Great New York City Gay Cruise Hotels
New York City* is a major port for lots of gay popular cruises – including trans-Atlantic, New England / fall colors, and long Caribbean itineraries. Knowing where to stay in NYC is always a big challenge. In general, I’ve found major Midtown hotels to be gay-friendly enough (it’s New York, remember).
Affordable, good hotels, on the other hand, have been more challenging. My #1 recommendation is based on proximity to the pier, the #2 and #3 suggestions use affordability as a major factor.
1. Ink 48 Hotel by Kimpton.
While it hadn’t yet opened when MeetMeOnBoard recently tried to check it out, this is undoubtedly the closest gay-appropriate hotel to New York’s cruise terminal. Kimpton has an excellent reputation for being gay-friendly, and the property’s west Hell’s Kitchen location will require that.
- Best for: Proximity to the cruise pier, with a good dose of luxury.
- Gay Friendly: Should be – Hell’s Kitchen is one of NYC’s gayest neighborhoods, and Kimpton has been recognized by The Advocate among gay-friendly workplaces.
- Distance to cruise pier: About 1/3 mile
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2. 414 Hotel. This small hotel is a true gem. The property looks like a small apartment building on the outside, but
A room at 414 Hotel, New York. Ideally located for gay cruise passengers.
step under the candy-striped awning and you’re in a chic, grey-on-white lobby with exceptionally friendly staff. The lobby does double-duty as breakfast room, and breakfast is included. Rooms are either upstairs or in a second building behind the main building, across a lovely courtyard. Rooms are also in the sleek grey-on-white theme, are squeaky clean, and very pleasant.
- Best for: Value-conscious but still want to be near the pier. This is our Editor’s favorite NYC cruise hotel. Chic, priced right, and a phenomenal Hell’s Kitchen location.
- Gay Friendly: Very.
- Distance to cruise pier: 3/4 mile.
- Secret tip: The hotel’s courtyard gets a surprising dose of sun—and with free WiFi is the perfect spot to catch up on email or make new MeetMeOnBoard.com friends!
- Extra touch: The hotel is about 5 minutes walk from many great NYC finds, including excellent dining on 9th Ave. (Arriba Arriba is a fave), Broadway theatres, the super-fun piano bar Don’t Tell Mama, and “local” gay bars Posh and Vlada.
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3. The Pod Hotel. If IKEA created a hotel, this would likely be it. I was skeptical
Double room with private bath at The Pod Hotel, New York City.
of this spot, but quite liked it, and the rates are hard to beat. It was formerly the Pickwick, but has been fully reno’d. It’s super clean, very comfortable, simply designed, and modern. The desk staff are a bunch of hotties! The Pod is short on fancy amenities (although WiFi is included), and the Midtown East location isn’t ideal for either gay activity or cruise terminal proximity, but the rates and general quality make it a strong choice, allowing you to spend more dollars on your cruise bar bill later! The Pod is just over one block away from a useful subway stop.
- Best for: Super value cruisers. Rates can be as low as $69/single. It’s popular with European travelers. Some rooms have shared-bath, some have private. Ask!
- Gay Friendly: Very
- Distance to cruise pier: 1.8 miles
- Secret tip: Request a lower-floor, the elevators can be busy and a bit slow. For breakfast or lunch, Ess-a-Bagel around the corner on 1st Ave. is NYC perfection.
- Extra touch: Brochure in your room gives excellent neighborhood tips and budget-conscious recommendations.
*Note: New York cruises may also use piers in Brooklyn or New Jersey — for this hotel guide we have only considered the Manhattan cruise piers.
Written by Randall Shirley
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JayTaylor 6:30 am on September 10, 2010 Permalink |
If you are looking for the best cruises in New York I recommend visiting NewYorkCruises at http://www.NewYorkCruises.com