New York City in winter: Hotel bargains, post-holiday ice rink and freebies

Cold it may be come December and January, but in New York City this winter, you might find comfort in the plentiful hotel deals on offer. And as always, attractions in the Big Apple can be found for cheap, or free, for the resourceful traveler.

Hotels

At the Pod Hotel, on East 51st Street at 3rd Avenue, the cheapest accommodation is a single pod room. You may have to share a bathroom with strangers, but you get stylish digs with a twin bed, workspace, WiFi, iPod docking station and LCD TV. I found one of these in January for just $79 per night (pre-tax). If your party consists of more than you, a bunk-bed pod room (pictured above) can be had for $89 — also a shared-bath situation. Double and queen rooms, with private bath, are $119 and $139, respectively.

The W New York, in Midtown, is having a sale, though you have to book this one by Nov. 10: Advance-purchase rates under this promotion, for stays now through Jan. 18, start at $189 per night (pre-tax). You must arrive on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

There are also the GEM Hotel properties, whose “Cool Yule” promo we recently blogged about. Though the special has been running a little while, on Thursday I was able to find a room for just $139 in mid-December at its Soho location. It also has hotels in Chelsea and Midtown West.

Other wintry attractions

If you’re going to New York in winter, I’ll guess that Rockefeller Center for a whirl around the ice rink is on your to-do list. Session rates during the holiday period (Nov. 20 to Jan. 9) are $15.50 per adult midweek, and $19 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But Jan. 10 and after, you’ll pay just $10 midweek and $14 on weekends (skate rental is extra).

Of course, you can while away time exploring and people-watching for free in Manhattan and other boroughs. Times Square, Central Park, department stores and more provide space to watch life roll by, and various museums and galleries in NYC also offer free admission, generally with a donation request. Time Out New York will help lead your way. Check out its “Free things to do today” posts.

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo: Bunk up at the Pod Hotel. Credit: Pod Hotel

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 5:58 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Deals, East Coast, Hotels, New York, Weekend Getaways, Winter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.