Affinia Gardens

www.affinia.com

One hotel that would be ideal for them but not sure about budget is the Surrey. This is part of the affinia.com group and the rooms are more like apartments with small kitchen, good for breakfast, snacks etc. Prices fluctuate, so if they're flexible, check different options. I'd guess April will be cheaper than May.

The same co. owns the Affinia Gardens which is considered UES but is not as close to the museums but a nice hotel.

The other hotel in the area but further north is the Wales, a small European style hotel. The smallest rooms are very small.

The other idea if they can manage without hotel services is to find an apartment rental. NYhabitat.com is a well respected agency and has a number of apartments in the area.

Many b & b's will not have an elevator but may have a ground floor suite. 1871house.com is very nice, but again, not as close to the museums (in a similar area in the 60's to Affinia Gardens).

Check the Hotel Wales, on Madison Ave., btw 92nd and 93rd Streets. Hotel Wales is a boutique hotel in the elegant Upper East Side residential area. The hotel is very convenient to the museums, and I believe they actually offer a "museum package". The hotel fits your requirements. Not sure of the rates, but reserving early is a plus.

Thanks folks... What are people's opinions on the Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East? I know it's not quite the UES, but it seems to have much more reasonable prices...

This east mid-town hotel is not exactly in the center of the tourist/museum action, but would be in a good location for business, and a comfortable walk (for healthy middle aged people) to the theater district, Rockefeller Center, and the big 5th Avenue stores. The area is commercial. Lots of daytime traffic, but somewhat deserted at night.

Just south of the hotel on Park Avenue, Grand Central Station is worth a visit, for architecture and history, as is the well-known Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The United Nations headquarters is nearby. There are a lot of small restaurants on 3rd Ave in this area, and there are some really great restaurants nearby.

As to museums, MOMA is in mid-town, so reasonably near this hotel. The Gunngenheim, the Metropoltian Museum, and the Whitney are up in the 70's, 80's, and 90's on Madison and Fifth Avenues. (You can take the Madison Avenue bus uptown, and the Fifth Avenue bus downtown). The galleries are spread all over, with many downtown, and west, in Soho. I think your grandparents will be taking a lot of taxi rides!

If your grandparents are active, if they enjoy walking and don't object to being in an intense urban environment, this location should be fine. It will not be as peaceful and pleasant for strolling as is the Upper East Side.

The Courtyards are all good hotels and relatively new. The rooms also tend to be large. That particular Courtyard is also near several suite hotels including the Affinia 50 and the San Carlos. The location is not particularly close to the uptown museums, but they can take the 3 rd ave. bus uptown or the subway from there.

They don't need to be near the museums to visit them, being close to a subway (any hotel in midtown will be) is really all they need.

Thanks - any other suggestions would be good. I dont think they'd want to spend more than about $1600 (inc taxes) on the 5 nights. I know they can get the subway and stuff, but they're both over 80 so want to make it easy for them. :)

There is a Courtyard Marriott on 92nd. The Crosstown bus stops right in front of it (takes you right over to 5th Ave).

I also thought about the Courtyard on 92nd Street. It is a bit further east than I would choose, but the cross town bus makes it a option.

I'm sorry that The Hotel Wales didn't work out. That hotel is appealing because it is in a really lovely high-end residential area where your grandparents would be comfortable walking around on their own. They could easily stroll over to Fifth Avenue to the museums. There are also some nice restaurants close at hand for a pleasant dinner. Quite a few hotels here offer discounts for senior citizens. It is worth a phone call, since the discounts do not always show up on line.

On getting around NYC - My parents are in their eighties - very fit, but still "senior citizens". I have little hesitation about their walking around NYC and using public transportation during the day; but at night I would prefer that they take a cab that will pick them up and let them out right at their door.