Bayonne Hotels--we want it all!!

I am doing advanced planning (one of my specialties! :)), even though it is too early to even book anything! We are going on the Explorer of the Seas next June (2014) out of Bayonne. We are hoping to fly into Newark 2-3 days early (arriving on a Monday or Tuesday) and sightsee in NYC. We will NOT have a car.

So here is what we would like to find in a hotel:

--Relatively easy access from airport and to cruise terminal

--Convenient and economical options for transportation into NYC

--Safe location with nearby shopping and/or casual dining (walking distance)

--Possibility of using either Hilton Honors points (also Homewood Suites and Hampton Inns) or Marriott Rewards points (at their family of hotels)

Our family consists of husband, wife, 2 teenage girls, so at a minimum we need 2 queen beds if possible. We enjoy suite-type set-ups when available.

I have read a number of posts, but must admit, I am still perplexed! So I am asking those who have traveled before us and/or who live or work in the area for their best advice!

Thanks in advance!

Look at the Courtyard or the Doubletree in Jersey City. You will pay for a car service to the hotel from the airport, but you will have good access to Path for going into either midtown or downtown NY. If you can roll your luggage, you have the option of taking the easily accessed light rail to Bayonne ($2.10/pp) and a cab into the port. Otherwise it's another car service to Bayonne. If your points give you a free hotel, it's a great deal and I would book it.

Path is $2.25/pp and will take you to 33rd St in midtown (Herald Square) with stops along 6th Ave like Greenwich Village or take you downtown to the World Trade Center area for the 911 memorial or the Statue of Liberty. Having two options will give you a lot of flexibility in making your plans and will save you a lot of travel time.

Look at the Courtyard or the Doubletree in Jersey City. You will pay for a car service to the hotel from the airport, but you will have good access to Path for going into either midtown or downtown NY. If you can roll your luggage, you have the option of taking the easily accessed light rail to Bayonne ($2.10/pp) and a cab into the port. Otherwise it's another car service to Bayonne. If your points give you a free hotel, it's a great deal and I would book it.

 

Path is $2.25/pp and will take you to 33rd St in midtown (Herald Square) with stops along 6th Ave like Greenwich Village or take you downtown to the World Trade Center area for the 911 memorial or the Statue of Liberty. Having two options will give you a lot of flexibility in making your plans and will save you a lot of travel time.

This :)

Based on similar advice on this board, I stayed in Jersey City last December - at a different hotel, the Westin, but the two mentioned are in the same area. As well as good public transport links, there is also the Newport Mall, various places to eat and great views across the Hudson to Manhattan.

Read about my adventures here, a thread specifically on getting around pre-cruise (and to Bayonne): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1753679

Candlewood Suites is another option for you in Jersey City.

Taking a cab to Newark Penn station from the airport and Path to Exchange Place or Newport/Pavonia is also an option to cut costs.

What ship and what itinerary are you going on?

We are going on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas on the 9-day Bermuda and Caribbean itinerary next year in June. Thanks for your info so far!

Will your luggage be manageable? I know your traveling with 3 ladies. IMO one of the best ways to reduce costs is to control what you bring. Folks pay a huge amount of money on airline baggage fees and private transportation to haul "stuff" around. It's a personal choice but it can be an expensive choice.

Will your luggage be manageable? I know your traveling with 3 ladies. IMO one of the best ways to reduce costs is to control what you bring. Folks pay a huge amount of money on airline baggage fees and private transportation to haul "stuff" around. It's a personal choice but it can be an expensive choice.

We are really good at "packing light"!! Amazing, with 3 females, but we can manage with 1 bag (rolling duffel type) per person! :)

OK - so light rail from Jersey City to Bayonne could be an option for your group if you want to pare down some costs. It's $2.10/pp self ticketing and self validation. Taxi from the 34th St. Station should either be $10 or $4/pp. When you get to 34th St. you call Bayonne Taxi 201-339-5000. Call them ahead to find out what the deal is.

