Each year I spend a few days figuring out how much it would cost for our family to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. I usually look at the cost of flights first, then I try to see if there are any hotel rooms available for the days we would be in the city. I typically do this in August and the results are almost always the same–“no availability.”
That is unless I don’t mind shelling out $650 a night at a hotel in Midtown. I do mind, so I don’t book. The fact of the matter is, regardless of how far in advance you try to make a reservation for a hotel room in Manhattan you will be faced will the inevitable, unenviable astronomical rate. You’ll just have more luck securing a reservation for a February stay as opposed to one in late November.
It’s no travel secret. Manhattan hotel rooms are pricey. And cost-conscious travelers should note that according to hotel tracking researchers, the prices won’t be coming down anytime soon. According to Smith Travel Research, the average price for a single New York City-area hotel was $300 in September, up 11.3% from last September. Compare that to the average daily room rate in the United States, which was $103.56, up 6% over last year.
I don’t know about you, but I have never paid less than $200 for a hotel room in Manhattan. And, frankly if I was offered one for less I would wonder what was wrong with it.
Would you be afraid to stay in a Manhattan hotel room for less than $200?
As long as we’re on the topic of outrageous hotel room prices, let’s discuss the jaw-dropping cost some establishments are asking guests to pay for a single bottle of water.
According to a report of luxury resorts, a 14-ounce bottle of New Zealand mineral water at London’s legendary Claridge’s hotel is going for $42. The imported beverage is featured on the hotel’s new water menu that includes rare H20 from around the globe.
The water from Tai Tapu, New Zealand, is reportedly from a spring at the bottom of an extinct volcano and according to the menu description, has “a pleasant smooth sensation on the palate.”
Other high priced waters listed on the menu include a bottle of British Belu that hails from Shropshire. It retails for about $11 a quart. There’s a bottle of Welsh Llanllyr artesian water for $10 and sparkling Badoit eau from France that’s listed at $13 for a large bottle.
Would you ever shell out 10 bucks for a bottle of water?
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