R Day and A Day hotels?

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WinterMoon

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Oct 23, 2019
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Experienced parents...best hotels for R Day and A Day? So confused about staying close for convenience vs. all I hear about cadets wanting to get away from campus on A Day. Who knows what these events will even look like this year with covid, but I'm starting to think about it just in case. Where would you or have you stayed and why?
 
Just an FYI, if you are on FB, there is an extensive list of recommended places to stay in the files section of the West Point Moms FB page. Some like to stay super close and others prefer to be farther away. Cheapest, but nice lodgings may be in Mahwah, NJ (and you're only about 30 min away from WP). And you won't find price gouging at those hotels since they are not attuned to the WP calendar. We stayed at a friend's home that was 40 min away and we discovered plenty of other WP families were also staying in the area (we saw a lot of cadets at the local restaurant - easily identifiable since they have to be in uniform).

Welcome to the craziest 47 month ride of your life. Buckle up! :)
 
Best hotel for R Day and all other stays, except A-Day: Hotel Thayer
  • Can't beat the convenience and perks.
  • No parking worries or need to drive anywhere on post
  • No hold-up at gate with all the traffic trying to get in all at once.
  • Shuttle stop 100 yards away and hotel will provide transport in golf cart for those needing assistance and during inclement weather. Can also take a nice walk, about a mile to Plain.
  • Downside - expensive. Rates soar for all special occasions.
  • Tip: Book reservations for graduation as soon as they become available on R day (yes, four years in advance). Fully refundable if Cadet leaves and doesn't graduate
Best area for hotels for A-Day and if Hotel Thayer is not an option: Nanuet, NY
  • 25 miles from West Point, convenient to Palisades Parkway for 30 minute drive to West Point
  • Several hotel options from major brands for a wide range of budgets - Hilton, Marriott, etc.
  • Close to shopping and restaurants
  • Good access to Newark Airport and routes to other locations
  • Perfect distance for A-Day getaway
Other areas:
  • Mahwah - similar to Nanuet, but a little farther away
  • Woodbury Commons - great access to outlet shopping and some restaurants. Convenient to West Point, but not much else
  • Newburgh - many hotel and restaurant options. Only 15 miles from West Point. but the winding, mountain drive makes it 30 minutes (and sketchy in inclement weather). On the opposite side of West Point from Newark, JFK, LGA. A good option if you are flying into Stewart or driving in from the north
 
Tip for R-Day: Error on the side of convenience. It will be stressful and hectic (for the Cadet too 🤣)

Tip for A-Day: Don't make a lot of plans without consulting Cadet. Your Cadet will want to eat and sleep and not much else. Plan for doing laundry. A hotel with a laundry room saves much time and hassle.
 
About laundry - your cadet might handle it themselves. Our cadet didn't bring laundry with him as he did it all at WP. All that to say that some cadets will want to do laundry during ADay weekend and some will not. And to be honest - this is the hard part about offering some advice. The range of what the cadet will want to do/not do is so very wide that it's hard to offer advice at times.
 
Always liked the west point motel outside of Thayer gate and the holiday Inn express in ft Montgomery. Also some great airbnb and vrbo options in the area...
 
I forgot the Holiday Inn Express JWP mentioned. Very close and convenient. 3 miles to Thayer Gate. Reservations can be tough - books fast. Prices go up for WP special events, but still cheaper than Thayer.
 
You can probably book the Thayer now. With our first cadet, we did R-Day at the Hampton Inn Central Valley--it was convenient. From then on it has been nothing but the Thayer for everything. I just want to be inside the gate--esp for A Day, Ring Weekend, and Graduation.
 
Don't forget to check out AirBnB and VRBO. We rented a 3 BR house in Highland Falls for 2 nights for R day for cheaper than a cramped hotel and we could cook. Made for a more pleasant stay and we could bring all the kids. Just check cancellation policy before you book for multiple obvious reasons!
 
jl123 said:
I forgot the Holiday Inn Express JWP mentioned. Very close and convenient. 3 miles to Thayer Gate. Reservations can be tough - books fast. Prices go up for WP special events, but still cheaper than Thayer.
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This hotel was always my go to place to stay when my DS was at WP. New hotel and we could take the 1 minute walk to the Barnstormer BBQ restaurant, my favorite up there unless you cross the river to Cold Spring.
 
Just a quick FYI. As of right now Cadets cannot leave post and no one can visit. Hopefully by R-Day vaccines will be had by all and maybe things will loosen up a little. But IMHO, try and find a place that allows you to cancel without penalty. IF things stay the same Cadets will not be able to leave post or meet with parents for either R-Day or A-Day. Some of the local hotels and AirBnB's have a "No Refund" policy for WP Special Occasion Weekends so check and make sure you can get refunds IF things don't change.
 
+1 to Impulsive

We had prepaid graduation reservations at Thayer including commissioning package with cake, buffet, drinks, etc. Thayer refunded every penny.
 
If all works out...suggestion...Brothers BBQ in Cornwall. You won't be disappointed and being from the South...I know BBQ!
 
Thank you for the suggestions everyone! I should have realized that current cadets were not able to leave post due to covid, and visitors would not be allowed on post either. That has to be very hard on everyone. I sure hope that changes soon. I’m not familiar with any restaurants in the area so thank you for the BBQ suggestion! A big favorite with my family.
 
I would second the recommendation about Nanuet. Quite a few hotel and restaurant options there. And only about a 20 minute ride up the Palisades Parkway to West Point. There are a few hotels (not including Thayer) in the Highland Falls area, but they are difficult to book into because so many people target them. Central Valley is a good convenient area, and north in Newburgh you will find a lot of hotel options.
 
If you want to stay at the Thayer for graduation, bring your checkbook/credit card on RDay. Be prepared. You will be prepaying in full for your stay 47 months later. Four night minimum @ $600/night! That’s not a typo....

We will hopefully get to stay there this May and finally get our money’s worth!
 
shock-n-awe said:
If you want to stay at the Thayer for graduation, bring your checkbook/credit card on RDay. Be prepared. You will be prepaying in full for your stay 47 months later. Four night minimum @ $600/night! That’s not a typo....

We will hopefully get to stay there this May and finally get our money’s worth!
Click to expand...

After making calls this week, it is $900 pre-paid before taxes, 4 might min for 2025 graduation for a double double (1 room)!

But it is convenient.
 
Does anyone know the date for A-Day? My DS received his offer of appointment on the portal, but we have not received the BFE yet.
 
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