Great Wolf Lodge review: New England

Northeast families ready to escape the cold weather and live in their bathing suits for a few days are in luck: the new (ish) Great Wolf Lodge New England is in a prime location just one hour from Boston and Providence. And it comes packed with even more activities than Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound (our fave West Coast location). Read on for our Great Wolf Lodge review:

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The New England location is newly acquired, and still going through some growing pains. Rest assured it has all the new activities offered at GWL across the brand, including the ropes course and mini golf areas in the Howlin’ Timbers Play Park, but during our experience (during a busy holiday time period), there was some confusion and customer service could have been improved. Primarily, this was most notable around the dining venues, not the water park. No one wants to get all the kids dressed and bundled up for a New England winter to brave outside restaurants, however, so hopefully we just caught GWL at a bad time.

The ‘dry’ play areas, such as the ropes course, are a very nice addition to the offerings at GWL, perfect for kids less sure about the water play activities or those who just need to dry out (but don’t want to play the MagiQuest game). There’s also a fun laser course, which, instead of tag, is more of an obstacle course, where kids avoid brightly colored lasers. Channel your inner spy and try it out! Also on offer: mini golf, though be advised: you’ll need to pay extra for this activity. We wish GWL (across the brand) would charge one room rate and make all activities all inclusive, but until that time, come prepared for some activity costs on-site.

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Kids who are wild about MagiQuest, like mine, will find slightly less in this department at New England than in some GWL locations. They do have MagiQuest, of course, but not the extended games, such as CompassQuest or ShadowQuest. What they do have is plenty for newbies to get on with, but seasoned GWL patrons will miss the additional games. Get specific MagiQuest tips here.

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You can get a standard room, suite, or Wolf Den or KidCabin suite, both of which are fun for kids and get families more space to spread out. These lodging offerings are in line with what’s offered at GWL everywhere; nothing new here.

Great Wolf Tips:

  • Book midweek or on non-holiday weekends to get those coveted ‘under $199/night’ deals.
  • Skip the packages that include wands or meals…they’re usually ‘padded’ with fairly useless stuff like plush animals and water shoes (aka, things you weren’t intending to buy).
  • Don’t try to do it all at GWL New England: some kids will want to spend more time in the ‘dry’ play area than in the waterpark, and there’s rarely time for the laser game, bowling, mini golf, the ropes course, and MagiQuest.
  • Check out all our GWL tips on our dedicated page!

Date last visited:

January 2015

Room rates:

Room rates vary greatly at GWL, depending on season and room type. A good deal is to find a standard room for $199 or less. In peak seasons, expect to pay 3x as much for a themed room (kid suite). Do you need this? No, but if the price difference is not substantial during the time of your visit, a kid ‘cub’ suite or ‘camping’ style suite does enhance the stay for young kids.

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Dining:

There are multiple dining options onsite, ranging from buffets to sit-down dinners (similar to Friendly’s or Red Robin) to counter service in the water parks. We recommend enjoying the buffet on one occasion, then eating out (outside the lodge) or bringing food in. Food is not permitted inside the waterpark, but it’s simple enough to walk up to the room for snacks or meals.

Directions:

GWL New England is located at 150 Great Wolf Drive, Fitchburg, MA. From Boston, take I-93 N toward Concord NH. Merge onto I-495 S exit 44B toward Lowell. Merge onto Rt-2 W exit 29B toward Leominster. Take exit 28 for MA-31 S, turn left onto Princeton Rd, and right onto Great Wolf Drive.

Photo credit: Shawn Collins and Flickr/Vox Efx

New attractions at Great Wolf Lodge: play ShadowQuest and mini golf

The following is a guest post written by Northwest parent and travel writer Carrie Yu.

When the weather in the Pacific Northwest turns to rain (and even when the sun is shining), families in the region love to head to Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington, for some serious fun. Just in time for indoor water fun this autumn and winter, new attractions at Great Wolf Lodge include ShadowQuest and mini golf. Available at Great Wolf locations across the country, including Washington’s Grand Mound, here’s what you can look forward to:

ShadowQuest:

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ShadowQuest is a brand-new interactive wand game, available at Great Wolf Lodge’s Grand Mound location, as well as at several other Great Wolf Lodge locations. In this live-action adventure game, your family takes on the task of helping to save the light of the sky before it vanishes. Players follow clues in a guidebook and explore the halls and stairways of Great Wolf Lodge to find hidden objects and complete quests.

