Bi-Coastal Bargains on NY, SF Hotel Rooms

November 12, 2003 -- New York and San Francisco have a lot in common. Both are among America's most walkable cities, places where surprises lie around every corner. Both hum with 24-hour nightlife, and both attract energetic young people from all over the nation. Both cities also have sky-high hotel prices.

Right now, though, two sales are bringing down holiday-season hotel rates for clean, comfortable rooms in both New York and San Francisco. With prices as low as $69 for charming boutique hotels, these lodgings make a big-city Christmas a very affordable proposition.

The Joy of Living in SF

Joie de Vivre is San Francisco's most creative hotel chain. Devoted to providing lodgings both personable and cheap, they're aggressive about renovating their 24 properties and have the most entertaining hotel-chain Web site we've ever seen. On their site, www.jdvhospitality.com, an app called "Yvette the Hotel Matchmaker" will pair you up with a hotel based on your personality -- quiet, or energetic, or businesslike.

Our independent reviews also say JDV hotels are tops. Rates for hotels we like and review include:

• The Andrews Hotel, a "safe bet for an enjoyable stay": $69
  
• The "groovy, revamped ... eclectic" Commodore Hotel: $69
  
• The Savoy Hotel with a "cozy French provincial apartment-like feel": $79
  
• The Phoenix Hotel, a "gathering place for visiting rock musicians": $89
  
• The Hotel Del Sol, the "cheeriest motel in town ... all about festive flair" with a great swimming pool: $99
  
• The Petite Auberge, "pathetically cute ... filled with teddy bears": $99
  
• The "cleverly stylish" Hotel Rex: $109
  
• The Laurel, "one of the most tranquil, affordable places to rest your head ... think W Hotel at half the price": $125
  
• The Nob Hill Lambourne, an "urban health spa ... [that] deserves a top-of-the-class rating": $129
  
• The Jackson Court, "blissfully quiet ... in elegant surroundings": $135
  
• The Archbishop's Mansion, "opulent and fabulously adorned ... all about whimsy and drama": $140
  
• The Hotel Drisco, "one of the finest small hotels in the city": $150

But that's not all. Depending on the personality you choose, you'll also get one of several free gifts for booking online at www.jdvhospitality.com: a free dessert, free cocktails, a gift certificate for a local record shop, an ice-skating pass or even a free night at one of their hotels. Free gifts and low rates are available for bookings between Nov. 21 and Jan. 4.

Getting to the Core of NYC

New York City has the nation's most expensive hotel rooms, and some of the nation's grottiest, most overpriced hotels. (Please, everybody, stay away from the Hotel Pennsylvania.) If you stick with the Apple Core chain, though, you're pretty much guaranteed to get clean, comfortable rooms for a reasonable price -- a breath of fresh air in this crowded city.

The Apple Core hotels have one major perk, too: free Wi-Fi. Yes, the cheapest quality hotel chain in the city has every room outfitted for high-speed, wireless Internet access at no extra charge. We think that makes these hotels an even better deal.

From Jan. 2 - March 31, Apple Core is offering all of its hotels at $89 per night for two people, $99 a night for four. Their hotels include:

• La Quinta Inn, in Manhattan's Little Korea near Macy's and the Empire State Building
  
• The "fresh, brand-new and comfortable" Red Roof Inn
  
• The Super 8 Hotel Times Square, which is a classy budget hotel, not a motel
  
• The Ramada Inn East Side, in a slightly quieter area of Midtown that's still safe and comfortable
  
• The Comfort Inn Midtown in Times Square, New York's only all smoke-free hotel

To get the special $89 rate, book online at www.applecorehotels.com.

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Tell us about your experience on our San Francisco or New York Message Boards.