# NY Hotels & Amtrak



## petrosianii (Dec 15, 2009)

As an e-commerce manager of an NY hotel, I would like to know how NY hotels can beeter benefit Amtrak customers. I think I can speak for many of my colleagues when I say that some of our hotels are so close to NY Penn station, that it seems imperative in this economy that we capitalize this resource in location. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Bob Dylan (Dec 15, 2009)

petrosianii said:


> As an e-commerce manager of an NY hotel, I would like to know how NY hotels can beeter benefit Amtrak customers. I think I can speak for many of my colleagues when I say that some of our hotels are so close to NY Penn station, that it seems imperative in this economy that we capitalize this resource in location. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


This is a great idea, have you contacted Amtrak to see if a business relationship can be worked out? Since New York is such an expensive place I'd suggest maybe special rates for Amtrak passengers, also Amtrak Guest Rewards is another source of business relationships that would benefit your company and we Amtrak riders! Please give us some feedback if something positive comes from this, if Amtrak or AGR arent interested we still can look @ discounts for riders with Amtrak tickets (perhaps limited to same week stays etc.) Thanks for the idea, you probably are a first rate employee!


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Dec 17, 2009)

petrosianii said:


> As an e-commerce manager of an NY hotel, I would like to know how NY hotels can beeter benefit Amtrak customers. I think I can speak for many of my colleagues when I say that some of our hotels are so close to NY Penn station, that it seems imperative in this economy that we capitalize this resource in location. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


One thing is that I often take early trains out of Penn station. With the discontinuation of very early morning and very late evening service on my NJ Transit line, this means getting up at ungodly hours to get to Penn Station in time. I would love to be able to go into the city the night before and buy a hotel room at a reduced rate as part of my ticket package. Working with Amtrak to produce a discounted package rate would be wonderful.

Another thing that happens is arrival on late trains after the last NJ Transit trains have left. I would love to be able to walk across to, say, the Hotel Pennsylvania, present my Amtrak ticket and get a room for a reasonable rate (say... $115?) rather then the one time I tried that, they attempted to gut me for $265 as a "last minute" rate. For $265, I decided to pocket the money and sleep on the floor, get up for the 4AM train out of the station. And so the Hotel Pennsy lost my money, which wouldn't have cost them more then 15 minutes of maid labor and pennies of water and soap to simply accept.

Putting a sign up in Penn Station, paid for or otherwise, advertising "Hotel So and So" offers "X highly discounted per night rate to people who present Amtrak ticket stubs from todays trains." Preferably one in comfortable walking distance given a late night. Possibly subject to availability with one of those direct-dial phones to check for said availability.

Another thing is... often times by the time I arrive back in New York from a long distance trip, I still have my credit cards, but not much in the way of cash. Which means I would not be able to trust any taxi to be able to accept my money. If a hotel were to offer to include taxi fare to their location (further away from the hotel) with presentation of an Amtrak ticket to the doorman of the hotel, the hotel could pay the cab and build the price of that cab into the price of the room.

Any hotel interested in offering these programs would do well to buy advertising aboard the train, in the timetable, in Arrive (Amtrak's regional magazine) and in the Northeat Regional timetables.


----------



## AlanB (Dec 17, 2009)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Another thing is... often times by the time I arrive back in New York from a long distance trip, I still have my credit cards, but not much in the way of cash. Which means I would not be able to trust any taxi to be able to accept my money. If a hotel were to offer to include taxi fare to their location (further away from the hotel) with presentation of an Amtrak ticket to the doorman of the hotel, the hotel could pay the cab and build the price of that cab into the price of the room.


Just as an FYI, NYC taxi cabs now accept credit cards.


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Dec 18, 2009)

AlanB said:


> Green Maned Lion said:
> 
> 
> > Another thing is... often times by the time I arrive back in New York from a long distance trip, I still have my credit cards, but not much in the way of cash. Which means I would not be able to trust any taxi to be able to accept my money. If a hotel were to offer to include taxi fare to their location (further away from the hotel) with presentation of an Amtrak ticket to the doorman of the hotel, the hotel could pay the cab and build the price of that cab into the price of the room.
> ...


Oh really? I haven't ridden a taxi in years. That's what I get for assuming.


----------



## AlanB (Dec 18, 2009)

Green Maned Lion said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Green Maned Lion said:
> ...


Yup, started a year, maybe two years ago. Yellow cabs only, livery are exempt.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Dec 18, 2009)

AlanB said:


> Green Maned Lion said:
> 
> 
> > AlanB said:
> ...



Alan, that is neat.

Have you heard of it happening in any other cities?


----------



## Shanghai (Dec 18, 2009)

We have on three occasions stayed overnight in the city to take the Cardinal the next morning.

Depending on the time of the year, hotel rates are reasonable ($140 - $175) but other times

the rates are double this amount. I would definately stay at a hotel nearby that worked with Amtrak.


----------



## AAARGH! (Dec 18, 2009)

Shanghai said:


> We have on three occasions stayed overnight in the city to take the Cardinal the next morning.Depending on the time of the year, hotel rates are reasonable ($140 - $175) but other times
> 
> the rates are double this amount. I would definately stay at a hotel nearby that worked with Amtrak.


As would I.

I would actually take Amtrak more if staying in NYC wasn't so expensive. Many 'wish' trips would require an overnight near NYP, so if there was a hotel that had a partnership (and a significant discount), I would most certainly stay there.


----------



## AlanB (Dec 18, 2009)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Green Maned Lion said:
> ...


Bill, no I haven't heard of it in other cities.

But then I don't make a habit of following that kind of news anyhow. :lol:


----------



## AlanB (Dec 18, 2009)

AAARGH! said:


> Shanghai said:
> 
> 
> > We have on three occasions stayed overnight in the city to take the Cardinal the next morning.Depending on the time of the year, hotel rates are reasonable ($140 - $175) but other times
> ...


Not saying that it's wonderfully cheaper, but often you can find hotels in the Jersey City area, near the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line and/or the PATH line, which gives one a rather straight shot at Penn. Additionally, if leaving on a weekend, the Hilton Gateway in Newark can often be had for $100 or so for a night. This hotel is actually attached to the Newark Train station by a skybridge.


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Dec 18, 2009)

And practically everything that goes south/west from New York stops in Newark.


----------