The game is 12 stages long and can be completed over multiple visits to Great Wolf Lodge. My family played for about 3 hours and had a great time finishing the first four stages. My kids loved that their wands could be used not only for playing the game, but for opening treasure chests and activating statues and animals all over the lodge!

Howl at the Moon Miniature Golf:

Another new attraction at Great Wolf Lodge is the very cool Howl at the Moon miniature golf course. This golf course is a 9-hole course located near the arcade. It is decorated with lots of woodland creatures and has simple obstacles to work around on your way to the holes.  The whole course is lit with blacklights for a fun effect.

Great Wolf LodgeTried and True Favorites at Great Wolf:

Of course, all the old favorites are still intact at Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound. Below are a few tips on experiencing the resort’s trademark features.

The water park:

Great Wolf Lodge features a huge indoor waterpark that’s always 84 degrees inside.  Your family will spend hours splashing in the water and having a great time. Even though check-in isn’t until 4 PM on the day of your arrival at Great Wolf Lodge, you can register and get your passes for the waterpark starting at 1 PM. Locker rooms and towels are available, so within minutes of your arrival, your family can be splashing in the wave pool, playing in the kiddie area, or riding down one of the fun water slides.  On the day of your departure, you can stay and play in the waterpark until 9 PM at night.

Great Wolf Lodge takes safety very seriously, and the waterpark is staffed with a large contingent of lifeguards and life jackets are available for those who need a little extra flotation help.

The rooms:

Great Wolf Lodge offers several options for rooms. My family stayed in the basic family suite, which was clean, comfortable, and spacious.  If your family is looking for a more unusual experience, try one of the themed suites which feature fun, separate sleeping areas for the kids.

Admission:

Rooms start at $199 per night. Specials and packages are available and water park admission for 4 people is included with the room rate.  Miniature golf is $6 per person, per round. Wands for Shadow Quest start at $15.99 and the game itself is $12.99.

Directions:

Great Wolf Lodge is located just off Interstate 5, at exit 88.  The resort is approximately 1.5 hours from both Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.

For more Great Wolf Lodge tips and booking advice, visit our Great Wolf Lodge Tips page!

Disclosure: I received a media rate to facilitate my review, as well as passes for ShadowQuest and miniature golf. All opinions posted here are mine and mine alone.

Carrie Yu is a travel writer and mom of two kids, ages 6 and 4.  You can read more of her travel writing at trekaroo.com.

 

Where to stay in Parksville, BC: Tigh-Na-Mara Resort and Spa

The first thing my kids noticed upon entering the grounds of Parksville BC‘s Tigh-Na-Mara Beach Resort was the pool house. Then the kids’ club space. Then the playground and the basketball and tennis court. Finally, they spotted the beach access leading to one of Parksville’s famous warm sand beaches. The first thing I noticed was the Cedars restaurant and Grotto Spa. To say Tigh-Na-Mara has it all is a true understatement, however, because what they don’t have on-site, they bring to their guests in the form of off-site activities and family excursions.

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Our accommodations at Tigh-Na-Mara consisted of a two-bedroom log cabin adjacent to the tennis courts and playground (and just steps from beach access). The cabin was bigger than I expected, with a nice living room area with fireplace and flat screen TV, full kitchen with a dining table for four, and a futon-bed in addition to the queen bed in the first bedroom and two twins in the second. We also had a nice porch and picnic table. Other cabin loops are more secluded, but farther from the beach and playground, so families will need to assess priorities.

tigh na mara

tigh na mara

Parksville beaches are a phenomenon, or at least seemed so to us, used to beaches in the states: the tide varies by full kilometers here, so at low tide, the. Tigh-Na-Mara beach is over a kilometer in length from the resort to the water (bring something to haul your stuff, and chairs…the sand is constantly damp), but at high tide, the water laps the shore steps from the path, and is incredibly warm for the Northwest. Both high and low tide make for fun beach-going.

tigh na mara

tigh na mara

tigh na mara

When not at the beach, Tigh-Na-Mara offers a drop-in kids’ club for no additional charge (a huge value) and an entire schedule of family off and on-site activities families can sign up for (additional charge). We participated in Twilight Golf, which was held at Morningstar Golf Course nearby. This activity, fully set up by the resort, included a private golf lesson for the family members with a Canadian PGA pro and plenty of time on the driving range. A Tigh-Na-Mara recreation staff member drove us to and from, and had the adults wished to spend the time in the spa (more on that to come) or the Cedars Restaurant, a rec staff member would have stayed with the kids (we opted to stay and watch). Adults are welcome to join the lesson, too! At $39 per person, Twilight Golf is a good value, and would be a perfect evening before setting up a full nine or 18 holes the next day.

