Par IX Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 4: Shopping Shopping Shopping

The day before I googled the address of at least 10 stores that we all wanted to go and mad a map in Google and print it.
So early in the morning we started with the some stores that were near the hotel and then we took a taxi to the great and beautiful Fifth Avenue and started shopping. We went to many stores, from Forever 21 to Saks Fifth Avenue and Abercrombie and Fitch. Although it was a long and hot-humid day I'm not going to describe it all but in conclusion we did have fun.

Day 5: Museums and a bit more of Shopping

We started kind of late but ready to have a good day. We first went to the Natural History Museum and spent about 2-3 hours. We then walked around Central Park for about half an hour. After "getting lost in C.P. we took a cab to the Madame Tussauds oh and if you want to save 5 USD per person do a check in at FourSquare. This museum is very cool and although I visited the one in Hollywood it's always nice to go back and see some new figures (sadly K. Kardashian wax figure was taken off apparently she was not that popular :( )

We had lunch at the nice Red Lobster at Times Square and we then took a cab to visit the remaining stores. A trip to NYC can't be done before going to FAO Schwarz and Niketown (and also LV)
After this calm day we headed back to our hotel for some rest.



The famous Big Whale in the Museum



Gotta Love Times Square

Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3.

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 2:

Woke up early and had breakfast in our room, which is a really big benefit of having a kitchen in the suite. We then went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spent about 2 hours which is sufficient if you have you are in a family with kids. We then went to the Minsk Theatre and enjoyed the Lion King. It really is a great show and specially for families. The only recommendation I have is to don't go and see a play the next day you got to NYC, because of the humidity outside we were kind of tired when we went to the theatre.

We then went to have dinner in the TGI Friday, not the best restaurant but it was ok. Because it was the first day and we got tired we went to the hotel but with a stop in Walgreens.

Day 3: After breakfast we decided to buy tickets for the Double Decker bus. We took the bus at Times Square and went to SoHo where we walked a little bit and had ice-cream. We also visited, just for curiosity, the Kardashian Store which is pretty nice but kind of expensive (10 USD for a bottle of water?)

We then took again the bus to Chinatown and Little Italy, the problem with the Decker Bus is that because the upper part is usually full the button part not always has AC or windows, so if outside was about 105 F inside was 115 F!!
We walked around Chinatown which I personally thought it was going to be a little bit more interesting but it wasn't. We then went to Little Italy and had lunch there, which was good.

We then took the bus to the U.N. which was already closed and could not see anything. So we took the bus again to the Rockefeller Center where we went to Top of the Rock. For anyone that thinks that the Empire State has the best view, then you are wrong, the Top of the Rock is the best view of all Manhattan, it really is.
After Top of the Rock we went to to the shops near and even Magnolia which might be overrated but it is a very nice place to go.

After all this "tourist" day, we went back to the hotel and rest.

Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Finding the perfect hotel in NYC it's very difficult. Location, the room size and most important the price are all 3 very important factors that you need to take in consideration. I was looking for a 4 star hotel in NYC most of them where from 250 USD (not in a great location) to more than 350 USD. Then I found the AKA Hotel. The AKA hotels are long-term stay hotels which offer you great suites with kitchens and a great price. I chose the one in Times Square which is between 6th and 7th 44th St. And it's less than 1 minute away from Times Square. To find a suite this size with a very good location in a great hotel fro 270 USD a night was just great.
Above you will find my review of T.A.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d655944-r115824373-AKA_Times_Square-New_York_City_New_York.html
Check in-Check out.
Both of them were fast and good. At the check in they explain you the apartment details. We asked for a rollaway bed but after knowing that it was 50 USD per night we declined it. Still, without asking, the lady at the Front Desk called Housekeeping and sent some sheets and pillows so we could sleep on the couch.
The check out was very good too.
I give 4.9 out of 5.

