You need to specify your budget for hotels.

The Plaza is, in my opinion, the ultimate New York Hotel but costs $1000 per night. Also, not all of its dining areas have reopened since the renovation so you'd need to check this.

Other options for hotels include the Waldorf Astoria (rooms are dated), the Mandarin Oriental and the Parker Meridien. All these will give you Christmas lunch options.

Another true NY hotel is the Algonquin but I don't think their views will be too special. They do have a fairly good restaurant.

Just so you're aware, in NY you're not limited to dining at a hotel on Christmas Day. Many other restaurants offer prix fixe menus. They'll start taking bookings and releasing menus after Thanksgiving (Nov 27).

While hotel dining has gotten a lot better in NYC than it used to be, most people would say hotel restaurants are not usually the best in NYC. The exceptions to the rule are the newer high end hotels like the Mandarin Oriental, the Four Seasons, Trump International and the London (which has Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in it). Any of these would be very nice but to get a room with a view in any of them will be a fortune. Another to add to the list is the NY Palace which might be a bit more affordable to stay and has gorgeous public space (old, classic) but modern skyscraper for guest rooms. I don't know that you'll get any kind of deal if you stay and eat in the same place, so as mentioned above, you might chose to stay in one place and eat elsewhere (and it doesn't have to be a hotel restaurant).

The Plaza which is probably in most people's minds, the quintessential classic NYC hotel right across from the park, has been closed for a few years being renovated and turned into apartments. They do now have some hotel rooms they rent, but aside from the astronomic price, the restaurant has not yet re-opened so we don't know how good or bad it will be.

It would help to get an idea of what you had budgeted for hotel and meal and what kind of accomodation you need for your family.

House swap what a good idea. Are they friends of yours or did you join a house swap website. If website which one?

Thanks for all your help already. As to budget... we are paying $1000 for a room on New years Eve and imagine Christmas night would be about the same. Expensive yes, but because of the house swap its a couple of grand in accom for 3 weeks in NYC!! Bargain!

We don't have to have lunch in a hotel. If any of you folk can recommend a good restaurant walking distance to the Plaza or any of the hotels mentioned on the site we could walk out to lunch.

As for the house swap, it is a friend of ours sister.

My sister has used a site called homelink very successfully.

Cheers

Also forgot to ask, but can anyone help with which hotels look onto Times Square? We have currently booked the Westin but from the map it feels like its down the road a way.

Thanks

The only hotels that have SOME rooms with a view of the ball dropping are

Renaissance New York

DoubleTree Guest Suites

Marriott Marquis

I think in order to be assured of a room with a view, you have to book it.

As to a Xmas hotel, I think you're least likely to get a park view room at the Plaza. As mentioned, I think the best views are in the apts. I also think it will be a lot pricier for a park view there. The places I would try are

Mandarin Oriental

Trump International

Ritz Carlton Central Park

The London hotel (park view room bookable on line)

The Pierre

Four Seasons

As for a restaurant, in a hotel, L'Atelier Joel Robuchon in the Four Seasons is great. Jean

Georges in Trump is also good. Gordon Ramsay in the London hotel might be nice. Asiate in the Mandarin Oriental has a lovely view and the food is good but not sure it would be "traditional" Xmas food. There's a new restaurant due to open in the St. Regis hotel, also in walking distance.

Thanks nywiz, very helpful. I like the look of both the Mandarin and Trump - not quite as nannery as some of the others.

The Trump have a 1 bedroom suite that can fit 4 of us so we will try that and I'll report back.

Still working on the lunch but hey thats half the fun.

Thanks again all.

Nannery??? Translation please.

Having been inside a time or two, The Pierre would be neat at Xmas, but I always think "old money" when I think of The Pierre and have never gone so far as to stay there. I love the Mandarin, and would not have initally thought of it in terms of Christmas hotels. Now that you mention it, though....

What is the Sherry-Netherland like these days?

Sorry nywiz, "Nannery"... think old grandmother (granny, nanna) with lots of lace doillies and floral patterns on the furniture.