Ft. Lee Hilton Offers Affordable Alternative To NYC
<B> Ft. Lee Hilton Offers Affordable Alternative To NYC</B>
By Frank Rosci
The Fort Lee Hilton, just six miles from Manhattan, offers lower rates yet comparable service to its more expensive counterparts in Midtown.
Director of sales Peter Dombrowski said the hotel's rates for transient business travelers "are 40 to 70 percent less than in New York City, with meetings slightly higher, though less so for planners who are flexible about meeting dates."
On the service front, the property offers two executive level floors, including an exclusive club lounge with concierge, business center with multilingual secretarial services, computer and fax equipment. Guests staying on the executive floors can take advantage of free local telephone calls, domestic fax service, voice mail, data ports, king-sized rooms and large in-room work desks.
"The most common objections to holding a meeting outside of Manhattan are that people want to be right in the heart of the city, and that 'price is no object because most travelers are on expense accounts,' " said sales manager Maria Perfetto. But for bottom-line-sensitive meeting planners and travel managers, Fort Lee is an appealing alternative. "Because of our location, we are able to offer corporate rates ranging from $119 to $194, depending on season and type of accommodations," she said
And unlike New York, Perfetto noted, state and local tax is 6 percent as opposed to "New York City's whopping 13.2 percent."
In addition, the hotel offers free parking, a scarce commodity on the other side of the river. "I've been quoted as much as $39 for daily parking at comparable New York hotels," Perfetto said.
Corporate transient and leisure account for about 75 percent of the hotel's business, with meetings driving 25 percent. The ideal meeting size, Dombrowski said, ranges from 125 to 150 guests. Conference space includes a ballroom, junior ballroom, eight conference rooms, and two boardrooms.
The property offers daily shuttle service to Manhattan for $10 one way. The closest of the three metropolitan airports is La Guardia, about 10 miles away.