Suite.
I originally paid for a 750 square feet without a den but when we got there the suite had a den. The Suite was very spacious, it had a very complete kitchen with everything you needed and a big fridge. There was also a small living room with a large plasma T.V. and a large couch in which someone smaller than 5'6 can sleep very comfortable.
The Den is a small room with a char and a desk, I wouldn't pay for more just to have a den. There was also a small table for two and of course the main room with a king size bed.
The bathroom was the thing I didn't loved, although it was very clean it was very outdated so if the bathroom was renovated the whole suite would be great.
The suite succeed my expectancies and more but it was missing sun light(.I would ask for a room facing the street.) It had everything you needed. The only problem we had was that the first night the AC didn't worked and inside the suite was like 85 F but that's it.
I give a 4.8

Location:
I was undecided between this location and the AKA Central Park and although the Central Park might be in a nicer location the AKA TS has the best location. It' s just 150 meters from Times Square which is good because you avoid the crowds without being to far away. It's 2 blocks away from 2 Subway Stations, (Orange Line and Red Line) And if you just want to go shopping just take a taxi at 6th Avenue to the Shops at the Fifth Avenue (from 50th St. to 60th St) It will cost you less than 6 dollars. The only bad thing about the location is that is in between avenues and do not have a lot of sun light.
I give a 4.9

Service:
Although in this hotel you are not going to talk with a lot of the employees, the few of them that you may have some sort of conversations are very nice and ready to help. From the doorman to the front desk people to the housekeeping lady they are all super nice and very helpful. Because this is not really your typical hotel they just offer you housekeeping service once but if you decide to pay it it's only 25 dollars more.
I give a 5

Amenities:
There are not really amenities at this hotel but you can find the Fitness Center and the Business Center. The Fitness Center is small and just have the basics. The Business Center has 4 computers in which you can use the printer. Also remember that the suite offers internet connection for free which is kind of slow but it's free.
I give a 4.5

Overall:
So I paid 260 USD per night for a large suite in a 4 star hotel. I don't think you can get a 4 star hotel with good location standard room for less than 280 so to get a suite just makes it better. You may not receive the same attention like in other hotels but for what you paid you receive a lot more. I would definitely stay here next time unless I can afford a Peninsula room.

Room Tip: Ask for a suite facing the street or at least with sun light.

Part VI : Train from DC to Newark and 1st day IN NYC

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Bye bye DC.. Hello NYC
Although I really liked DC I was really excited to go to NYC, last time I was there I was just 10 years old.
The train departed at about 10:30 a.m. so after a quick breakfast and a fast check out we took a cab to Union Station. Fortunately we were going with a lot of extra time because traffic was horrible. The 5-8 minute taxi ride took 20 minutes but we got there still 30 minutes before the train departure. I was informed that not only business passengers can go first but also families with small kids which this was just great.
This was my first train experience in the U.S., I've done it before in Europe and although I didn't expected to be as nice as the europeans train Amtrak offers a really good service and not expensive. The seats are way more comfortable than a normal coach and even some business plane seats. The food variety is not as big but ok. We departed on time but arrived 20 minutes later. We didn't took the Acela because it didn't offered kid rate so it was about + 300 dollars vs 98 USD for all 3 of us, which is great.

We arrived at the Newark Airport which you need to take another train (6 minutes) to the terminal you want. We went directly to Terminal C so my father could check-in for his Mexico City Flight. We then needed to wait about 1-2 hours for my mother to arrive. The bad thing is that her flight got delayed about half an hour and she was about an hour at the Newark immigration. Newark is one of the worst entry points for any hispanic.
Finally she came out and after saying good by to my father we went again to the the Newark Transit Center Station and took a NJ transit train to NYC which was only 25 USD. We arrived to Penn Station and let me tell you, it was about 102 F outside but inside Penn Station was about 115 F and because we had bags we had to make long lines for the elevator. Not the best way to get to NYC in Rush Hour. We then took a cab to the great AKA Hotel in Times Square.
Because we still had some hours to do something, we walked to Times Square, went to the Minsk Theatre to pick up our tickets and had dinner at the Bubba Gump.

We had a good time in DC but much better in NYC.. Continue to read my next posts.

Part V : Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC.

