During our third year of traveling around Manhattan, I’ve become familiar with both the Manhattan attractions that I love and the hotels that I dislike. My personal top picks for the top destinations in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs are the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which I’ll be doing more of in the future), the Empire State Building, the Bowery Hotel on Fifth Avenue, the Museum of Arts & Design, the Jewish Museum, Consolidated Edison Company’s New York Stock Exchange building, the John Hancock Tower, Penn Station, the Lufthansa Plaza, the Times Square subway station, the Four Seasons, the MSG Grand Casino and Macy’s department store. These were my personal favorites, as they represent some of the best opportunities for tourist destinations, museums, and other forms of entertainment in Manhattan.
But what about the best hotels in Manhattan, the ones that I would recommend for a much more casual holiday or business trip? When we look at hotels in New York and New Jersey, I think we all have to admit that we have fallen in love with all of the boutique hotels. These wonderful, unique hotels, many of which we had never even heard of before in our own backyards, suddenly became far more than a place to stay for a few nights during the holidays. In fact, many of the boutique hotels that we find along the Hudson River and in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park are also some of the best in Manhattan. There are all kinds of amazing boutique hotels right in the heart of New York City.
Two of the best hotels that we absolutely adore are the Battery Park Inn and the St. Regis. The Battery Park Inn is right on the East River and has an amazing outdoor pool area, a great view of NYC, and very reasonable room prices. What’s more, it’s Pool Bar offers live music every night. The St. Regis is right in Midtown, but you have to pay more for the privilege of walking the stairs to the elevator rather than riding the elevator. This hotel’s lobby has a fireplace and a fantastic view of the streets below. Unfortunately, there is no outdoor pool, but the St. Regis is one of those hotels that does offer indoor water parks.
One of our favorite places in New York City is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When our family visited Manhattan a few years ago, my husband used to take my sister and me along on a loop through the museums. We loved it so much that we almost forgot about our health insurance. Luckily, in late February we discovered that we could get a discount on a major package that included travel, hotel accommodations, and even a guided tour around the museums. Even better, we got a 20% discount on the regular price when we brought a Group Reservation.
What’s best about this hotel in New York is that they don’t just serve the traditional tourist. If you want to go on a sightseeing tour, you can get special passes for the sightseeing tours of Central Park, the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty. You can also take a free shuttle to the Statue of Liberty from the lobby of the Museum of Modern Art. And we have never had to pay more than forty dollars for a round trip ticket on the New York City Midtown Manhattan Shuttle. If you book early in the year, you can still take advantage of special packages that include hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours, and transportation.
The Best Western Classic Hotel was built in 1923 and is near Penn Station and the World’s tallest tower, the Empire State Building. If you’re interested in taking a guided tour through the city, the best way to do it is on the famous New York City Sightseeing shuttle. You’ll start at the top of the Tower and ride up to the observation deck of the world’s tallest building. The tours usually last a couple of hours.
If you prefer to travel to New York by way of the express train, the New York Grand Junction has four stations and offers express service throughout the day. It takes about sixty minutes to get between NYC’s East Village and West Village. When you visit the cities of Queens and Brooklyn, take the express train and then visit the art Deco district of Queens at Jamaica Bay and the garment district at Jay Street. You can visit both the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. A lot of the best boutique hotels are located within walking distance to these famous museums and art centers so that you can enjoy the entire city at your leisure.
One of the best ways to save money on your airfares, hotels Near Midtown Manhattan tickets and other traveling expenses is to book your hotel rooms and airfares in advance. Booking early can help you get the best deals on airfare, subway entrance fees, and parking since most hotels near the World’s busiest street, Times Square, sell out early. Also, if you are planning a visit to the Big Apple, make sure to book your tickets in advance so that you do not have to pay last minute expenses. It can also help you save money when it comes to the price of your stay since many hotels near the Times Square have special offers during popular seasons.