Pre- Breakaway hotel

[smartinm]

Hello,

 

I been reading a lot of threads on this board and have read a lot of good advise, but I am still confused and unsure about where to book, and I see you guys are super helpful! We (My fiance and I) are taking the train from Buffalo to NYC Penn station on October 7 (my fiance really wanted to take a train, this will be a loooong day).

We are hoping to get a hotel that is not super expensive, under 200 a night would be best...maybe around 150, really the cheapest the better, but still somewhat decent (we board Sunday)...so I'm not expecting 100$ of course. That being said, we realize it will not be possible to stay in Manhattan with that budget.

So what I am looking for is a hotel that we can get to from Penn station area to it the day of arrival, and that we can easily get to the NCL cruise port Sunday AM. We are open to both taking public transportation or a service for getting to the hotel the day we get there and the Sunday, but we want to for sure take public transportation into Manhattan the rest of the time. We want to basically spend all Thurs-Sat in Manhattan and will only be in the hotel to sleep. I hope I gave all the information needed, but if something is missing please ask. Thank you in advance for all the help. You guys are so awesome!

[markeb]

You're looking for 3 nights, midweek, in October, correct? And you're arriving at Penn Station.

 

The hotel guru on this board is Carol (138east), and she's the dean of Hotwire. My gut, without searching, tells me what you're looking for is going to be very difficult to find, but sometimes something amazing pops up on Hotwire.

 

The less expensive hotels are in Jersey, generally, but you're coming into Manhattan, so you have to factor in transportation to and from Manhattan into any decision to stay in Jersey. Midtown/midweek, unless that is just a really lucky week, is probably more like $300-350 on a good day.

 

I would get onto Hotwire and any of the other sites you normally deal with and see what kind of rates you're seeing. Then come back with questions.

 

Or, wait for Carol to figure this out, which is kind of the norm on this board...

[smartinm]

Okay! I will go on Hotwire right now.

 

But it would be 4 nights, Arrive Weds and check out Sunday.

 

Yeah I know it is impossible to get anything under 200 in Manhattan, but I was hoping for something better in, say, New Jersey that has easy access public transportation and we would probably try some sort of transport service to get to the port Sunday AM.

 

Thank you for the reply!!

 

In Hotwire they list a few in North Bergen, would this are be good for access to transportation to Manhattan? It's a big area though, would be worried about being near the bottom

Edited July 13, 2015 by smartinm

[markeb]

Okay! I will go on Hotwire right now.

 

But it would be 4 nights, Arrive Weds and check out Sunday.

 

Yeah I know it is impossible to get anything under 200 in Manhattan, but I was hoping for something better in, say, New Jersey that has easy access public transportation and we would probably try some sort of transport service to get to the port Sunday AM.

 

Thank you for the reply!!

 

That may be doable. Check out the Port Liberty 411 thread; there are places in Jersey with good public transportation back into Manhattan. I think several folks have had good luck recently with the Robert Treat in Newark, for instance. BUT, you might get lucky and find a deal somewhere in Manhattan! They do happen, and October is certainly better than September!

[138east]

I'm in Oregon and will look at this in the morning. What time does your train get into New York Penn Station? How much luggage will you have?

Edited July 13, 2015 by 138east

[smartinm]

I will be looking forwards to your reply!

 

The train is scheduled to arrive at 6:23 PM (but I have read on here that they are never on time)

 

And I am am thinking right now we will probably have either two wheeled suitcases or one large suitcase and two small carry ons (my fiance usually uses his gym bag as a carry on that he can just hang across himself or put on top of the suitcase, mine will likely be a wheeled carry on). Is this too much? We can always try for one large suitcase and one small carry on, it might just be tricky in October when we need to pack warm clothes.

[smartinm]

I've been looking for Jersey hotels and there don't seem to be many in the area right after the Hudson River near the Lincoln Tunnel. There is one that is very cheap and you get access to transportation into Manhattan, but it is not very nice looking and has lukewarm reviews. I found one that is a good price and has good reviews, La Quinta Inn & Suites Secaucus-Meadowlands, but I am not sure if this is too far, but people say it is easy to get to the bus into Manhattan, but could be a while depending on traffic. Do you have anything to say about this hotel? Or do you have any other recommendations?

 

I also looked on Hotwire but I was a little hesitant due to the big area of New Jersey it covers, and I am afraid of being too far from transportation.