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The following morning, we consulted our resort schedule again and my mom (along with us for the trip) joined the kids for Tigh-Na-Mara’s Underwater Exploration of nearby tide pools with a marine expert while I enjoyed a day pass at the Grotto Spa. While they learned about intertidal wildlife in the sunshine, I treated myself to BC’s only mineral spa pool and hot tub (heavenly, if you’re wondering) and an hour in their relaxation room with complimentary tea, coffee, and fruit.

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Tip: Check the resort’s activity schedule online when you book to sign up for popular activities beforehand. The kids’ club can be more spontaneous, but advanced notice is useful. Kids have to be potty trained to attend the club and activities without a parent, but can attend at any age with an adult. One on one babysitting is also available.

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Date last visited:

July 2012

Distance from the interstate:

Only minutes from Canada’s BC-19.

Rates:

At the time of our visit, rates for a two-bedroom log cabin started at $380. Packages and deals abound, however, especially in the non-peak season of summer.

Dining options:

The Cedars offers fine dining, but kids eat free with adults from 5-6 pm, and they offer pizza delivery as well. In the morning,a pancake breakfast is $7.95 per person. We ordered a few pizzas during our stay and made use of our kitchen. Additional Parksville dining is only minutes away by car.

Directions:

Tigh-Na-Mara is located at 1155 Resort Drive in Parksville. From BC-19, take Island Highway to Resort Drive.

As I disclose whenever applicable, I experienced Tigh-Na-Mara and the Grotto spa at no charge, for the purpose of review. While I appreciate this opportunity (and the opportunity to share it with my readers), it came with no expectation of a positive review.

Parksville on Dwellable

Family-friendly paradise: a stay at Velas Vallarta

Guests arriving at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico’s Velas Vallarta resort should expect to be greeted in the spacious, breezy lobby by a friendly staff offering a cool, freshly scented towel and an ice-cold bottle of water. My husband and I were also greeted by a resident peacock.

Throughout our four-day stay, we also made the acquaintance of a trio of iguanas, a turtle, a school of koi fish, and the rumor of crocodiles residing in a nearby river. The adjacent Pacific teamed with schools of fish, after which majestic pelicans dove. Suffice it to say, our kids would have been in heaven.

Of course, much more than a menagerie makes Velas Vallarta ideal for families. The following amenities make for a stress-free, kid-friendly family vacation, all in a stunning beachfront location.

All-suite room configurations. Velas Vallarta began as a condo development. As such, every room, from studios to three-bedroom units, include kitchenettes with stove-top, mini-fridge, sink, microwave, dishes, cups, and silverware. Studios sleep up to two adults and two children (making use of a pull-out couch), and one to three bedroom units provide separate space for families up to eight.

All-inclusive food. Any parent who’s vacationed with kids knows the truth: not worrying about meals and their costs is worth its weight in gold. Velas Vallarta provides all-inclusive guests with three meals a day in up to three on-site restaurants (our favorite by far was La Ribera, located directly on the beach). In addition to meals, additional snacks, beverages, and desserts are available virtually 24 hours per day, through their swim-up Aqua Bar, poolside service, and room service. Each room’s fridge is stocked with bottled water, soda, beer, and snacks daily, all at no extra cost. We loved that by showing their resort wristbands, parents could keep their kids properly hydrated all day, and that families could eat casual meals wherever they choose: the beach, the pool, the restaurants, or the balcony of their rooms.

Family-friendly activities. On the resort grounds, families have the run of three connected, free-form swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, ping-pong tables, beach volleyball courts, scheduled activities, a full kids’ club, and beach access (complete with cabanas to help reduce sun exposure). Velas Vallarta’s pool-side kids’ club is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily for kids ages 4-12, is professionally staffed, and is included in the all-inclusive nightly rate. Kids’ Club staff take kids to the pools, organize games and sport tourneys, teach arts and crafts, and provide meals. Each evening, themed entertainment is on stage in the lobby bar. Tip: for beach rentals such as snorkeling gear, kayaks, and boat rentals, Velas Vallarta recommends neighboring resort Malia Vallarta, located a 5-10 minute walk down the beach. We rented a kayak from their beach rental tent for $15/hour.

