The Best Reasons to Hit NYC for Hotel Week

Dec 21, 2017
A trip to the bright lights of the big city often comes with a blinding price tag to match—especially during December, when New York’s sidewalks, shops, restaurants and hotels are teeming with holiday travelers. But you can experience lots of the local winter wonders for less if you visit during the first half of January, when rooms go for as little as $99 per night (in places you’d actually want to stay). Between the properties that participate in Hotel Week (Jan. 5-15) and those that offer Travelzoo members exclusive deals during that same period, you have seriously enviable options. Here, seven cases in point—each paired with one of our favorite seasonal highlights.

Ice skate in Bryant Park

This lovely little park behind the venerated New York Public Library has an ice skating rink that’s open throughout the winter and admission-free, but if you don’t BYOB (blades), you’ll pay $20 per pair. As for your après-skate, try the hot chocolate, cider or mocha at Public Fare, the park’s cozy seasonal pop-up.

The hotel deal: Travelzoo members staying at the historic landmark Mansfield Hotel on Club Row—a five-minute walk from Bryant Park—will pay only $99 per night during this time frame.

Winter Jazzfest NYC

Widely considered one of the city’s best annual music lineups, this weeklong event draws rising stars and legends alike to venues in and around Greenwich Village, where you can hopscotch from show to show (with talks thrown in for good measure) Jan. 10-17.

The hotel deal: Stay within walking distance of downtown’s top music venues at the sleek, modern Sheraton Tribeca New York Hotel for $99 per night throughout the concert series.

Hometown Rivalry

No matter what colors you may wear at home, you can’t help but root for Team NY when you’re in town. And this week, both hockey and basketball fans are guaranteed a win: On Jan. 13, the New York Rangers host the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden, and two days later, the Brooklyn Nets host the New York Knicks at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn.

The hotel deal: Everyone feels like a baller at Brooklyn’s The William Vale, where balconies and princely vistas come standard, as does another rarity for NYC: on-site and valet parking (but baller or not, you’ll reach the Barclays Center fastest on the G train). And while the property participates in Hotel Week, Travelzoo members get an even better rate here during that time, with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays: $179 per night. SOLD OUT

Rodin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Commemorating the centenary of Auguste Rodin’s death, the Met has been exhibiting some of his most iconic sculptures (think: The Thinker) alongside treasures that have been hidden away for decades (The Tempest) and paintings by a few of his friends (Monet, for one). And Hotel Week happens to be your last chance to catch the exhibit, which ends on Jan. 15.

The hotel deal: Stay one block from Museum Mile at the historic and charming Hotel Wales, where Travelzoo members can reserve rooms for $149-$159 per night. SOLD OUT

globalFEST

For industry pros and fans alike, this is one of the most important world music festivals around, and Jan. 14 will be its 15th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the FEST is taking over Times Square, with an astounding lineup divided among three neighborhood theaters. If you do nothing else, catch Mariachi Flor de Toloache—an all-female mariachi ensemble—as they close out the night at the legendary BB King Blues Club.

The hotel deal: Despite being a short walk from Times Square in the heart of midtown, The Shoreham induces an almost spa-grade serenity thanks to the rooms’ sylvan palette, cushy linens and—in some cases—five-head hydro massage showers. And Travelzoo members can stay here for $99 per night then.

The Party Igloos

Midtown Manhattan’s answer to the tundra, one rooftop bar is a winter destination unto itself: 230 Fifth, where you’ll find seventeen seasonal, transparent igloos that let you take in the jaw-dropping views of the Empire State Building and beyond in heated, cozy surroundings. And should you have to wait for an igloo to open up, you can borrow one of the bar’s warm red robes (and keep the boozy hot chocolate or spiked cider coming).

The hotel deal: The after-party continues up the street at The Gregory Hotel, fresh off a multimillion-dollar makeover. The views from your room may well rival those of 230 Fifth, and stays through January are $109 per night.

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