A Hip Trip to NYC for Less

We just returned from a fabulous trip to NYC, which included a four-night stay at the new Thompson LES hotel in trendy Lower East Side, and dinner at famed Toronto chef Susur Lee’s new NYC restaurant SHANG. And the whole trip was surprisingly affordable!

Here’s the breakdown:
-$250 roundtrip flight on Virgin America (love the glossy white seats!)
-$166 per night for a King Studio Suite at Thompson LES, including a $100 dining credit at SHANG.

Studio King Suite at the Thompson LES

Foie gras with scallion pancakes at SHANG.

With a little persistence (in finding the lowest air fare) and a brush of luck, we were able to book a Memorial Day-weekend vacation to New York that cost much less than expected. We were fortunate to run into a promotion that Thompson LES was running in the month of March, which allowed us to stay at a trendy luxury hotel for less than the cost of most bargain hotel rooms in New York City. Score! Also, because we were guests at the hotel, we were able to check out the "members and guests-only" bar Above Allen.