Despite their hangovers, thousands of visitors to New York City head home on January 1 every year. Hotel operators then brace themselves for a month of low occupancies, fewer diners and smaller profits, while the staff think longingly of those holiday season tips. So, the bellhops and waiters scale down their domestic budgets, and the owners lower their prices. This is the time for savvy travelers to snatch deal in the Big Apple.
The hotel reservations company, Quikbook.com, buys up blocks of discounted rooms and turns them into bargain opportunities for you. We're not kidding here. The hardest part is trying to pick just one, but the geniuses behind this site certainly go the distance with the assistance. They provide pictures of the properties and user reviews for starters. Plus they painstakenly detail absolutely everything you'll get in a specific room. Here's just a brief look at some of their properties in the city:
The cozy Astor on the Park hotel has rooms for as little as $85 a night for midweek and weekend stays in January. It's a bit of a hike up on 106th and Central Park West, but nothing your savings won't make up for.
The recently renovated Roosevelt, a prestigious property right next to Grand Central Terminal, has rooms for $105, while those at the newer Novotel go for $145. (All room prices mentioned here are available from January 1 through 31, 2003.) Down in trendy SoHo, there's 60 Thompson, a boutique hotel where the rooms start at $179 instead of the standard $279.
Even better, you can stay at the ultra-swank Regency (flagship of the luxury Loews Hotel chain), on Park Avenue for $179, instead of its standard $299. And rooms at Chambers, a terminally hip property in midtown (and home to the celebrated Town restaurant), go for $225 instead of the usual $325.
For more information or to make reservations, visit www.quikbook.com. You can call 800/789-9887 or 212/779-7666 on Monday through Friday from 9 to 7 EST.