The idea is to get there between 10:30 and 11 am. When you call the cab, they usually divert an incoming car or cab or van to swing by the station to pick you up. At that hour these vehicles still want to come to Cape Liberty to pick up stragglers from the incoming cruise.

You don't have to make a decision until you actually get there and see What you'd be dealing with.

Excellent advice as always from 138east and Cotswold Eagle; I fully concur with their recommendations. I'll just add my two cents' worth here, as I'm quite familiar with the area and with the transportation options.

The Westin and the Doubletree are across the street from one another; the Candlewood Suites is no more than a three-minute walk from these. There is also a Hyatt Regency right on the waterfront in the same area. The Courtyard is about a 10-15 minutes walk from these, but the location is no less convenient. All of these hotels are very close to a PATH (subway) station for swift travel into Manhattan; there's an NJ Transit Light Rail stop just behind the Doubletree, for travel to Bayonne. There's also a ferry service to Lower Manhattan, in case you'd like to experience a bit of a river cruise before your main cruise.

PATH system map: http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html

(The Courtyard is right next to the Newport PATH station; the Hyatt is right next to the Exchange Place PATH station, and the Westin, Doubletree, and Candlewood Suites are all within easy walking distance.)

The Jersey City waterfront area has been extensively redeveloped in recent years. The area is now a mix of modern office buildings (lots of financial headquarters), upscale urban condos and townhouses, shops and restaurants, and the aforementioned Newport Mall. And don't miss the waterfront promenade, with great views of Manhattan.

The short videos below should give you a good sense of what the area is like. The Westin is seen in this video:

Candlewood Suites is seen at about 50 seconds into this video:

The Hyatt Regency and the Exchange Place PATH station:

An older residential section of Jersey City (a few minutes' walk from these hotels), showing a Light Rail train en route to Bayonne:

I appreciate all of the ideas so far. In looking up the various hotels, sometimes there are several such hotels in close proximity (i.e. several Courtyards). Including the ones that have been mentioned, plus some others I have reviewed, what are your opinions on these listed?

--Courtyard Newark/Elizabeth

--Courtyard Jersey City/Newport (I think this is the one being recommended in this thread)

--Courtyard Secaucus/Meadowlands

--Hampton Newark/Harrison/Riverwalk

--Hilton Garden Secaucus/Meadowlands

--Hilton Garden Staten Island

--Homewood Suites East Rutherford/Meadowlands

Again, we are looking for safety, "walkability", easy access to NYC, and ideally economical transport options from airport and to pier.

Thanks so very much for everyone's help so far!

I appreciate all of the ideas so far. In looking up the various hotels, sometimes there are several such hotels in close proximity (i.e. several Courtyards). Including the ones that have been mentioned, plus some others I have reviewed, what are your opinions on these listed?

 

--Courtyard Newark/Elizabeth

--Courtyard Jersey City/Newport (I think this is the one being recommended in this thread)

--Courtyard Secaucus/Meadowlands

--Hampton Newark/Harrison/Riverwalk

--Hilton Garden Secaucus/Meadowlands

--Hilton Garden Staten Island

--Homewood Suites East Rutherford/Meadowlands

 

Again, we are looking for safety, "walkability", easy access to NYC, and ideally economical transport options from airport and to pier.

 

Thanks so very much for everyone's help so far!

The hotels already mentioned by 138east, Cotswold Eagle, and me (including the Courtyard Jersey City/Newport) all meet your criteria far better than the other hotels you have listed here. Some of the hotels in your list might have a price advantage, but to some degree they are all deficient in one or more of your criteria.

Hilton Garden Staten Island is frequently recommended by 138east and others for people who are looking for a "park and cruise" hotel option, and it's probably a good choice if you are driving. However, getting into Manhattan by public transportation from there will be much more of a hassle and will take much longer.

