NYC Hotel Freebies that Add Family Value

Several New York City hotels offer complimentary family activities including bike rides and tours, as well as in-room amenities for family-friendly vacations in Manhattan.

These days, a stay in Manhattan—with or without kids in tow—is no bargain. According to NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism, and partnership organization, NYC’s average daily room rate in 2012 was $290. However, it is possible to visit Manhattan without breaking the bank. We’ve compiled a list of hotel freebies that enable cost-effective family travel with some added value:

Broadway @ Times Square and The Hotel @ Times Square: These family-friendly hotels, part of the Apple Core Hotels brand, in midtown Manhattan are the perfect destination for travelers with kids—especially since children under the age of 12 stay for free. Room rates at these budget-friendly properties include complementary cost-cutting amenities such as a full continental breakfast served daily, Wi-Fi Internet Access, domestic phone calls, and a fitness center. There are also a number of adjoining 2-Room Suites available, designed for families looking for the privacy of two rooms in the setting of one.
The Bowery, The Jane Hotel and The Maritime Hotel: Want to feel the wind through your hair without spending money on travel? The Jane Hotel, the Maritime Hotel, and the Bowery Hotel offer a complimentary bike program where guests can borrow bicycles to tour the city for the day. Not only are the bikes free, but guests can feel like casual New Yorkers roaming the streets on stunning Brooklyn cruisers. These internal three-speed bikes with signature double-top tube frames are also equipped with wooden crates to hold picnic goodies or boutique finds.
Pod Hotels: Sightseeing bus tours cost upwards of $54 per person. New York City was made for walking and Pod Hotels offer free guided city walking tours with authentic NYC tour company, Streetwise. From exploring the immigrant and hipster neighborhoods of the Lower East Side and Chinatown to discovering the artistic character of the High Line and West Village, the Pod tours will show you the neighborhoods by day before you experience them on your own at night.
The Jade Hotel: Have a DIY attitude? Pick up a custom-made guide map at the Jade Hotel and explore the winding and historic cobblestone streets of Greenwich Village, where Jazz, art and culture thrived amid the 19th century row hoses and warehouses.
Westin New York Times Square: Don’t cut the weekend short! Westin is making guests’ stays even more heavenly with complimentary 3pm check-out on Sundays. Now available at each of the brand’s 193 hotels worldwide, the new program gives guests more flexibility so they can make the most out of their weekend getaway and leave feeling recharged for the week ahead.
Affinia Manhattan: Do your kids get ready faster than you do? The Affinia boutique hotels offer perks for families that include a “Fun-for-Family” chest with board games and DVD’s, a city guidebook for kids, a deck of city adventure cards, and a scrapbook with city stickers so your children will never get bored if parents sleep in.
Gansevoort Park Hotel and Gansevoort Meatpacking Hotel: For those with a few extra spending dollars, stay at NYC’s Gansevoort properties which offer a wide variety of complementary hotel amenities for kids at all stages of life. In case you forgot to pack carry-on bath amenities for the newest edition to your family, this hotel group offers extra sensitive shampoo, lotion, baby soap, and a wash cloth for babies. Tech-savvy travelers can borrow Nintendo Wii video game systems to use free-of-charge during their stay, and room service offers a kid’s menu for even the pickiest palate.