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Azriel
Member
08-01-2000
| Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 9:52 pm
I'm busy planning out my honeymoon. Here is the basic itinerary : May 14 - 16 Niagara Falls, Ontario May 16 - 23 NYC May 23 - 27 Washington DC I think I've found a good hotel in Niagara Falls. I'm looking for good hotels in NYC and Washington DC and I hoped I could get some suggestions. The prices we have seen on the internet are just staggering! Anyone have any suggestions for me?
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Rslover
Member
11-19-2002
| Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 10:55 pm
Congratulations! What part of NYC were you thinking of? There are SO MANY hotels and yes, they are expensive. Would you rather a B&B type of place as opposed to a larger hotel? Peter Greenberg has written a few books on travel tips. Here is an article he wrote. You might want to check out his books, Hotel Secrets from the Travel Detective and The Travel Detective: How to Get the Best Service and the Best Deals from Airlines, Hotels, Cruise Ships, and Car Rental Agencies I have also heard that you DO NOT get the best rates if you call the 800 # of a chain. (Some of this may be irrelevant for your trip but might be helpful in the future). 7 Ways to Save on Your Next Hotel Room If you're the type of traveler who just wants a decent place to hang your hat and you don't want to spend a fortune to do it, here are seven ways to save on your next hotel room: Be flexible Hotel rates are based on supply and demand, so be aware of peak periods. If your destination's high season is from December through April and you're trying to book near the end of April, you might find considerable savings if you change your travel dates by a week or two. Also, keep in mind that at many properties you'll be charged peak-season rates for your entire stay even if you straddle the dates between peak and nonpeak seasons. So ask when rates go down. Use your frequent-flier miles If you have a credit card that allows you to earn frequent-flier miles for purchases, contact the company (or visit its Web site) and ask about hotel deals or promotions during the time you'll be traveling. Also check with any airlines for which you have frequent-flier miles. Web sites such as WebFlyer.com track current promotions and offer tips about maximizing your miles. Check hotel web sites The large travel-booking Web sites often sell rooms from consolidators who have bought up empty hotel rooms. But the major hotel chains also offer last-minute discounts, and because they're not paying the middleman (the consolidators), they sometimes have better deals than the travel sites. Don't be afraid to haggle Most people are so intimidated by know-it-all hotel desk clerks that they don't try bargaining for a better deal. But negotiating for a better deal is often worth the trouble, because most hotel general managers would prefer having a customer paying a lower-than-usual rate to no customer at all. And if you find something on your hotel bill that you feel is unfair -- such as an outrageously high phone charge -- don't be afraid to complain about this either. To keep your goodwill, hotels will often reduce or eliminate such charges. Look for weekend deals at business hotels High-end chain properties that cater to business people are often busy only on weekdays. To fill up rooms on weekends, such hotels often drop their rates dramatically on weekends. Because many of these places are in leisure destinations such as San Diego, Palm Springs, and Miami, they're worth considering even if you're not traveling on business. Make an online bid Depending on the destination, you can save 30 percent or more off a hotel's regular rates by using bidding sites such as Priceline or Hotwire. You choose one or more levels of quality (e.g., two-star or three-star properties) and one or more neighborhoods or cities and then make your bid. You'll know within minutes if it was accepted (by which time your credit card will have already been charged). One strategy that experienced bidders employ is to target areas on the fringes of popular destinations such as the California Wine Country and Orlando. You can often get a good deal by doing this and still wind up fairly well situated. Avoid hidden costs Pricey little extras that hotels never mention can significantly increase the cost of your stay. Don't let this happen. Find out about resort fees, fees for parking, Internet use, safe-deposit boxes and fitness centers before you agree to stay. And don't touch the hotel's phone unless you absolutely have to -- the rates at many large properties can be more than $2 a minute even inside the United States. Also, don't book yourself into a hotel that has amenities, such as business centers or in-room fax machines, you don't need, because the cost of providing them is factored into your room rate. Related Links: • Peter Greenberg's Tips for a Safer Hotel Stay • Follow the "Fodorites": 25 Romantic Getaways • Follow the "Fodorites":15 Great American B&Bs; LINK How to Find Great Hotel Deals - From a great site, Ehow.com that has tons of info on every conceivable topic. To find a deal on a hotel room, be thorough, be flexible, and know where to look and what to ask. The steepest price a hotel charges for a room is the rack rate (the hotel's standard price for a room sans discounts), and your goal is to get well below that inflated figure with package deals, off-season rates and savvy bargaining. Steps: 1. Plan your vacation well in advance and during the off-season, or midweek when hotel rates are far cheaper--up to 50 percent-- due to less demand. Call the hotel and ask for the exact day its off-season rates start. Timing is everything. 2. Call the hotel and ask about package deals, promotions and special discounts for seniors, military, students, corporations or American Automobile Association (aaa.com) members. When you're quoted a rate, ask if less expensive rooms are available. 3. Book your room via the Web: Many hotels offer discounts for commission-free online transactions. Major online agencies, such as HotelDiscounts.com, Hotels.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com and Travelocity.com, have special arrangements with thousands of hotels, offering room rates you can't get on your own. 4. Ask if kids stay free if you're traveling with your family. Find out if the rooms have kitchens or kitchenettes--you'll save a bundle by preparing your own meals. 5. If you're very flexible about the type and location of a hotel, let name-your-own-price online travel agencies such as Priceline.com and Hotwire.com do the haggling for you. You save up to 40 percent on published room rates, but there's a catch: The hotel, room, neighborhood and rate are not disclosed to you until after your room is already charged to your credit card (however, they usually come pretty close to meeting your requests). Overall Tips: If you're staying at a hotel longer than seven days, haggle for one free night per week or ask about weekly rates. Overall Warnings: Beware of hidden costs. Taxes, surcharges, resort fees and "incidental" fees tacked on to your bill are common and rarely mentioned until you check out, so be sure to ask if there are any extras charges on the agreed room rate. If they are tacked on without your prior approval, refuse to pay them. LINK
