Where do I stay? Everything is so expensive :(

3 of us aged around 25 plan on staying in NYC for a week.

I%26#39;m not sure which street or location would be best and everything seems SO expensive.

I have a brochure from my travel agent and everything seems to be AT LEAST AUS $400 per night even for the cheapest oldest hotel.

I really really don%26#39;t like old hotels. Some in NYC even have haunted-looking wall paper etc.

Is there something that would feel clean, comfortable, modern or refurbished, at an afforable rate?

I am used to staying in around 4 star hotels but I%26#39;m afraid I may not be able to afford to do so in NYC.

Is Brooklyn a good and Safe location to be staying? I just found an affordable Brooklyn Holiday Inn Express (what is appealing is its newly built).

HELP! Don%26#39;t know what to do!

Where do I stay? Everything is so expensive :(

Since you%26#39;re fairly young and, since you%26#39;re on this website and hence have access to a computer, why don%26#39;t you use the internet and sites like Google.com to find travel information and sources?

Why rely on a last-century paper brochure from a middleman, when about 90% of the civilized world now books travel and lodging directly from a home computer?

quickbook.com

travelzoo.com

kayak.com

http://www.cheaptickets.com/

There are deals to be had.

Secondly, it%26#39;s clear you need some basic education about NYC, so you need a guide book and a map. (you can get those for FREE, again, on the internet and from your automobile club). Brooklyn used to be a city unto itself. It%26#39;s big. It%26#39;s not just a neighborhood.

Thirdly, you can learn all about geography, safety, subways, etc., by reading our FAQ ';sticky'; at the top of this forum.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k1948627鈥?/a> FAQ_Frequently_Asked_Questions_for_NYC-

Do some research.

Finally, you need to give us more specifics if you want us to give you specific recos. What%26#39;s your exact budget ceiling and when are you coming here?

Where do I stay? Everything is so expensive :(

Since hotel rates fluctuate, giving us the dates of your anticipated visit would help us be helpful to you. Also, what kind of room/sleeping arrangements are you envisioning -- e.g., are you 3 planning to split up into 2 rooms or will 2 of you be sharing a bed?

Hi Bianks ... first thing I%26#39;d do is have a look at Quikbook - www.quikbook.com and then sign up for their email alerts. They have 72 hour sales of hotels every now %26amp; then which are really good value and send weekly emails. You can then check here on TA the reviews to see photos etc of the hotels they are offering.

I%26#39;m sure the local experts would like to know when in the year you%26#39;re planning on visiting NY and also your budget so they can help some more. Good luck.

Oops I must have been slow typing ... there were no responses when I started - sorry for the repeat!

Looking over your previous posts, I have to say that I%26#39;m not quite sure why you%26#39;re coming to NYC at all. This city is many things, but clean/comfortable it is not. Least of all the sort of hotels in the low price range you%26#39;re looking for. This is an old city, and if you%26#39;re bothered by ';haunted-looking wall paper,'; I imagine there%26#39;s plenty more you won%26#39;t care for.

Yep, I see I inadvertently cross-posted too, but I trust queensboulevard understands how that happens. Bianks, another good online resource is the Frommer%26#39;s website; they post much of their guidebooks%26#39; content online -- and it%26#39;s free, and updated much more frequently than the guidebooks in the library %26amp; bookstores. Here%26#39;s the portal to the NYC section; take some time to scroll through the many pages:

www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/

You might also enjoy spending some time on the Not For Tourists - New York%26#39;s website.

http://notfortourists.com/NewYork.aspx

Although I think purchasing their guidebook makes more sense than printing it off on your home computer, they do make downloads available for a modest fee:

Bianks, hopefully this will be of some help - we just got back from NYC, and had quite a nice stay at the Wellington Hotel, which is on 7th Ave. at 55th Street. Yes, it is an older hotel, but very clean and well kept - the staff was great, and best of all, the prices were right! Our room averaged $180 per night, which is a steal in NYC. There were no refrigerators or coffee pots in the rooms, but there was a restaurant on site, a Starbucks right across the street, and several small stores nearby where you can purchase anything you need (water, snacks, etc.). The best part about the hotel is the location - it is within walking distance to everything! Central Park is 2 blocks north, Times Square about 5 - 6 blocks south, and Rockefeller Center about 4 - 5 blocks over. I made my reservations through their website, www.wellingtonhotel.com - hope this helps!!

We will be visiting in mid-April.

I%26#39;m not sure on our exact budget as regardless or not, we want to visit the city, so if it means we have to pay a little more, so be it. But I want the best value for money, as anyone else would. Say around AUS $300-$400 per night at absolute MAX on my conditions below-

It is really important to me that we feel safe in the area and that the room is clean and if possible, modern or refurbished.

The sleeping arrangments don%26#39;t bother us, singles or double beds.

Though I am doing my own research, I will probably get my travel agent to book the final thing. I%26#39;ve heard of people having their credit cards charged incorrectly and so on, so that may be a way to avoid being ripped off.

AlicePalace - I hope for my room to be clean/comfortable, not the city.

How much research have you done? Keep in mind that your travel dates influence hotel rates. Today A$400 = US$281. Is that amount what each person can afford per night or does A$400 have to cover all three of you per night? Take a look at these hotels and websites.

Pod Hotel http://www.thehotelnewton.com/

Chelsea Star Hotel http://starhotelny.com/index.php

Chelsea Lodge Suites

Hotel Newton http://www.thehotelnewton.com/

www.chelsealodgesuites.com/gardensuites.html

http://new-york.hotelscheap.org/

鈥itysearch.com/bestof/winners/budget_hotel

Bianks - In the FAQ sticky linked above is this discussion on safety, which will help you readjust your expectations:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k1504171鈥?/a> Crime_fear_and_safety_a_collection_of_posts-

Also, I wouldn%26#39;t worry too much about cc problems booking online. Our entire trip to Ireland in November was set up using the internet to search and find a car, hotels, flights, dining etc. We booked via travel websites and also directly via emails to hotels. No problems whatsoever.

If you%26#39;re really that worried, tell your cc company what you%26#39;re doing in advance (you should tell them anytime you travel anyway, so they don%26#39;t call you 17 times asking about weird purchases and restaurants).

Heck, AMEX called my spouse when she bought 2 pairs of very expensive shoes in one day!