Accommodation - LA, SF, NYC

Hello,

I'm heading to America in April/May and would appreciate advice on accommodation for the above places. I am travelling with my daughter (9yrs old). I will ask my questions in sections according to city so that it is easier for people to answer.

LA
We will be in LA from 18-24 April. Initially I was hoping to stay in Santa Monica until 21st April, but was unable to find any recommended and decent accommodation for around USD100 p/night. Does anyone recommend the YHA Hostel in Santa Monica? That would cost us USD59.00 per night - I'm just a bit unsure about staying in a hostel with a child. The few days we would be there I would be hoping to spend time strolling around Santa Monica and Venice Beach, and probably doing a day tour of Hollywood, Beverley Hills, stars' homes etc. After Santa Monica I was intending to head to Anaheim - from 21-24 April - staying at Howard Johnson Hotel (USD59.00 per night on Expedia/Trip Advisor) and visiting Disneyland for a few days (before we join a 9-day tour where we finish in San Fran).
The other alternative I am now looking at is staying in Anaheim for the whole time we are in LA, then doing a couple of day trips into Hollywood/Bev. Hills/Santa Monica etc. - probably as day tours as we will not have our own transport.
Any suggestions on what I have just outlined, or any other recommendations (hotels, day tours etc)?

SAN FRANCISCO
We will be in San Francisco from 2nd May (evening) and leaving on the 6th. Once again, I have been looking at hostels as well as hotels. So far I have narrowed it down to either the HI Hostel at Fort Mason (USD68.50-78.00 private room per night) or the HI Hostel at Mason Street (USD60.00-66.00 private room per night), or The Chancellor Hotel at 433 Powell Street (USD88.00 per night; #3 ranked hotel in SF on Trip Advisor). The Chancellor sounds great according to reviews and website information, and its price is very good when compared with the hostels' prices - is Union Square a good place to stay? I thought the hostel at Fort Mason would be a nice area for bike rides, walks etc. with my daughter.
Once again, any suggestions on the above, or any further recommendations?

NEW YORK CITY
From previous postings and reading other people's notes, it appears that the Upper West Side is a good place to stay with a child - proximity to Central Park, American Museum of Natural History, quieter neighbourhood etc. Do you agree, or would you suggest elsewhere?
The Hotel Beacon appeals to me (on Broadway at 75th; USD145.00 per night), and it was rated 15th on Trip Advisor for NYC hotels. Has anyone stayed here, or know of it, that would recommend it? Other hotels I have looked at are Comfort Inn Central Park (31 W71st Street; AUD163.00 per night); On The Ave Hotel (2178 Broadway at 77th Street; AUD230.00 per night); and the Milburn Hotel (242 W76th Street; USD169.00 per night) - any good/bad reviews from experience or hearsay?
Any further suggestions?

Thank you all for your help in advance. Please let me know if I need to give any further details to help you respond.

Kirsty

We stayed a few years ago at the Cadillac Hotel on Venice Beach. The hotel was OK and I am pretty sure the price was under $100.

I don't know the Beacon Hotel personally, but the area is good (and nice for kids) and it is easy to get around Manhattan on foot and bus.

Stay at the Anaheim Plaza hotel and suites. It is right accross the main entrance to Disneyland. Price is reasonable at $55 a night for 2 beds.

Hi! I don't have any specific hotel suggestions, but we are from the west coast and have always done VERY well using www.Priceline.com to get hotel rooms. You can choose the part of town that you want to be in, and the quality level of the hotel. Not once have we paid more than 50% of what the hotel was asking for a room. Hope this helps (and no, I don't work for Priceline : )

If you have such small funds that you are staying with your kid in youth hostels, why bother visiting Disneyland? It ain't exactly cheap, y'know. Skip the corporate "fun" experience and drop the dough on some decent rooms. If you're set on the Mouse, though, and will drop the big dollars there, I can advise you to go for the AYH Hostel in Fort Mason, SF. It's way preferable to any of the private ones. However, it's pretty busy and I don't know that they take reserves. There are some cheap motel type places very close to Fort Mason on Lombard Street; you can expect to pay $75/night there. Look for these discount coupon books on street corners in giveaway boxes (next to the other newspaper boxes); there's walk-up coupons for hotels all over Cali.

Having lived in NYC for 9 years, and visited frequently since moving on, I recommend the Broadway Quality Inn, located at 215 W. 94th Street, on the corner of Broadway. The upper west side IS a good location for a home base with kids (it's a very family oriented neighborhood), and the Quality Inn is only one block from an express subway stop and two short blocks from the 96th street crosstown bus. (Key West Diner is also around the corner on Broadway and a very good place for breakfast in the morning. Tons of other restaurants in the neighborhood too.) You should be able to get a room at the Quality Inn for between $89 US and $119 US, depending on the day of the week. They have good basic rooms, with a fridge in many. Their phone # is 212.866.6400

Hotel Beacon should also be fine, though I haven't stayed their personally, I've heard decent reviews from friends. And it's not quite as far uptown as the Quality Inn, though I don't think the extra few stops on the subway are a big deal. Don't know anything specific about the other hotels you mentioned.

my niece, who is 8, is WAY into these books called something like "american girl". if you're daughter is similarly engaged, i believe they have opened an american girl restaurant in manhattan.

not too long ago i saw a long description of what to do in NY with kids in a newsetter related to www.singleparenttravel.com. you might check there. i don't think my own favorite was listed: walk the brooklyn bridge. at least walk 1/2 way over and back. it's one of the best views of new york.

sorry i can't help on the hotels. but i would agree that the upper west side is a good place to be. you can cross the park to do museums and/or store windows and easily get down to the village and soho.

have a great time.

Your daughter will love Disneyland. If you're coming over with a kid, who is likely never to have the opportunity to do this, then go.
PM me when the time comes. There's a deal for So Cal residents to buy a two-for-one deal on tix, and I might be able to help you.

I agree with no 7. Disneyland is a dream-come-true for a 9 year old and certainly worth staying in more budget accommodation for.