Attentive activities desk. Organized tours such as whale watching, snorkeling, hiking, or horseback riding in the nearby Sierra Madre mountains can be easily arranged by Velas Vallarta’s activities desk, located in the main lobby. Activities can be arranged once you arrive, or before your reservation date.

Proximity to town and airport. Velas Vallarta is only five minutes from the airport, and only a 10 minute (or 80 peso) cab ride from downtown Puerto Vallarta’s famed Malecon boardwalk (definitely worth touring). Though most organized tour operations do not pick up guests directly at the resort, it’s 2-3 minutes by cab or car to all Marina Vallarta pick-up points.

Relaxed atmosphere. When we travel with our kids, above all, we want to feel comfortable. Kids are welcomed with both arms at Velas Vallarta; in every pool (though one is designated ‘quiet’), every restaurant, and every activity. The Velas staff is friendly and attentive, from the poolside waiters who ensure you’re never wanting to the groundskeepers and service staff. Wherever you and your family go in the resort, you’ll hear ‘hola’ or ‘buenos dias’ or ‘hello’.

Options. Most guests at Velas Vallarta don’t realize the hotel actually has a sister resort, on the coastline in nearby Nayarit. The Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit defines five-star (and four diamond) luxury while still managing to be very family-friendly. I spent a good deal of time there, and can vouch for its elegance, attention to detail, and delicious fine dining. If you prefer a luxury stay, be assured that kids will be welcomed!

Tip:Velas Vallarta always has a lot going on, and guests need to know where to find information. Be sure to check the day’s poolside activities at the dry-erase board near the Aqua Bar; the evening entertainment is listed by the elevators. For any other activities or information, stop by the activities desk. Information is also listed on the Velas Vallarta website, but guests do pay for internet service (currently $16 per day).

As I always disclose whenever applicable, my stay, transportation, and meals were hosted at Velas Vallarta by Velas Resorts, for the purpose of review. And as always, all opinions are my own.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai with babies and toddlers

Kauai, and Hawaii in general, is a great place for a family vacation, especially if you’re staying at the impressive Grand Hyatt Kauai. However, when you’re traveling with children who are much too small for local and resort activities like surfing, snorkeling, and kayaking, how do you meet baby and toddler needs while still enjoying all the island has to offer? The following amenities at both the Grand Hyatt Kauai and local businesses ensure a great Hawaiian vacation for both adults and kids:

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Camp Hyatt: While we were searching for things that would be fun for our three-year-old, we came upon Camp Hyatt, the kids’ camp offered by the resort. After doing a little bit of research, I soon discovered that this was much more than a day care program. Camp Hyatt offers full day, half day, and evening sessions full of fun activities that take your child all over the hotel grounds, including the beautiful pool and waterslide.

“Sure, sure,” you’re thinking. “But my kid will never go for it.” That’s what I thought too—to say that it takes a while for our three-year-old to warm up to new things is an understatement. But he was won over within a few minutes by the friendly, professional staff. Some of the activities offered include making a volcano, feeding the fish in the Koi ponds, “Parrot Talk” (a program led by the Hyatt’s wildlife attendant where kids get a hands-on session with the parrots that live at the Hyatt), and swimming in the salt-water pool. With all that fun and excitement, it’s no wonder our toddler begged to go back the next day!

Tip: Kids are required to be potty trained, and they mean it. Even pull-ups are not allowed, so if you’re child is not fully trained, maybe this activity is best left for the next trip.

The details: Camp Hyatt’s daytime session runs from 9am¬–4pm, then offers a nighttime session from 4pm¬–10pm. Price is $80 for a full day including lunch, or a full night including dinner. $50/$60 for a half session without/including meal.

Complimentary family activities: The Grand Hyatt lobby atrium plays host to a variety of complimentary activities each day including lei making, hula lessons, or ukulele lessons. Very young kids may be not want to stay long, but the river pool and active pool (complete with basketball and volleyball) and water slide (must be 42″ to ride) are only steps away. Parents can trade off, or simply stop by the atrium to take in the atmosphere and show their kids what traditional Hawaiian crafts look like.

