Hof
June 8th, 2008, 11:56 AM
The plan was to get a hotel for a full week and spend some serious time in the City.
The plan was to spend more time in NY than I usually do,giving me the freedom of leisure to drop off the beaten path and see things that I ordinarily bypass when my visits are limited to 3 or 4 days--as they usually are.
The plan was to be executed in June or early July,my favorite time in NY.
This trip,along with the expected museum hops,pub-crawls and architecture sightings in Manhattan,I also wanted to go to City Island,explore Malba,check out the Panorama at Queens Museum and spend more time in Brooklyn with friends,but all my plans have died an early death due to the almost total unavailability of hotel rooms in town.
I've done dozens of trips online,so I am intimate with the discount travel outlets--ie; Travelocity,Hotels,Orbitz (all of them with the same last name-- dotcom)--and over the years of visiting I've gotten to know a few people in the NY hospitality business,but all my computer time and all my contacts yielded nothing.
The criteria were simple.
A quick budget flight from Tampa to JFK (or LAG),a semi-budget hotel room in a two-star hotel (like the Belleclaire,On the Ave,even--if they are still there--the Pennsylvania.) and a full seven days to indulge in New York; the goal is to do the city neccessities--air and a room--for under $1200,then spend a thousand entertaining myself for the week,but the criteria grew elusive.
I started planning about two weeks ago.
First,budget air is not so cheap anymore.A quick Tampa-to-JFK on Jetblue has gone from $99 last summer to $149-179 now.I did find a $129 flight out,but it required me to be in the TSA patdown line at Tampa Airport at 5AM ,which is a dealbreaker.
Then,trying for a string of seven days that coordinated with my flight plans anywhere in a Manhattan hotel proved impossible at any price,except at the $350+/night places.The best I found--at two places and the ONLY things I found under $150--were all well North of 85th St,too far afield to satisfy my Midtown-and-below wanderings.
And room rates aren't so budget-y anymore.Last year,over the July 4 weekend,Belleclaire was getting $129 (plus all the absurd "taxes" and fees that get tacked onto hotel rooms),this year,the best I got was $159 (plus,etc.).And that was for three nights only,because I know the Management.Then I found two more nights elsewhere,but that would be a $179/night deal.Then I'd have to move again...
My $1200 budget just got a 30% bump (plus tax,etc),and I'd have to pack and unpack and move around Manhattan chasing rooms,like a priviledged homeless guy or a parole violater.Nope.
I'll try again,maybe for late August,but I'm tired of the emnormous logistics when trying to organize something that,on the surface,seems so simple.
The plan was to spend more time in NY than I usually do,giving me the freedom of leisure to drop off the beaten path and see things that I ordinarily bypass when my visits are limited to 3 or 4 days--as they usually are.
The plan was to be executed in June or early July,my favorite time in NY.
This trip,along with the expected museum hops,pub-crawls and architecture sightings in Manhattan,I also wanted to go to City Island,explore Malba,check out the Panorama at Queens Museum and spend more time in Brooklyn with friends,but all my plans have died an early death due to the almost total unavailability of hotel rooms in town.
I've done dozens of trips online,so I am intimate with the discount travel outlets--ie; Travelocity,Hotels,Orbitz (all of them with the same last name-- dotcom)--and over the years of visiting I've gotten to know a few people in the NY hospitality business,but all my computer time and all my contacts yielded nothing.
The criteria were simple.
A quick budget flight from Tampa to JFK (or LAG),a semi-budget hotel room in a two-star hotel (like the Belleclaire,On the Ave,even--if they are still there--the Pennsylvania.) and a full seven days to indulge in New York; the goal is to do the city neccessities--air and a room--for under $1200,then spend a thousand entertaining myself for the week,but the criteria grew elusive.
I started planning about two weeks ago.
First,budget air is not so cheap anymore.A quick Tampa-to-JFK on Jetblue has gone from $99 last summer to $149-179 now.I did find a $129 flight out,but it required me to be in the TSA patdown line at Tampa Airport at 5AM ,which is a dealbreaker.
Then,trying for a string of seven days that coordinated with my flight plans anywhere in a Manhattan hotel proved impossible at any price,except at the $350+/night places.The best I found--at two places and the ONLY things I found under $150--were all well North of 85th St,too far afield to satisfy my Midtown-and-below wanderings.
And room rates aren't so budget-y anymore.Last year,over the July 4 weekend,Belleclaire was getting $129 (plus all the absurd "taxes" and fees that get tacked onto hotel rooms),this year,the best I got was $159 (plus,etc.).And that was for three nights only,because I know the Management.Then I found two more nights elsewhere,but that would be a $179/night deal.Then I'd have to move again...
My $1200 budget just got a 30% bump (plus tax,etc),and I'd have to pack and unpack and move around Manhattan chasing rooms,like a priviledged homeless guy or a parole violater.Nope.
I'll try again,maybe for late August,but I'm tired of the emnormous logistics when trying to organize something that,on the surface,seems so simple.