Jane loves New York. But for the longest time, Jane couldn't afford to go to New York, thanks to the city's lack of affordable, mid-priced properties and its sky high hotel rates. During the city's halcyon days, the combination of international travelers cashing in on a weak dollar and business travelers experiencing the high life caused hotels to sell out at $400, $600, $800 a night--no questions asked. When Jane tried to book one of the few decent economy hotels in the city last May, she found rooms going for more than $350 a night.
Well, dear reader, there is one piece of good news for travelers during these grim economic times. New York City hotels are affordable again, thanks to the double whammy of the strengthening dollar overseas and corporate travel budget cuts at home. Now that the foreign traveler spending spree has ended and business travelers are staying home or downgrading, Manhattan hotel prices have come back to earth. They are still high, mind you, especially taking into account the extra 20% one has to pay in taxes. Still, $175 a night at a mid–priced hotel sure beats $350 a night at the same hotel just six months ago.
Not only that, but during the early days of the hotel boom in Manhattan, which started in late 2002, developers started realizing that the city needed more mid–priced hotels. The results of their prescience are now coming to fruition, as a number of mid–priced properties have started sprouting up all over the island. Wyndham has been a big part of the trend. The company now has three mid–priced hotels in central Manhattan––two newly constructed Wyndham Garden Hotels, one in Midtown and one in Chelsea, and the recently–renovated Ramada New Yorker near Madison Square Garden.
The three hotels offer a nice variety in terms of location and style (and Wyndham Rewards points to boot). For those attending shows at the Javits, the Wyndham Garden Hotel –Midtown Convention Center is quite convenient. Located at West 36th and 8th, the hotel features a smoke–free, allergy–free environment. The hotel has 224 smartly designed guest rooms featuring Wyndham's Be Well bedding, Clear Air allergy–friendly rooms, complimentary high speed Internet, and 32–inch flat screen TVs. Some rooms offer views of the city's skyline and the Empire State Building. Dining alternatives include Greenhouse 36, which serves eclectic, organic fare. The 24–floor hotel also offers concierge–level guest rooms that include continental breakfast and additional amenities.
The Wyndham Garden Hotel Manhattan Chelsea West is a modern, 17–story high–rise located on West 24th near Broadway. Guests are just steps away from the West Village, Midtown, the Flatiron District and Union Square. The hotel has complimentary wired and wireless high–speed Internet access with “printer on” functionality connected to the hotel's business center. Rooms are appointed with Wyndham Be Well beds, high–definition, flat–screen televisions, and alarm–clock radios with MP3 players. Meanwhile, just across from Penn Station, The Ramada New Yorker's 912 re–imagined Art Deco style rooms come complete with all of the latest technological toys.
All three hotels were selling rooms for less than $200 a night this fall. Prices have been a little higher during shopping season (whatever that means this year), but expect rates to drop again after the holidays. For the best deals on a bite of the Big Apple, visit www.wyndham.com.
