GO ASK JOAN:From finding family-friendly places to stay to seeing the sights and eating out JOHN SCALESanswers your queries about New York
Central hotel for €200 a night
We are a couple going to New York and want clean, central accommodation on a budget of €200 maximum per night – preferably in Midtown Manhattan.
– ED, Dublin
There is no recession in New York and, even with new hotels springing up, rates continue to climb. Tax on room nights in New York has also gone up – allow up to 16 per cent per night. Book as far in advance as you can to get the best rates.
The Apple Core Hotel group has five hotels in Manhattan, around midtown and Times Square. Prices range from $209-$299 (€151-€216) per night with continental breakfast, coffee all day, free local calls and cheap long distance calls. Apple Core's The Hotel @ Times Square has rates in November from $195 (€141) per night ( applecorehotels.com).
If you’re staying for a weekend, check out hotels in Lower Manhattan around Wall Street and the financial district as these tend to be less booked at the weekend and offer good rates. You may find a classy hotel for a good price then.
Using discount sites you can find special offers in New York hotels. Try priceline.com, which is popular with Americans looking for deals. Also hotwire.comhas hotel offers, though the name of the hotel you book will only be revealed when you pay for it or you can pay a bit more to see the name.
Booking for shows and tours
We are a family of six (two adults, four teenagers) travelling to New York during the next midterm break. What’s the best way to book tickets for a Broadway show and sightseeing tours? Is is better value to book in advance online or when there?
– NS, Cavan
The New York City Pass is a good way to get discounts for attractions and skip queues. It includes: the Empire State building, Top of the Rock, the Circle Line tour, Natural History Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Buy it from citypass.com from $79 (€57) for adults and $59 (€43) for minors up to 17 years old.
If you want to see a show on Broadway, then buy tickets in advance. You can see a complete listing of the shows with links to the theatres on nycgo.com/broadway. Or you buy tickets on ticketmaster.com.
Or you can take a chance and queue up at the TKTS booth in Times Square on the day and buy tickets for shows at a discount of up to 50 per cent. You may be queuing for an hour or two.
Apartment for a family stay
Our family is heading to New York for a week and we thought an apartment would be a good option. But there are mixed reports online about legislation passed that stops apartment rental for less than 30 days, so what’s the story? Can you recommend apartments or hotels for Midtown?
– EOD, Dublin
The planned legislation is aimed at illegal slumlords, though strict interpretation of its provisions could affect tourist rentals. You can rent apartments in New York for less than a month, but there are fewer available then you might expect.
There are some companies that rent apartments, and they are unaffected by the legislation. The AKA upmarket chain has locations in Times Square, Sutton Place and Central Park with prices around $600 (435) per night for a two-bed ( hotelaka.com).
Radio City Apartments is near the Rockefeller Centre and is a good spot for exploring the city. It has two-bed apartments for around $400 (€290) a night and one-beds that sleep four from around $300 (€217) per night.
Staybridge Suites ( staybridgesuites.com) near Times Square is a cross between an hotel and apartments. It includes breakfast in its rates of $300-$400 (€217-€290) a night for a suite that sleeps four with kitchenette.
Family hotel room for five
We are thinking about going to New York and Washington with our three kids (nine to 13) in the spring. Any of the hotels I have looked at can only accommodate three people maximum – which means taking two rooms – so an average hotel in New York for four nights looks like costing $4,000 (€2,900)! Is it possible to get a hotel to take five of us in one room or can we rent an apartment for the four nights? And the same for Washington although just for a night or two.
– EF, Dublin
A good option is the Beacon Hotel ( beaconhotel.com)on the Upper West Side on Broadway at 75th Street. It has two-bedroom suites that accommodate a family of six. The Beacon also has a kitchen in each room and is across the road from a 24-hour supermarket. Rates in the Beacon are around $500 (€363) per night for a two-bed suite.
Staying near the opera
I and five other mature ladies have booked the Metropolitan Opera in New York early next March. We want to fly Aer Lingus, but is this the best value? Also, it would be nice to stay in an apartment. I looked up the Envoy Club but the maximum it offers is two-bedroom suites. Do you know of any apartments near Lincoln Centre where the opera is? Someone suggested a travel company in Dublin that offers packages but will we get it cheaper if we book flights and accommodation separately?
– TP, Dublin
Aer Lingus prices in March are just under €500 return, of which over €220 is taxes and charges. The airline normally has a sale at the beginning on January, and you may shave a bit off this price.
Prices tend to increase around March 17th for St Patrick’s Day. Watch out for its flash sales – you can get advance notice of these by signing up for its e-mail newsletter.
Aer Lingus also has the shortest walk in the terminal building at New York, and check-in is seamless, especially if you have been shopping. You can walk from the door to check-in in seconds and the departure area is close by.
There are few apartments with more than three bedrooms to rent in New York through rental companies. Mostly you will find two-bed units with a pull-out sofa bed.
You will find bigger apartments and houses to rent on owner rental sites, such as homeaway.comand vrbo.com. You would be looking at anything from $300-$800 (€217-€580) per night.
If you book through a travel agent you may find that a package deal is good value, as it has discounted fares with Aer Lingus and good rates in hotels.
For example, five nights in a three-star hotel with flights costs around €850-€1,000pps, and in a four-star hotel from €900-€1,100pps. Talk to your local travel agent or see Touramerica.ie, sunway.ie and americanholidays.ie.
Restaurant for Christmas Day
I will be spending Christmas Day in New York. Can you please help with finding restaurants that are open that day?
– MKM, Belfast
There is a great variety of restaurants open on Christmas Day: many are ethnic, but there is also a sprinkling of upmarket and American eateries. Maze by Gordon Ramsey at the London NYC hotel on West 54th is open as is Michael White’s newest restaurant Ai Fiori at 400 5th Avenue inside the Setai Fifth Avenue.
Gallagher’s Steak House is also open at 228 West 52nd St, and the Bowery Hotel and Mercer Kitchen too.
A quick way to find what is open and see some reviews is to check opentable.com, where you can put in the time you want to eat and a list will come up with availability. When I looked for Christmas Day, 192 restaurants came up with availability. You will also find some bars will be open too, serving pub-type food.
For planning trips to New York, check out the city's tourism website nycgo.com.