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| The cute Mayfair on 49th in Manhattan |
I am not a hotel snob, in the slightest. I do not spend
enough time at a hotel to warrant me to be one. I have stayed at two hotels in
NYC and I enjoy both of them for different reasons. If neither of these are
available or are not your style I have recently started using Booking.com in a
similar fashion as searching flights on Google. I will say that I always book
on the hotel’s website, it eases my anxiety a bit knowing I’ve booked through
the actual hotel rather than a third party. Though that tends to just be for
New York. When I have traveled to other locations I have used Expedia and had
great experiences.
THE MAYFAIR NEW
YORK
242 W 49th St.
New York, NY 10019
(800) 556-2932
First off, if you don’t like toile print (white background,
pastel prints on it) then the Mayfair is not for you because the rooms are
Toile-a-palooza. The Mayfair is the first place my mom and I stayed in NYC and
where we stay when she goes.
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| Toile-a-palooza |
It definitely has its advantages. For one thing, every room
has a private bathroom (more on that if you read further). When I discovered
that the Mayfair had single rooms which were much more economic for solo travel
it became a game changer. Another advantage is the location. It is located on
49th between Broadway and 8th Avenue and is within about
7 blocks of most every Broadway theatre. The 50th street subway
station is close (ACE12BDFM are all available within a block or so).
The hotel is located on the same block as the Ambassador
Theatre (where Chicago is playing) and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre (where The
Book of Mormon is playing). There is a diner around the corner that serves
amazing brunch, an Italian restaurant in the hotel, and another down the block,
not to mention countless other bars, restaurants, stores, etc.
This hotel is nice if you are planning to exclusively see
shows or have a higher budget.
THE JANE HOTEL
113 Jane Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-6700
The Jane has become my home away from home and I felt like I
was cheating when I did not stay there on my last trip.
This is a hotel with a rich historical background. It has
been a YMCA as well as a hotel and it is actually, according to information in
the rooms, where the survivors of the Titanic sinking were taken. It is also
about a block away from the site where Alexander Hamilton died following the
dual with Aaron Burr.
Some things to note about this hotel. It is cheap. The most
I have spent on a single room is $125 per night and that was at a peak travel
time. Usually it is more like $79-99. Of course there is a catch: the room is
tiny, like think the size of standard master bathroom, and you share a
bathroom. I found this diamond in the ruff in 2013 and was rather apprehensive
about all of this when booking from afar. However, when I got there the staff
was so pleasant and the history was so rich that I did not care about the
compromises. Also, I don’t go to New York to hang out in a hotel room…it is
simply a place to safely store my stuff and sleep so these compromises are fine
by me. Oh, and the shared bathroom is CONSTANTLY cleaned, has locks on the
doors for the toilets and showers, and has an ample supply of shampoo,
conditioner, and body wash.
A benefit or drawback, depending on how you look at it, is
that there is a rooftop bar and club, and apparently it is quite the hot spot.
This means dragging in after a night of theatre to a line out the door and
having to remind the bouncer that you could care less about ‘clubbing’ and just
want to sleep. It hasn’t really been a problem for me, just sometimes annoying
because of the volume.
The hotel also has a restaurant in the lobby. When I started
staying there it was a French restaurant, but that closed a new rustic Italian
restaurant has opened and I have enjoyed it, especially for brunch right before
leaving for the airport.
The Jane offers three types of rooms: a standard cabin, a
bunk bed cabin, and a standard room. I have stayed in all three. The first two
have a shared bathroom and the standard room has a private bathroom along with
a king sized bed and great views of the Hudson River. In January the standard
room is generally around $125 per night and is a great option for a couple or a
girls’ trip. Honestly, that room is pretty huge even by ‘normal’ hotel
standards.
The major drawback to The Jane is it’s lack of proximity to
a subway station. The closest station is at 14th and 8th Avenue…8
blocks…half a mile. If you don’t mind walking in the heat or cold, snow or
rain, then The Jane is a fantastic solution. If you don’t mind using Lyft or
Uber then The Jane is a fantastic solution.
The walk to the station is a nice one and there are great
restaurants on the way and fun shops plus a park market in the warmer months
that I absolutely adore. Since it is located in a more residential area the
neighborhood is much quieter than Times Square. Also within a few blocks are
the Whitney Museum (if you’re into museums) and the High Line which is a
transformed raised railroad tracks which has been turned into a park and
extends from Gansevoot Street to 34th Street. It is a great walk and
takes you through several neighborhoods and has great views. It is 100% on my
list of must see places if you’ve never been to the city before.
Depending upon your personal plan for a trip each of these
hotels has its advantages and disadvantages. I have had nothing but great
service at both and I would highly recommend them both.
AIRBNB
Personally, I have never used AirBnB in NYC, but I have
friends who have and have had really good experiences. I feel more comfortable
in a hotel, but you can get some steals especially if you have a large group
going or you are comfortable sharing someone’s apartment.
NEW JERSEY AND
OTHER BOROUGHS
I have seen in some groups people suggesting to stay in
Jersey or one of the other boroughs (Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten
Island). I have stayed in Jersey once and it was fine, though getting into Manhattan
was an adventure we still talk about to this day. Personally the convenience of
Manhattan if that’s where I’m spending the majority of time is worth the
additional expense to me. Brooklyn is very up and coming and I know plenty of
people who swear by staying there and doing things there, but I am not one of
them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When I started this series and posted how much I spent on a hotel a friend commented how much less that was than when they stayed in California and asked if I paid rent on someone's closet. I did not, however, I have said that really in NYC all I need is a cot and a small room with a lock to keep my stuff because I am in the hotel so rarely, which is true. When I travel with someone else I adjust somewhat, but for the most part this is how I travel. Also, as some sort of return from the universe I had a room in Chicago a few years ago that was bigger than any apartment I ever lived in! Sometimes the universe is cool like that.
After everything is all planned the next job is...
Packing: You Don't Need Everything You Think You Need
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