As far as I know, the Secaucus/Meadowlands hotels are located in a mall/office complex--not really ideal on the "walkability" scale. I'm not sure of the exact location of the Homewood Suites, but it's roughly in the same area. For any of these hotels, your main travel option into NYC would be by bus. (These hotels also might run a shuttle to the Secaucus Junction train station, for travel into NYC, but I'm not sure about that.) Also, these hotels are somewhat more distant from Bayonne (Cape Liberty) than are the Jersey City hotels we've recommended; you'd need a taxi or car service to get to them from the airport and to get from them to the cruise terminal. Perhaps other posters with personal experience of these hotels will weigh in with more information.

I wouldn't recommend the Hampton Newark/Harrison Riverwalk -- the location doesn't meet several of your criteria. You can see this hotel, and the surrounding area, starting around the two-minute mark in this video shot from a passing train:

Personally, I'd stick with one of the Jersey City hotels.

Bus from the Secaucus area hotels into NY is $3.20/pp and takes you to Port Authority Bus terminal at 8th Ave and 40th St. You are subject to the vagaries of the Lincoln Tunnel traffic, the bus schedule, and finding your bus in POrt Authority.

Study the Path map. It is much more flexible. It's possible to get to Herald Square which is right in the middle of midtown Manhattan. If you do midtown stuff and then go downtown to the 911 memorial,it is possible to take Path back to NJ from the World Trade Center. It's even possible to return to your hotel, take a rest, and easily go out again. Path also has stops in Manhattan for Greewich Village and along 6th Ave. Trains run 7x24 just like the NY subway.

This is why Jersey City tops the convenience list. It's also close to the top in safety and walkability. It is an urban area so you have to take normal precautions.

My second choice would be the Courtyard Marriott in Secaucus.

Thanks for the info on Jersey City hotels. Work is going to be bringing me there in a couple of weeks and am trying to figure out where to stay, as well as the best way to get there from the Boston area.

Are you driving, flying, taking the train, or taking the bus? Are you on an expense account? What time of ay would you be arriving?

I wouldn't recommend the Hampton Newark/Harrison Riverwalk -- the location doesn't meet several of your criteria. You can see this hotel, and the surrounding area, starting around the two-minute mark in this video shot from a passing train:

 

 

Personally, I'd stick with one of the Jersey City hotels.

WOW, that train video supports your non-recommendation of the Hampton Inn, as it looks like it was just plopped down in an empty space along a river! Doesn't look like much else (restaurants, shopping, etc) is nearby. Thanks for sharing!

Haven't decided yet. I could drive (in a rental car), or take a train. Probably leaning on the train, will get there and just take a taxi back and forth. I'm on an expense account, but I need to keep it reasonable. When I arrive would be determined on schedules.

It all depends on what time you arrive, particularly if you arrive during the afternoon rush hour time frame. I'd consider staying on the train and going on to Newark and taking a cab or car service from there into Jersey City. It may take a little longer because of the train layover in NY, but it might be an easier drive from the station to your hotel. From NY you definitely have to arrange a car service pickup. From Newark a local cab will take you and will know how to get there.

I was considering train to NYP, then switching to PATH to get to Jersey City. As stated, there is a station right next to the Courtyard, so if that is where I end up staying....

I had to go to Princeton last month. I took an early train out of Boston, got to NYP around 11:30, had lunch with an old friend, then back on Amtrak to Newark airport (best place to get a rental car). It was actually cheaper to do the NYP-EWR segment on Amtrak versus NJ Transit, I think because they just considered it a stopover.

You are absolutely right - you can do that. Sorry I didn't mention it as an option, but many folks just aren't interested in the public transit.

It's a 2 avenue walk over to Path or a quick and cheap cab ride. Read this thread -

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1838036&highlight=penneys

It describes where the elevator is to get into the Path Station about posts 16-18.

