Good Bargain Hotels in Flushing, Queens, New York
Posted by Stuart at 09:07 AM on April 28, 2006As I mentioned in my last entry, I spent my first night in America in Flushing, NY. Before my trip I checked out hotel room prices in New York City and was shocked at what I found. There was no way I was going to spend $250-$300 for a hotel room in Manhattan. That's the same as one month of rent in a nice apartment in Bangkok!
So I took a chance and booked a room at the Comfort Inn in Flushing. All I knew was that Orbitz said it was near LaGuardia Airport, and that the price was $120 a night. I was a little bit worried at what $120 would get me, but it has turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.
Before I left the hotel yesterday morning, I didn't get a chance to look at the neighborhood. The guys at the front desk said that I was only 5 blocks from the subway, but who knows what those five blocks held. So as I was riding the subway back out, with my new iBook in hand, I was a little bit nervous. If people get mugged in New York for their iPods, what will they do for a new iBook that's still in the box?
Well, it turns out that I had nothing to fear. In fact, I feel quite at home, for I wasn't expecting to travel all the way around the world to be surrounded by Chinese people. But judging by what I saw on those five blocks to the hotel, the population in this neighborhood much be at least 85% Chinese (With 5% white, 5% African-American, and 5% other, such as hispanic and Indian).
So... it has turned out to be a great deal: $120 for a clean room, 5 blocks from the subway (it's the last stop on the 7 Line), relatively close to both JFK and LGA, good neighborhood, free DSL in the room, free breakfast, and a super efficient front desk staff. I'll probably stay here every time I go to New York from now on.
Hi Stuart
Been reading your blog on Thailand off and on for a year or two. Just logged on for the first time since getting back to Australia from Bangkok, Hanoi, and Halong Bay in April ! A bit of a coincidence ?
BTW, I've stayed in some reasonable little hotels in Manhatten for around $80.
It took a bit of homework and luck to find them, but they do exist !
Hi Tim... if you or anyone else has any ideas about cheap hotels in Manhattan I'd love to hear more.
Priceline has always been good to me in NYC. We stayed at the Westin Essex House on Central Park South for $99/night one weekend in late 2003. If you manage to avoid any major convention or festival going on in NYC, rates are available for much more reasonable prices as long as you're willing to do the work (like Tim said).
We always try to stay somewhere within Manhattan in the 20s to Central Park range, so that can be a challenge to get a reasonable price and stay within that zone.
Daaaaaaaaaang, Stuart! You sure get around. Are you still in NY?