November 10, 2000 USA Today Life Section
LODGING N.Y. hotels commanding top rates for holiday crush
By Gene Sloan
Would you pay $375 to spend a night in a Red Roof Inn? With all due respect to the Midtown Manhattan hotel (we hear it even has a concierge), the tab seems a tad rich for a budget chain. But if you want to get in on New York's holiday hoo-ha, be prepared to pay for it. With record high occupancies this year, industry watchers are forecasting brisk business and high rates at the city's hotels, particularly during the three weekends following Thanksgiving. Even the Red Roof, where regular pre-tax rates are $139, is commanding $329 (plus tax) during the first two weekends of December. ''The hotels can pretty much name their price,'' says Mark O'Brien, general manager of the consolidator Quikbook. ''But the wind goes out of it closer to Christmas.'' Example: A room at the Algonquin reserved through Quikbook costs $330 Dec. 1-3 but drops to $159 on Dec. 27. David Litman of consolidator Hotel Reservations Network notes that with five weekends in December this year, rates are expected to drop a bit by Dec. 14-17. And revelers could snag low-season rates the weekend before Christmas. Example: HRN's rate at the 20-room Carnegie Suites is $499 during the first weekend of December but drops to $299 by the fourth weekend. After Christmas it's $179. Another option: A Hospitality Company hasn't raised rates on more than 250 furnished Manhattan apartments, which range from $125 to $195 per night for a one-bedroom.
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