Independent Families: 'Are there any self-catering apartments in New York?'

Q. My brother is getting married in New York in August. We, a party of seven including two boys aged six and three, will visit him in Manhattan for five nights. Many New York hotels seem to mainly cater to business travellers but we want something roomier and more family friendly. The larger tour operators have recommended big hotel chains like Sheraton, Hilton and Marriott but this makes the price escalate. Are there any hotels or indeed apartments with kitchen facilities? A package deal is usually cheaper but would you still recommend this with family accommodation? We've found flights from £470 per adult.
Michael and Sandy Frean, e-mail

A. New York is full of wonders for young and old, from the Statue of Liberty to the fabulous Cloisters museum near the northern tip of Manhattan, and at its core is the wonderful breathing space of Central Park. But for a family looking for home comforts without breaking the bank, Manhattan offers scant choice. As a rule hotel rooms are small. Even "budget" properties rarely go for less than $150 (£88) a night during the less busy periods (of which New York has few). That said, the city does have a number of self-catering apartments that can save travellers money and offer more family-friendly facilities.

Some UK-based companies that offer accommodation-only apartment rentals cater mainly to business travellers - they account for the long stays, with leisure travellers to New York rarely staying beyond a week.

Packages are available from Statesavers (01364 644477; www.statesavers.com), which offers tailor-made holidays with apartments in cities such as Boston and New York. It has seven self-catering properties on its books in Manhattan, including the Beacon Apartment Suites, on the Upper West Side, which has two bedroom apartments sleeping up to six people, plus two children. Nightly rates here are £259 and the unit has a kitchenette, complimentary tea and coffee and, naturally, cable television.

Statesavers also offers accommodation at Radio City Apartments (001 212 730 0728; www.radiocityapartments.com), a staple Manhattan address for larger parties located at 142 West 49th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, just steps from the Rockefeller Centre, close to Times Square and 10 blocks from Central Park.

Most of the apartments have kitchenettes and all have cable television, ironing facilities and a daily maid service. The largest sleep up to five, so you would have to book two adjoining or neighbouring apartments - these represent the best deals and as such get booked up well in advance. Most weekends during August are already partially full but there is good availability during the week.

Nightly rates booked direct are between $195-$250 (£115-£147) for an apartment sleeping four-five. Booked through Statesavers, the cost ranges from £105 to £155.

Some of the most attractive self-catering apartments in New York are hard to find because they don't advertise through agents. While tour operators are becoming more familiar with this type of accommodation as demand grows, the internet is by far the best way to get information on individual apartments, with pictures, maps and descriptions of facilities usually available. For this reason you will have far more choice if you book your flights and accommodation independently. Be wary, however, of apartments attached to hotels as these may charge the same price as a regular hotel suite - so guests pay for hotel services even if they aren't using them.

A good online source for self-catering accommodation is woogo.com (0800 066 4697), a booking agent offering holidaymakers and business travellers short or long stays in furnished apartments and hotels in London, Berlin and New York. Bookings made online 90 days in advance receive a 10 per cent discount. For example, the company currently has good availability during August at the Pickwick Arms (a popular budget hotel for larger groups, located in Midtown) from $237 (£139) per night (including discount), in a two-bedroom suite sleeping five.

Most of their cheapest deals, such as this one, are based on a shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities. Larger apartments on their books, such as the "Midtown", a plush doorman-fronted building located between Times Square and Central Park, has three-bedroom apartments sleeping up to eight for $375 (£220) per night. The rooms have a fully equipped kitchen, cable TV and there is an on-site laundry room.

The Apartment Service (020-8944 1444; www.apartmentservice.com) is a London-based bookings agent with self-catering and serviced apartments available in cities worldwide. The website currently advertises apartments with two-bedroom suites and kitchen facilities available during August from around $169 (£99) per night.

City Sonnet (001 212 614 3034; www.citysonnet.com) is a New York-based agency specialising in B&Bs and short-term apartment rentals. This artist-run outfit has some beautifully decorated properties sleeping between four to eight people from $230 (£135) per night. Other New York companies offering similar rental services include: the Hospitality Company (001 212 813 2244; www.hospitalityco.com) with some 500 apartments available for nightly, weekly or monthly rental; Abode (001 212 472 2000; www.abodenyc.com) - everything from B&Bs to large apartments; and Manhattan Getaways (001 212 956 2010; www.manhattangetaways.com), which offers a similar range of accommodation across the city.

An alternative to self-catering or serviced apartments is to sublet a residential apartment. During August many Manhattanites abscond to the beach, letting their apartment for the duration. These rentals have no hotel services and, as private homes, come with personal effects but can certainly offer a home-from-home atmosphere. They can also be a very cost-effective way of staying in the heart of the city.

Two tried-and-tested sources for subletting are the bookings agent New York Habitat (001 212 255 8018; www.nyhabitat.com) and the online listings directory craigslist.com, which offers direct access to individual apartment owners.

Finally, you could try New York's hostels, where The Independent's travel editor is often to be found. These are often vast places located in rather venerable buildings with dorms that can be booked out for large parties, with shared bathroom and some basic communal kitchen facilities.

The Central Park Hostel (001 212 678 0491; www.centralparkhostel.com), located just west of the park at 103rd Street has rooms sleeping eight, from $29/£17 per person, per night. The Hostelling International hostel (001 212 932 2300; www.hinewyork.org), a former residence for retired women, is located in a gabled redbrick building on the same street, a couple of blocks back from the park with 90 rooms sleeping six plus people, for $29/£17 per person, per night. Also nearby, at 106th Street, Jazz on the Park (001 212 932 1600; www.jazzonthepark.com) is a modern take on the traditional hostel (it feels more like a hotel than an institutional hostel) offering dorms sleeping six-eight from $29/£17 per person, per night. This company has a couple of other properties in Manhattan including one in the East Village (001 212 228 2780) where all rooms have en suite bathrooms ($32/£19 for a room sleeping up to eight).

Finally, the air fares you have found look excellent; if you have not yet confirmed, book as soon as you can.

Send your family travel queries to The Independent Parent, Travel Desk, The Independent, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS or e-mail crusoe@independent.co.uk

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