As I mentioned earlier today, the Affinia Manhattan Hotel has graciously donated to 2 free weekend nights to the Passports with Purpose fundraising raffle. My prior post from today explains how to enter the raffle with a $10 donation as well as some additional information on this great cause.

I am so appreciative of the Affinia Manhattan Hotel and would highly suggest looking into this hotel during your next visit to NYC. The Affinia brand is a smaller chain with hotels in NYC, DC, and Chicago. They are part of the Stash Hotel Rewards program where you can earn and redeem points at over 145 hotels in the US. All hotels that are part of the program are independently owned and will give you more of that boutique feel instead of a large corporate chain.

Stash Hotel Rewards Program Overview:

• Earn 5 points per dollar spent on eligible room rates
• Points never expire
• Stash members receive elusive rates
• No blackout dates for award redemption
• Points needed to redeem depend on the location, room type, and date of travel
• To learn more and become a member, click here

Affinia Manhattan Hotel Review:

While I have never stayed at this hotel, I have been interested in this hotel group recently as they have had many promotions including a 10% off all room rate Cyber Monday deal. This hotel has just gone through a $25 million renovation, which has increased the number of guest rooms of the hotel to 618 rooms, including 289 suites with kitchens (and some with terraces). The hotel has been re-designed to offer light switches on the bed head boards, dimming technology through the rooms, shower with thermostat control to preset the water temperature, flat screen TVs, MP3 players, and wireless Internet. The hotel has been designed to have a “lively” feel to complement the vibe of New York City! The Affinia Manhattan Hotel will also give its guest the choice of six different types of pillows – Buckwheat, Down, Hypo-Allergenic, Magnetic Therapy, Sound, and Swedish Memory Pillow – that is something I have never heard of before!

The hotel is located on 31st street and 7th avenue, close to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden with very central access to many tourist sites. It is just a flew blocks away from the famous Macy’s in Herald Square, convenient to the Empire State Building and Bryant Park, and a leisure stroll to Times Square and Chelsea. The hotel features an onsite restaurant and bar, Niles New York City, as well as an full service concierge desk.

While I live in NYC I really do not have a need to stay in a hotel, but it sounds pretty cool! For a tourist who is into shopping or seeing a sporting event/concert at Madison Square Garden, you cannot beat this location. Also, if you are coming in by bus or train (from Boston, Philly, DC), it is located a 2 minute walk from where you get dropped off.

If you are interested in winning a 2-night weekend stay at this hotel, make sure to donate to a great cause and enter the raffle. Even if you are not interested in a weekend getaway in NYC, make sure to check out all of the other travel prizes you can win in the Passports with Purpose raffle.