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Azriel
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 7:01 am
RSlover, there are a lot of good tips there. Thank you. Both of us have never been to NYC or Washington DC before. We really have no idea where we want to stay in the city. We know that we would like to be in walking distance to stores, food and tourist attractions. We want to be in a relatively safe area of town. For NYC we have looked at this website The Applecore Hotels They have some good rates at the La Quinta. It's on 32nd Street between Broadway and Fifth Ave. It seems to be close to a lot of places, but we don't know if it's a good neighborhood to be roaming around in or not.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 7:24 am
Az...my advice for hotels in NYC would NOT be good for a honeymoon, as I stay in a "bathroom down the hall" place at Times Square. Most hotels will be within walking distance from the subway, and I would suggest getting subway passes and using them. They are also good on the bus, which makes an excellent and cheap tour of NYC! I have stayed at the Howard Johnson's both in Times Square and a little further up on about 48th. The Days Inn on 48th or 50th is very nice and caters to tourists, so your room won't be tiny. I also stayed down in Washington Square when I interviewed at NYU. Nice hotel. Dicey neighborhood between the hotel and the parking garage. BASTABLE should check in and give you advice. He's a travel writer and lives in NYC. I think he's lived in the neighborhood of your La Quinta. In DC, also get a train pass. I stayed at the Holiday Inn that is a little north and west of the White House. They had rooms with kitchens and that helped with the horribly high food costs in DC. Good luck!
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 7:44 am
Check out turbotrip.com. I use that site whenever I travel. I have used it for Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. 32nd and fifth isnt a bad neighborhood. Not much around there for sightseeing but you can get around New York in minutes so it wouldnt be an issue. Macy's is a couple of blocks away, Times square isn't far. 32nd and Broadway is only four blocks from a major subway station which has access to a lot of subway lines. It also isnt too far from Chelsea which has some great and reasonably priced restaurants.
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Rslover
Member
11-19-2002
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 10:09 am
Then I would suggest you stay in midtown 34-53 Sts. Too far east would be a pain (east end, 1st Ave, 3rd.) I would say 5th, 6th, 7th, Broadway would be best. Most of the lines are accessible and you can then easily go uptown to the museums, or downtown to the village, seaport, and chinatown by subway. Buses are slow with the traffic and cabs are expensive! The Zagat survey books would be helpful to you. Get a room on the highest floor if possible, because NYC can be noisy. This site rates hotels by reviews from various sources. Obviously rates for #1 are high, but just keep reading until you find one in your price range. TRIP ADVISOR HOTEL RATES AND REVIEWS
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Azriel
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 3:34 am
I just got through addressing and putting together all my wedding and party invitations! Woot! I'm glad that's out of the way. We have gotten all our hotel reservations and we are ready to start planning what we are actually going to do. Here's a repeat of our itinerary: May 14 - 16 Niagara Falls, Ontario May 16 - 23 NYC May 23 - 27 Washington DC We have Niagara Falls planned out. We will only have one full day there, the 15th, to see things and we booked a tour that will take us to see everything that looks worth seeing on that day. New York and Washington are another story. We want to see some touristy things, but we hoped we could get some ideas from ya'll for things that a tourist might overlook. We aren't big about seeing the shows or doing a bunch of nightclubs. We are the historical site, museums and other unusual and interesting stuff kind of people. I would love it if you can give us any ideas of cool things to see while we are there. I got a little boo-boo face and told Kady, "No one has even said, Hey Az, why don't we get together while you are here" Kady said, "Well, Duh! They know you are on your honeymoon and probably don't want to horn in." So, I officially give anyone permission to horn in if they want. I'd love to get together for dinner and/or drinks with anyone that will be around when we are there.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 3:55 am
Well, if you are the historical site/museum type....you can't miss the Smithsonian in DC. AND it's free! There is also a nice boat ride to Monticello for something different. And for a little piece of Europe (LOL) go see the National Cathedral. I attend services and concerts there when ever I'm in DC. The government offices are interesting and I think that they still have tours of the FBI. There are lots of quaint and interesting places to eat in Georgetown, as well. NYC...well, I usually see shows, but there are interesting OTHER things to see and do, too...I love Central Park and the Times Square area and the Washington Square area. Battery park is nice and you can take the Staton Island ferry for a view of the Statue of Liberty...is it back open for tourists? Ellis Island is very interesting, too. I'm assuming that you booked the Lady of the Mist for Niagara! Have fun. I have commencement when you are in Niagara, and a conference the next week, or I would love to meet with you.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 6:42 am
Congratulations!! It sounds like a wonderful trip. I've been to D.C., but can't offer any tips as our trip was 20 years ago. I just remember enjoying everything. (Smithsonian museums were awesome)
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 7:46 am
Holocaust Museum in D.C. is a killer on the emotions, but worth seeing.
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Sunday, March 06, 2005 - 10:03 am
Wow, congratulations again Azriel!! I love trip advisor!! Its a great resource!
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