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 4: We woke up kind of late but it was Sunday. Because the restaurant breakfast was already closed the concierge recommend us a nearby restaurant which although I don't remember the name it was part a library and part a restaurant. The food was ok but what I really didn't like was the atmosphere. People were almost screaming, it was kind of hard to enjoy our breakfast.
We then went to the Smithsonian U.S. Air and Space Museum which is suppose to be the most popular museum not only in DC but according to the USA Today of the whole U.S.A. I had big expectations and although the museum is very interesting I just didn't get that wow factor. After the museum we went to Georgetown. Georgetown is just beautiful it's near the Potomac River which looks great and the whole place is just lovely. It's kind of Europe meets U.S.A. because of the nice and short buildings but of course with all the american stores I love.
This is a must in DC even if you are here just 24 hours, to come here and spend a couple of hours walking around it's amazing.
We had lunch at Sequoia which is just 2 blocks down the main street of Georgetown. It offers great views, good service and the food was ok. (My TA review:http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g28970-d450449-r115824494-Sequoia-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html)

Because my dad didn't quite felt good because of the Hot weather and going in and out of the stores with high AC we left to the Hotel to relax.

Day 5:

The Last Day in DC and we still had many things to do but because of the AC in the room that never turned off mad my dad feel more tired but still with some energy we all went to the National Spy Museum. It's actually a pretty cool museum. You do learn a lot of stuff in a fun way, I do recommend this hotel for all the families that visit DC. We after took the Metro to the Arlington Cemetery which is just nice to walk around. We then went to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City where we had lunch at the Fast Food and walked around the mall. Then we went back to the hotel and started packing.
DC is a great city, not your typical american city which just make me love it more and hope to come back when the temperatures are not as high as they were.

Part IV Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 2 in DC

Although this wasn't really a day where we were "tourists" in DC we were able to visit some places. Right in the morning after a great breakfast at the Jockey Club, which is the restaurant of the Fairfax, we headed all the way to Washington Dulles Aiport waited 30 minutes and after talking to a supervisor I got someone to open the lost and found room which had everything Kindles, iPads, cameras, cellphones even laptops but not my camera. Sad we decided to go back to the hotel.
Because we used all of the morning in trying to retrieve the camera we just had some hours left.

We went to the Tom Ford Theatre which was the Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated. The theatre also has a museum which is very interesting. We then went next door which is the Hard Rock Cafe for some average lunch. Because we still had some time we went to the U.S. Capitol which you I expected to see more than a movie and an average tour that at least was free.
Maybe not the most productive day but we tried to get back our camera.

Day 3 in DC

We bought tickets with our concierge for the Double Deck Tour Bus. So we went directly to the nearest stop which was 2 blocks away Dupont Circle. The bus takes you up to Washington Cathedral which is very pretty and then down on the Embassy Row crossing the beautiful Georgetown. We decided to not stop at Georgetown so we could see the monuments first. Then we stopped at the Lincoln Memorial which is impressive but very crowded and the fact that the reflecting pool in front of it it's under renovation didn't make it so nice. Then we walked all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House. On the way we stopped at the Holocaust Memorial and at the Washington Memorial although we did not went up.

The walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House looks small on a map but with temperatures of 100 F and higher it took longer than expected. Of course you can not see much of the White House and specially if they close the closest pedestrian street to the WH. (Maybe it was because of the meeting of Obama with the Dalai Lama)
We walked a little bit more to the White House Visitor Center which explains you a lot of the White House. We then walked to the nearest Bus stop and we mad it to the Union Station so we could change routes. The DC Double Decker Tour has 3 different routes. Because we were very hungry we stopped at a restaurant inside the Station.
We then took the bus to the National Zoo where we passed the whole afternoon. It is a very very nice place to go specially for families. To end our day we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant.

Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Like always I wrote my review at Tripadvisor which you can see it here or at their page. You can also check my 105 reviews about hotels, restaurants and attractions around the world: http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/charal95

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On my last trip to Washington D.C. I stayed at the Fairfax at Embassy Row for 5 nights and although it is a very nice and historic hotel there are a few details that everybody should look before coming here.
Check in- Check out.
Both of them were fast and the service at the small Front Desk is very good. I asked for an upgrade and for 50 USD they gave me a room a bit larger than a standard and a better view. Because it was too small, we were 3, we asked for a larger suite and the offered us, I believe it was the Fairfax Suite and we took it which was 150 USD plus per night and because we got a great Hotwire rate we took it.
I give a 4.8 out of 5 points

Room
The suite was located on the 7th floor offering a very nice view of the Washington Memorial. The suite is a large standard room with a living room. In both, the room and the living room there was a sofa bed plus the King-size bed. There were also 2 tvs one in each room.
Because this hotel is a Luxury Collection I expected some perks for the suites but nothing.
The only 2 small details in the suite where:
1. The bathroom was way too small. The standard room bathroom was the same or larger than this.
2. The living room has two entries for the AC. One is controlled by the AC panel located in the main room but the other one was located in another room which was occupied and it was always turned on and we even called the engineer but he said that he couldn't do anything. The big problem is that my father got a flu and it got worst because of the AC.
I give a 4.3 out of 5.

