The Blakely is another hotel in similar area with some suites.

The other idea is midtown east where there are the San Carlos (which CockleCove loved), the Kimberly and the Affinia 50.

I keep forgetting about the Doubletree -- that%26#39;s a great idea, whiz, for those wanting a Times Square-area accommodations with more ';elbow room';. And the Rihga is an excellent value right now because it%26#39;s undergoing renovation, and yet, all of the recent reviews here at TA say that%26#39;s not having an adverse impact on one%26#39;s stay there. I%26#39;ve not yet stayed at the Blakely myself, but given nywhiz%26#39;s repeated endorsements and the great TA reviews, I%26#39;m going to try to convince my out-of-town SO -- who prefers the east side -- we should try it for our next mini-vacation ;-)

blessings...I like your name.....how did you get the buy 2 nights, get 1 night free? Was that a special on their website?

Thanks.

I have stayed at the Doubletree Suites in Times Square and highly recommend it. Although some question the busy area of the hotel, it is the location that makes it so convenient for tourists. My teens loved the area also. My mother has knee problems and if we had stayed downtown or upper areas, we would have had to use a taxi alot more often because she cannot walk down all those steps to the subway. In Times Square you are close to the subway, bus lines, but yet you can walk to the theater every night, walk to 5th Ave., Rockefeller Center, etc. The rooms in the Doubletree were large and you cannot hear the street noise from inside. The visitors center is just a few doors down and you can get free internet use to check your e-mail. If you cannot affors the Doubletree, the Hilton Times Square is also very nice, great service, and large rooms.

Baby007 - Yes, I got the buy 2 nights get one free on the Westin website. They had several options to choose from.

Cocklecove - There were 3 big drawers in the piece of furniture that holds the tv, to put clothing in. The bathroom has a 3 shelf metal rolling table that will hold 3 toiletry bags. Maybe they changed some things since you have been there - maybe because of suggestions from their customers. There is also a hook in the bathroom that holds a nice comfy robe.

A recollection of two drawers for clothes [1 for each of us] is now coming back to me, blessings, but a bathroom trolley cart was definitely MIA %26#39;cause I remember we were laughing about putting the kleenex box on the floor under the sink so we%26#39;d have some room on the narrow ledge. I did like the airiness of our very generously-sized corner room with its large windows (we were on the ';Club level';) and the bed was quite comfy :-)