When planning a trip with children (to NYC or anywhere for that matter) which hotel you choose can make or break your trip. Now that our children are older we don’t have the same concerns or needs we did when they were babies or toddlers. But which hotel I choose (or AirBnb depending on the type of trip) is still my number one concern when planning our trips.

Finding the right hotel in the right price range in NYC for a family of four can be a challenge. Summer in the city provides more opportunity, better hotels, sometimes luxurious hotels available at a price that is closer to what you would expect to pay for a 3 star hotel. After doing some research, I decided on the InterContinental Barclay.

I found an excellent rate on Hot Wire. Not always my favorite way to book a hotel room because of the fees they tack on but it made sense and it was a steal. It checked our boxes for this trip and we were not disappointed.

Location:: Staying in Midtown isn’t super sexy but it is very central. Being a few blocks from Grand Central is very convenient with multiple subway lines minutes from the front door. The Midtown East location means you are a short walk to great restaurants, museums, Central Park, shopping, theater, the Empire State Building – and the list goes on. The area is safe and a bit more quiet on a Summer weekend – perfect for families.

What we liked: The beds. On the website it says that the occupancy is 3, however I did not notice this when I reserved the room, nor did anyone mention this at check in! The beds are double, not queen, so they were small. With that being said, the comfort of the mattress, the quality of the sheets and the pillows more than made up for tight sleeping arrangements. Fortunately Gabby is still a skinny little stick so we managed, Bella and I together in one bed and Keith and Gabby in the other is about as equal as it can get.

We happen to know Manhattan very well because we lived here forever. But that’s not true of almost every other city we travel to. So having a few tips can be so helpful – especially when visiting a city as large and varied as NYC.

Tip:: When deciding on a hotel we really do our best to avoid the super touristy areas. When booking a NYC hotel, I avoid the Times Square area. Too many people and just not the real New York. (The exception was last year when we had tickets for Hamilton and did our very best to stay as close to the theater as possible since we were there for such a short period of time.) On summer weekends, Manhattan can be a ghost town. There is value all around. The Financial District is one of those areas that consistently has well priced, 4 and 4.5 star hotels on the weekend. Another area that is often overlooked by tourists is the Murray Hill area, on the East Side, close to Midtown. It is more residential (which I love) yet right in the thick of the city.

InterContinental Barclay 111 East 48th St : New York , New York ,10017-1297, United States : +1-212-7555900