Location
The hotel is located on the Embassy Row-Dupont Circle which is supposed to be a gay village but I did not see many of them. The whole neighborhood is very safe. There is a Starbucks just around the corner and a CVS pharmacy about 2-3 blocks away. The subway station is 2 blocks away and can take you practically anywhere. Although I would have prefer to stay in a hotel right at the National Mall the location of the Fairfax is very nice.
I give a 4.6

Service
The service is great, I did not had any problem with anyone. From the porter to the Front Desk people to the Housekeeping, they were all great. And I need to mention that the Concierge was absolutely helpful and mad my trip even better. The only person that I didn't quite liked was the waiter at the Restaurant who kept lying about where he was and I just didn't liked him at all.
I give a 4.9

Restaurant
The restaurant-Jockey Club is a very nice historic restaurant. The food is very good and the service, apart from the other guy, is terrific. But in my opinion the restaurant was a bit overpriced but everything was very good.
I give a 4.8

Amenities.
The hotel offers a small Fitness Center which is very convenient to anyone that wants to do the basics. The business center is also great because they offer computers with free internet so you can save the 10 USD per day. If you want to use your computer but not pay for the internet there you can go to the lobby in which there is free wi-fi.
I give a 4.5

Overall
So this hotel in total cost me about 320 USD per night for a nice suite although I expected more. All the hotel is very nice but in my opinion is a bit old and not enough Luxury as the hotel should be. I feel that paying more than 250 USD for a normal room here is not the best idea. I do recommend this hotel for solo travelers, businessman or even couples but not for families.

Room Tip: Ask for a suite.

Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC (United)

Part I: Summer Vacation's Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part v: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

After some hours of sleep my father my sister and myself woke up to get to the International Airport of Mexico City. As oppose to most of the airpots in the world the Mexico City Airport is right in the middle of Mexico City which of course is a very bad location not only to the people that live 50 meters away from the airport but to all the tourists that get stuck in traffic jams trying to get there. Fortunately the flight was in the morning so there was no traffic at all.
The check in at United was fast in the Premium check in line but it was the double at the Economy class. United offers flights from Mexico City to all of its Hubs except for Denver which is seasonal.
All the boarding was pretty fast and the flight was very good. I was even surprised, because when I went to buy food and explained to the flight attendant that I just had cash, she gave it for free. The only bad thing was the descend, it was very windy and it was just a bad landing.
Internationals arrivals at IAD are very but very strange. After walking for 5-10 minutes you get to a place in which you will board a bus that takes you to the Immigration Building. I was like 1 hour in the immigration line which just makes me want to have the Global Entry membership. After picking up our luggage we went outside to take a cab. And about 25 minutes after we departed the airport we just realized that something was not with us, no it wasn't a bag or a cell phone it was a 2k dollars camera. The first thing we thought is going back to the airport but we decided to go to directly to the hotel settle in and call them.
We arrived to the hotel 10 minutes later. The Fairfax at Embassy Row is a very nice and historic hotel but maybe a bit too old for my style. We asked for an upgrade to a bigger suite which they offered one for 150 USD per night and because we were on a 160 USD per night rate we said yes. The suite is lovely but you will find more at the next segment. Well as soon as I arrived to the hotel I went directly with the Concierge which called United and was on hold like for 40 minutes until we got to speak with an agent that told her that I needed to send an e-mail which I sent 2 minutes after. I quickly got a response that said that they were going to check but that if I didn't receive an e-mail in 7 days it meant that they didn't found it.
So there I was feeling sick for a terrible landing, tired of being 1 hour waiting and very anxious because we just lost a very expensive camera and we had no idea of what to do. Nice first day ...