My Urban Sherpa

Have a Grand Week-end,…

Enjoy surprisingly affordable week-end rates at the Soho Grand,…

Bike, Bed and Breakfast at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park

BIKE, BED & BREAKFAST

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park is offering a Bike, Bed and Breakfast Special that coincides perfectly with New York’s best weather, and the NY400 Week / Holland on the Hudson — – a festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture on New York’s Governors Island to that celebrate 400 years of Dutch-American friendship.

Governors Island is a haven for cyclists, offering more than 5-miles of car-free roads, including a 2.2 mile water front promenade with spectacular views of New York City.  Governor’s Island is accessed by ferry from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan, one mile from the Ritz-Carlton.

The Ritz-Carlton is world-renowned for its outstanding waterfront location, panoramic views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and New York Harbor, and excellent service.

The Bike, Bed & Breakfast package includes:

*  Overnight luxury accommodations in a Deluxe City-View Guest Room.
*  Full-day bike rentals for two includes convenient bike pick-up, Trek bicycles,  locks,    helmets, bottled waters and NYC bike maps.
*  American breakfast for two in the hotel’s 2 WEST restaurant.

The Bike, Bed & Breakfast Package is offered weekdays and weekends through
November 14, 2009.  Prices start at $460 USD per couple and require a 2-day
Advanced-reservation.  Supplemental cost for each additional person staying in the
room is $100.  This package is subject to availability and exclusive of taxes and gratuities.

For more information or reservations, please call 1-800- 241-3333 or 212-344-0800, visit the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park City web site.

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Statue of Liberty ~ NYC

The crown of Statue of Liberty, closed as a security measure on September 11, 2001, re-opens to the public July 4, 2009.  Whether or not you view New York from the Statue of Liberty, enjoy a spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty from New York.

To do this in style, stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park City.  One of NY’s most posh hotels,* The Ritz-Carlton offers  a promotional ‘LIBERTY FOR ALL’ package that includes overnight luxury accommodations in newly renovated Harbor View rooms with views of the Statue of Liberty (including in-room telescopes), ferry tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, handmade chocolates in the shape of the Statue of Liberty and American breakfast for two in 2 West Restaurant. Prices start at $375 per couple, weekdays and weekends commencing May 11, 2009, subject to availability, exclusive of tax and gratuity.

*  The Ritz Carlton Battery Park City is included on Conde Nast Traveler Magazine’s Gold List 2009, Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 500 Greatest Hotels in the World 2009,  Institutional Investor World’s Best Hotels 2009 and Global Traveler Magazine’s Top 10 Hotels in the United States.

For more information please contact the Ritz-Carlton.

Affordable Hotels in Manhattan

Hotels in Manhattan

Though there is no dearth of hotels in Manhattan, oddly there is a dearth of affordable hotel rooms. With occupancy rates in the high 80s and something always happening in town, there will be times it appears that you cannot find an available hotel room in any of the many hotels in town, let alone one you can afford. For those for whom money is no object, upgrading to suites will provide accommodations. For those who are appalled at the prices they’d resent paying, but would do so willingly if only those rooms were available – it seems downright outrageous.

The answer is not that you have to book a year in advance, nor travel in from the outer boroughs or from tasteless hotels along New Jersey highways. We can’t recommend either scenario. The option we do recommend for those planning a trip to NY where budget is an issue is to try one of several extremely affordable hotels that book guests for long term, short term, and spur of the moment accommodations.

Now, when the price of an upscale hotel room in town is $600/night, and the middle range of “value” hotels is $400 – the business traveler will feel triumphant to find a corporate rate in the $300 range. There is however a category of truly affordable hotels, where you may perhaps share a bath, or forego room service, in return for significant savings. These hotels offer rooms, with private or shared baths, at just about $100 per night. In choosing among these, we recommend the one in or near the neighborhoods that interest you most – so you don’t spend your savings on cab fare.
Cheers.
Highly affordable NYC hotels:
Gramercy
Hotel 17

Greenwich Village
http://www.larchmonthotel.com/”Larchmont Hotel

27 West 11th Street, NY NY 10011, 212.989.9333

Murray Hill
Hotel 31
http://www.hotel31.com/
120 East 31st Street, NY NY 10016, 212.685.3060

Midtown – West
Travel Inn

Midtown – East
Vanderbilt YMCA

NoLita
SoHotel

Upper East Side
Franklin Hotel
164 East 87th Street, NY NY 10028, 212.369.1000
*The Franklin is twice the $100/night category, but with private bath, complimentary breakfast, wine & cheese, and pet friendly. Upscale amenities in keeping with the neighborhood.

Upper West Side
The Amsterdam Inn