Happy Kids Kauai: For those of you with children that are too young for Camp Hyatt, I recommend a nanny service called Happy Kids Kauai. During our stay, we found ourselves looking for a night out, and therefore…a nanny to watch the kids! Happy Kids Kauai enjoys an exclusive contract with the Grand Hyatt, and they provide much more than a typical babysitter. The people who work with Happy Kids provide quality care, often for multiple days during a family’s vacation. They are experts in childcare, carefully screened, and extremely reliable. Rather than simply supervise your children, or rely on TV or video games to entertain them, they play with the kids and provide fun and lasting memories of your vacation while you get a vacation of your own.

We were lucky enough to book Dale Rosenfeld, a former educator who currently runs Espirit De Corps, a riding academy for kids and adults in nearby Kapaa, Kauai. Our kids have very little experience with childcare; our idea of a babysitter is having someone come over after bedtime so that we can sneak out and neither child will be the wiser! So when some events for a wedding we were attending in Kauai required that we have someone come to the hotel and get the kids through dinnertime, bath time, and bedtime, I wasn’t optimistic. But Dale was a true professional. Within minutes, she had our three year old under her thumb, and she was unperturbed by our 10-month-old with an acute sense of stranger-danger. We enjoyed our events, and for two nights in a row, we not only got some time off, but we also had peace of mind knowing that Dale had it all under control!

The Details: Happy Kids nannies require a four hour minimum block of time, three hours in the evening. Other than that, their times are flexible and will accommodate whatever you have planned. Fees were $20 per hour for two children, varies with number of children.

Tip: If you have someone watching your children during meal times, it’s polite to offer the nanny a meal as well. Simple rule of thumb: if the kids are eating, your nanny is probably hungry too!

For more information about a stay at Grand Hyatt Kauai, visit their reservations page. As I disclose whenever applicable, Pit Stops for Kids experienced a portion of the above programs and childcare options listed above complementarily, for the purpose of review.

North Country Farms: a stay on Kauai’s north shore

north-country-farms-ecotourismWhen it comes to staying somewhere funky and off the map, I’m all in—and this time, on a family vacation to the north shore of Kauai, HI, it paid off! We spent three nights and four days staying at, and exploring around, North Country Farms in Kilauea. North Country Farms is a family owned and operated organic farm with three acres of planting beds, orchards, and even a pineapple field. There are two cottages on the property, both equipped with a kitchenette and plenty of room to sleep 4-6 people (and even more, if you have someone in a pack and play). Children are warmly welcomed, and encouraged to explore the grounds and even pick their own fruit. We stayed in the Orchard Cottage, and in the morning, our three-year-old went out and foraged for oranges, grapefruit, and plenty of avocados for the baby!

north-country-farmsThe cottage was an oasis—the trade winds blowing through the big windows kept the room cool, with no need for a noisy air conditioner. The abundant geckos kept the bugs away, even on a pesticide-free farm (and provided endless entertainment for our toddler). The owner of North Country Farms, Lee Roversi, is friendly and efficient—available if you need her, but not at all intrusive. (My husband has a phobia of B&Bs; just the thought of making awkward small talk with a stranger sends him running for the hills. But even he admitted that North Country Farms was a great fit for us!) All in all, I can’t say enough good things about North Country Farms. After our stay, we spent a few days at a mega-resort. Don’t get me wrong, it had its perks, but I found myself homesick for our little cottage on this beautiful tropical farm.

Date last visited: September 17-20th, 2011

Room/cabin rates: $150/night, including taxes and cleaning fees. Learn more by contacting North Country Farms via email or phone: [email protected] or 808-828-1513.

north-country-farms-kauaiFood services: You’ll get some granola, yogurt, and coffee upon check-in, and throughout your stay you’re welcome to pick fruit in the orchards. For a more substantial meal, there are some good take-out options in the area, specifically the Kilauea Fish Market, just a minute down the road (4270 Kilauea Rd, Ste F, Kilauea).

Website: http://www.northcountryfarms.com/index.htm

Directions: It’s somewhat off the beaten path, but Lee will send you good directions when you book your stay!

New York City with kids: a stay at Affinia 50

We chose to stay at Manhattan’s Affinia 50 for our kids’ introduction to New York City, and within moments of checking in, I knew we’d made the right decision. It was instantly made clear to me that Affinia 50 does things differently than standard big city hotel chains: they’re small enough to be personal, but large enough to provide the amenities families need.