Edited July 14, 2015 by smartinm

[smartinm]

Sorry for the triple post! Not able to edit my post anymore.

 

But I googled the two hotels near the Newark Penn Station that Carol recommend in another threat and they are both unavailable on October 10 and 11. Is there something going on that I am unaware of or did I take too long to book? I thought a few months before would allow for better deals, but I might have been wrong :S

[markeb]

Are you looking at Hotwire? Can you direct book a cancelable rate? If so, grab one and keep shopping. These things change. That's also a holiday weekend (Columbus Day).

[smartinm]

Thanks for the suggestion! And I didn't realize it was holiday weekend! That makes sense then.

 

What do you think about booking a hotel near the Newark airport? Would this be too much of a hassle? The Hampton Inn Newark-Airport was recommended to me, and I see they have a shuttle to the airport, so was wondering about taking it to the airport and then take public transportation from the airport into Manhattan. I am just not too sure if this would be a long, long trip or doable.

[markeb]

I'm not a good person to answer that one, I'm afraid. I know it's doable, but it's longer than the Newark Penn Station area. And, at that point I don't want to steer you wrong!

 

For reference, PATH maps and schedules are here http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html if you're planning to go back into Manhattan.

 

Check out the 411 on Newark Airport hotel and transfer options. They are doable, and there are some good descriptions of how to do it. You could also take NJ Transit, or even Amtrak, to the airport when you get into New York Penn Station. Most of the NE Regionals go to Newark Penn and/or Newark Liberty.

[vondofife]

Have you considered staying in the Newport area of New Jersey? Look at the Courtyard Marriott, Westin and Hyatt Regency. All located next to a PATH station and close to the Newport Mall. Lovely views from the walkway by the Hudson across to Manhattan.

 

I live in the UK and haven't visited NY or NJ yet. I'm suggesting these hotels based on what I've read on here - this is the area I've chosen to stay in after our cruise next March.

[138east]

Sorry for not getting back to this sooner - I've been on my own adventure in the airline system between Portland and Boston.

 

My first concern is the train from Buffalo to NYC. Which train are you planning to book and what time does it arrive in NYC?

 

Hotel - it appears there is some sort of event in Newark on the weekend that has caused those hotels to be fully booked. However, there are plenty of rooms at the airport. The best deal I can find for you is through Kayak for Easy Click - Country Inns for $118 plus Tax for a total of $143/ night

 

Reservation Details

 

Country Inn and Suites Newark Airport

 

100 Glimcher Realty Way Newark New Jersey 79015

rooms:1

Room Type:Standard King

Adult(s)/Child(ren):2/0

Check In:Oct 07, 2015

Check Out:Oct 11, 2015

Room Cost: $470.32

Taxes/Fees: $96.40

Total: $566.72

 

Cancellation policy appears to be 3 days. You may have to prepay this hotel. Check the details as they would apply to you.

 

This is a very popular hotel for Cape Liberty cruisers - free breakfast and located next to the Jersey Gardens Mall with access to restaurants like Ruby Tuesdays, Ihop, Applebee's, Johnny Rockets, the Marriott Courtyard, and a food court. Train transportation to midtown is $12.50/pp each way. Train and PATH transportation to downtown NY is $11/pp. Bus transportation is also available for less money, but on an infrequent schedule (may be best for an inbound trip).

 

If you decide to do this, post back and I'll give you all the transportation details - web sites for train, PATH, and bus maps and schedules.

[mjkacmom]

If you are planning on staying in NJ, you will want to take the train to Newark Penn Station.

[138east]

If you are planning on staying in NJ, you will want to take the train to Newark Penn Station.

 

I'm not sure about that. I'd check the schedules and prices carefully. They are coming from Buffalo, which means they would have to change at New York Penn Station. Chances are that the train might be late or the Amtrak connection is not good or reliable. IMO it's just easier to plan to pay for NJ Transit to Newark Airport and be done with it. The NJ Transit trains run about 4 times an hour.

[smartinm]

We booked the Lake Shore Limited, which I think I saw on their website might experience delays (which says on their website will have possible Delays between Hudson and Albany-Rensselaer, on top of them being known for being usually late, so I am not sure if we will truly make it there close to the arrival time. We would probably just go straight to the hotel when we get in). It departs at 8:51 AM from BUFFALO-DEPEW and arrives at 6:23 pm at the Penn Station in NY.