Just for reference, here's another photo, which I didn't post on my original thread. The Courtyard is the low brown building on the left of shot, and the PATH station is in the 'gap' immediately next to it, where you can see some white buses on the road. Could not be more convenient :)

Firstly just wanted to say how incredibly helpful you guys are! Amazing.

Anyway. We too are coming over from the uk next April to do a cruise out of Bayonne. Are looking to stay 2 nights (mid week) pre cruise.

We are definitely going to stay in New Jersey as are flying into Newark. Just wondered what 'a good rate is'.

We are a family of 3 and the courtyard is coming up as 681 for 2 nights (no breakfast including taxes) and the double tree is 706 with breakfast including taxes (though have noticed that there is no bar there and we do like to have a drink to chill out at end of day)

Also the Hyatt is 656 (no breakfast including taxes) but that is pay now, non refundable so not too sure about that.

Do you think it's best to book now or wait a bit. Not sure what is good value or not....

Many thanks. You guys are great! :)

Give us more details. What are your exact dates? Is your 3rd person under 12? Weekday nights in the area are always more expensive.

What are you thinking about running in and out of New York? What are you planning to do? If you're just planning to do one big day in the city, then I would look at staying at the airport.

It's a bit early to be booking, but right now the best deal I am seeing out there is the Ramada on aa.com which would be $125/day tax included. This is our budget choice at the airport and is a full service hotel with a restaurant, sports bar (Teddy's), and cafe. A second choice would be Country Inns for about $150/ day tax included- free breakfast at 6 am but no bar or restaurant in the hotel.

Transportation to the city would be the free hotel shuttle to the Airtrain P4 stop, Airtrain to the Newark Airport Station and train to New York Penn Station for $25/pp rt for the adults. You can also take a cab to Newark Penn Station for about $25 and pay only $5/pp for the train or $2.25 pp for Path to downtown Manhattan.

Don't forget that you will be on a serious time warp. If you get up really early, there's no reason you can't head into the city. The Empire State Building opens at 8 am. The first boat to the Statue of Liberty is at 9 am. It all depends on what is on your "to do" list for NY.

Thank you 138east.

We are planning to arrive on 8th April into Newark and check out on the 10th.

There is a possibility that we could be arriving on the 7th but that all depends on whether I can get the leave!

Our third person will be 11 years old.

I guess if we are going to arrive on 7th it would be best to stay away from the airport close to the path or something? As it sounds to me its quite bitty getting into manhattan if staying in an airport hotel. Though of course they seem to be cheaper than New Jersey hotels.

I really like the look of the Hyatt on hudson if staying in New Jersey but that seems quite pricey at the moment. Maybe it's a little early to book as you say.

Though, if staying at airport the ramada seems a really good price.

Maybe I should price watch for now. Though I suppose there is no harm in booking something if its fully refundable. Oh, decisions.......

Thanks for your help. Much appreciated. :)

If you are staying three nights, then being closer to NYC will certainly be more convenient. In Jersey City look at Candlewood Suites. You also might want to check out the Ramada in Jersey City as well - not a hotel that lots of cruisers stay at but definitely a budget choice close to the Path Station at Journal Square.

You didn't say whether you can manage your luggage and if public transit is an option for you. Depending on where you are in Jersey City, Path/light railor just light rail are easy economical choices to get to Bayonne.

The Hyatt is a pricey hotel. Keep a watch on Hotwire. There are four 4* hotels in the Jersey City area - the Hyatt, the Westin, the W in Hoboken, and the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. All have excellent access to NY and access to the light rail, so you are not risking much if there is a good Hotwire deal.

Hi

We will have quite a lot of luggage so will need a taxi/car from hotel to port

We like the sound of the country inns if we stay 2 nights. Am I right in saying it has a ruby Tuesdays next door?

And will keep an eye on New Jersey hotels if we decide on 3 nights.

Also is it about $50 from airport to Bayonne would you say.

When do you think a good time to book is?

Many thanks for all your help and info (you should charge commission!!)