Best hotel $500-$600 a night

Please help! I%26#39;ve posted before about wanting a hotel for our honeymoon around 20 Dec 07 - 3 Jan 08 but the more I look a hotels the more confused I get.

Neither I or my fiance have been to NY before so we want something pretty central and ideally 4-5 star. If at all possible we would also like something ';better'; than a standard room and as luxurious as possible.

So far we have looked at and liked the look of...

Michelangelo

Sofitel

The Palace

Berkley

Benjamin

Jumeirah Essex House

thats all I can think of at the minute.

Would anyone recommend any of these over the others?

Also possibly a combintaion of a couple so we could do a week at one and a week at another?

Thanks so much

Best hotel $500-$600 a night

I think I might rule out the Essex House -- I don%26#39;t think you could get a deluxe room (especially one overlooking the park) at that hotel in that season.

I think I would focus on the Michelangelo, the Sofitel and maybe the Benjamin. I don%26#39;t know what you mean by the Berkley, maybe the Blakely? I would definitely also consider the Blakely. Both the Blakely and the Michelangelo are well situated if you want access to Central Park, as well Times Square and other midtown activities like Rockefeller Center and shopping. The Sofitel is another very good choice, but a bit further south and away from the park.

Once you%26#39;ve done your research and decided where you want to stay, I would call the hotel or hotels directly and tell them the kind of special room you want, what your budget is, the occasion, and how long you plan to stay. Even if you split your stay between two hotels, it sounds like you%26#39;d spend at least a week at each, which ought to entitle you to some consideration from the hotel.

Best hotel $500-$600 a night

For a 2 week trip where you%26#39;re willing to change hotels, I would consider a week in one of the listed uptown hotels, and a week in a hotel in Soho, Tribeca or even the Gansevoort in the Meatpacking district. Especially if you%26#39;re young-ish. The Gansevoort is a great place to be on New Years!

I have not stayed in any of your listed hotels, but know the Chicago Sofitel well. The beds are incredible! Based on this alone, I%26#39;d say the Sofitel (not honeymoon specific - I%26#39;m in that bed on biz trips, alone!). I%26#39;ve been in the rooms in the Michelangelo, and while not my decorating style, they are nice.

But, for that kind of budget, if you book now, I would think you could maybe get into the Four Seasons or Peninsula. I could be way off base because its holiday season...

Quikbook.com which is usually a great place for finding good prices has just outrageous prices for those dates right now. I know some if not all will come down. The hotels you%26#39;ve selected are all nice (I agree not sure if you mean the Barclay Intercontinental or the Blakely but both are nice-one is big traditional and one is small with suites like apts.)

I agree with the idea of maybe staying in 2 locations for that long a trip. I think if you told us what sort of place you want (small and intimate, large and glamorous) it would help to steer you in the right direction. Also, are you in your 20%26#39;s and wanting to go out dancing and clubbing or ???

None of the places you%26#39;ve listed are particularly young and hip. If you want that, there are options both in midtown and also further downtown. Would you like a suite with a kitchen (maybe part of the time?)

Hi sorry yes the Blakely :)

We are 22 and 26 but to be honest don%26#39;t really see ourselves clubbing. As we will be away for so long we are hoping to have a few relaxing days as well as visiting the big tourist spots. I particularly want to visit central park. We are also interested in visiting a few different restaurants and being close (either in the hotel or closeby) to somewhere nice for a meal on Christmas day.

In relation to style we are quite open but i think given the season would like something quite traditional (but not old and worn if you know what i mean).

Try looking into the Waldrof, It is really beautiful.

Reviews I%26#39;ve recently heard about the Waldorf are too mixed to feel very confident about booking a room there, although it%26#39;s possible with your budget they would guarantee something nice. However, whether you stay there or not, you can still visit the very grand lobby for a drink and experience what many consider the most striking aspect of the hotel.

If you want to stay at a big festive hotel, I think the NYPalace might be a better choice, although I%26#39;m not sure your budget would guarantee something deluxe, as that is a very popular hotel at Christmas. However, since it is a newer hotel, built about 25-30 years ago, the rooms are more standardized in size,and you probably wouldn%26#39;t have to worry ending up in something tiny, as you might at an older hotel.

The London NY hotel is newly done (used to be the Rihga Royal) and now English owned. Has the first Gordon Ramsey restaurant in the US and would probably be a wonderful spot for your Xmas meal. (near the Michelangelo and the Blakely in the west 50s so near the park).

Another thought is the Trump International hotel. They have a great restaurant called Jean Georges. You might be able to negotiate a nice room there within your budget. It%26#39;s at Columbus Circle even closer to the park and near the Jum. Essex House.

The Carlton on Madison is a newish hotel/renovation quite smart and they also have a very good restaurant called Country. It%26#39;s on Madison Ave. %26amp; 29 st. considered Murray Hill area.

What did you think about the idea of staying in 2 places?

Another idea to try is the Manhattan Club. This is a timeshare property but many of the apartments get rented out. You can rent from the management, from individual timeshare owners or thru other agents. I notice that the London based agent www.apartments2book.com has them here

http://www.apartments2book.com/newyork27.htm

This is also located near the Michelangelo, the Blakely and not far from the park. You%26#39;d have the amenities of an apt. and a hotel. Might be cheaper than a hotel for more space. Some suites have 2 full bathrooms.

http://www.apartments2book.com/newyork27.htm

I quite like the idea of 2 places but i%26#39;m a bit worried about loving whereever we stay first and hating the second place or loving the cheaper of the 2 and begrudging paying more for the other lol.

I%26#39;ve emailed a lot of hotels but those who have replied have said they won%26#39;t publish rates for my stay until february/march time so its hard to know where will be in budget for the holiday period

I know exactly what you mean about the risks of booking two places.Also, an advantage of staying at one place for the whole two weeks is that it may give you a bit more negotiating power. I still think you should look very carefully at the Blakely and the Michelangelo. The last time I was in the Blakely was years ago when it was still the Gorham, and relatives were staying there, but I liked the feel of it and the location. It%26#39;s a smaller hotel with an intimate feel to it on a side street (as opposed to one of the avenues). It has now been completely renovated and has a highly regarded restaurant. I suggest you spend some time going over the reviews for all the hotels on your list and try to find reviews from people who sound like they have the same tastes and expectations as you.

Also, I would be surprised if the rates for hotels like the Blakely, the Michelangelo, and the Sofitel, when published, were not within your budget.