To be honest, I'm not super excited about the train, would have rather flown in, but he really wanted to experience a long train ride haha We will see how that works out for us :P I will keep positive and have an open mind.

 

I will check out your suggestion and report back! I will check expedia.ca just in case, I forgot to mention I am Canadian, so just to see if with the dollar conversion it ends up being a better deal. (But the budget I had posted was in USD)

 

Thank you so much for all the help!!! You guys are incredible

Edited July 15, 2015 by smartinm

[smartinm]

Carol,

 

I must be slow, but I am not seeing the price you are seeing anywhere. I googled "Kayak for Easy Click - Country Inns and Suites Newark Airport" and nothing. Is that just ont he regular Kayak website?

 

I'm seeing the hotel on Canadian ex and it is listed at 185$ CAD a night (before tax) but says the total in USD would be 700$. There seem to be only suites left.

 

So would staying in this area be better than staying a hotel on Jersey City across the Hudson? I haven't really found nice hotels in the area, but it is much closer.

[smartinm]

Thank you for the suggestions! I looked into them but price wise for the dates we need them, they are very close to Manhattan prices, thank you though!

[smartinm]

Okay I realize I look like a crazy woman talking to myself. But just found the site you meant, and I also found a 45$ off promo code which would mean the hotel would come to 521 USD or roughly 671 CAD. Amazing!!! I think I will for sure book it, I probably won't find anything close to this anywhere else. I think since we would only do it twice a day, 1 hour bus trip shouldnt be awful (specially if we survive the almost 9 hour train! haha)

[138east]

That's a great deal for Country Inns. I have stayed there. It's the best all round deal for you - free breakfast, Jersey Gardens Mall access, food access, transportation access, and a terrific price.

 

I will organize the web sites for the NJ Transit train and buses and PATH and post back. Do you have any specific plans in NYC? Doesn't really matter, but if you're winging it, it's even more important to really understand your public transit options at various hours of the day and night.

[smartinm]

We do have some plans! We got a two day NY pass (yes I realize some say this is not a good deal, but we liked the convenience of not worrying about paying for stuff and carrying less USD with us). I haven't exactly planned the days, but we will be seeing the common touristy places. I am thinking we would probably head to NYC early in the morning and then stay there till late at night (or as late as the transit allows). We do have a Broadway show book Sat AM, so that's the only day I am a bit concerned since it might be late.

 

I really appreciate all this help!! You have been wonderful, I've been struggling for a while trying to find a hotel and your help have made things so much easier.

[smartinm]

Okay about to book, but I was just thinking I've never heard of this website before. Have you ever had any troubles with it?

[138east]

I have not used this site. I checked the reviews and they are not good. Could be a problem. Checking some more. Your dates are tough.

[smartinm]

Yeah I just looked too, so I am not sure if I want to book with them. That being said, the cost is now what I had listed before from Canadian Ex for about 900 CAD. The other hotel I was recommended is a similar price, the Hampton Inn Newark-Airport 1128 Spring St., Elizabeth, New Jersey, 07201, USA . Are you familiar with this one? If there are the same price, I am not sure if I should pick the Hampton since it does have a shuttle to the airport. I am not sure if its paid or complementary.

 

edit: Actually not sure about the shuttle now, can't find it again. Not sure what I saw

Edited July 15, 2015 by smartinm

[138east]

Sorry about EZ Click. I made an assumption that kayak would deal with reputable vendors. My bad.

 

All the airport hotels have free shuttles.

 

My next suggestions would be to look at a park/sleep through Trinityreservations.com. Yes I know you don't have a car. Their rates for the Ramada Plaza are $139 for the first two nights and $146 for the last two nights TAX INCLUDED. We recommend them all the time. They are a reputable faith based company and very nice to deal with.

 

I would email them to see how you would get 4 nights in a row. Their normal client base are folks staying just one night, ditching their car for 7+ days and flying out. Unfortunately this hotel does not offer a free breakfast, but unlike many airport hotels they have a cafe, a restaurant and a sports bar. From this hotel you woud have to take the hotel shuttle to the train or train/PATH to get to NYC. There is also an hourly bus that goes from Frontage Road to Newark Penn Station for train or PATH connections.