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First off, they deliver on space, a precious commodity in midtown Manhattan. Just as importantly, they know how to use it: their second floor communal Club Room serves as an extended living room for families, not a stuffy lobby. They’re able to provide personalized touches like custom-ordered pillows, walking tours and rubber duckies, and they let families know they’re wanted and welcome with special efforts like movie nights and wine receptions (at the same time!). In fact, from the time we arrived at the doorstep of the Affinia 50 (somewhat bedraggled from a day of cross-continental travel) to the time we departed for Boston, we considered it our oasis in a city that sometimes embraced us, and sometimes kicked our behinds.

Affinia-50-hotel

During our stay, we got to know names and faces at Affinia 50, from the friendly doorman who always offered us a ‘Cheers!’ (and put up with greetings from Toby’s souvenir plush dog every time we went in or out) to the front desk staff to the concierge. We’d had the opportunity to customize our reservation before we arrived, with options to choose selections from their pillow menu, various experience kits (completely complimentary), and concierge services. I’d asked for a Swedish Memory Foam pillow (simply because I love them), and a ‘Walking Tour Kit’, which was waiting for us in our room. Included was an iPod Nano pre-loaded with walking tours and a pedometer (for use during our stay), which the kids loved using to record their daily mileage through New York.

But what truly makes the Affinia is their Club Room. Located on the second floor, this space is part den, part home entertainment center, part office, and part breakfast nook, and served as our go-to location for recharging our batteries in the late afternoons, as well as our morning escape for complimentary coffee, newspapers, and wifi.

Affinia-50-view

Comprised of three rooms of sofas, arm chairs, fireplaces, and flat screens, there’s enough space that business men and women can be working in some sections (the wifi is free here, though not in the suites or rooms) and kids can be watching a movie or playing games in another. On Sundays, Affinia hosts a movie night with popcorn for the kids coupled with a complementary wine reception for the adults, and on week nights, various themed nights for the kids are on offer (on the day we left, it was to be a Nintendo Sports game night).

Before arriving at the Affinia 50, I was a little worried about the midtown location. Would we be close enough to the park? To the theater district? What about the neighborhood? Would there be kid-friendly restaurants nearby? I shouldn’t have worried. I loved that Affinia 50 is within easy walking distance of Rockefeller Center (straight up 50th) and Times Square (15 minutes). A grocery store is only three blocks away (useful for stocking your full-sized refrigerator), and the Lexington/53rd Street subway station easily gets you uptown or downtown (don’t ask me about crosstown…I never did master that).

Affinia-50-hotel

We stayed in one of Affinia 50’s a one bedroom deluxe suites, which are amazing for families: first off, they’re huge by Manhattan standards (heck, their standard rooms are huge by Manhattan standards). Booking a suite gets you a full kitchen, living room space (with pull-out double bed), large separate bedroom (ours had two queens), and a decent-sized bathroom. Oh, and a balcony with a fabulous view! They brought us a rollaway too, and we comfortably slept six. The decor was what I’d call comfortably chic, and the bathroom was clearly recently updated. The kitchen was functional and very convenient but not newly appointed (I have a feeling these things are being done in stages) and the balcony was large and a welcome respite in the evenings.

A buffet breakfast is served in the Club Room every morning ($16.95 for adults, $6.95 for kids). We tried it on our last morning and all gave it two thumbs up, but otherwise took advantage of our full kitchen to make breakfast in the room.

Affinia 50 does house a far more extensive exercise room than I expected. Normally, this is just the type of amenity I look for and take advantage of, but this trip, I never used it once…with so much walking in NYC, I didn’t need it…or so I told myself!) There’s no restaurant on-site, but room service is available through Mint, located across the street.

Date last visited: June 2011

Room rates: Ranging from approximately $250-under $400 per night.

Website: Affinia 50

Directions: Affinia 50 is located at 155 E. 50th. Extensive driving directions can be found online, but if you’re without a car and arriving from either airport, I suggest a taxi. Note: I was told by the transit authority that standard fare from either airport to midtown Manhattan would cost $45. Our drive from LaGuardia to Affinia 50 cost me under $30.

As I disclose whenever applicable, I received a substantial media rate for my deluxe suite at Affinia 50. While the hotel’s generosity is appreciated, this rate came with no expectation of a positive review.