New York at the holidays is a really pretty time to be in NY - the store windows are decorated, the tree is up at rockefeller center, and people are just a bit nicer
there's a thread or two bouncing around on touristy things to do -Im just too lazy to search for it
but it really dependson what you like
If you're an art sort of guy, MOMA, the Guggenheim, are worth seeing, there's a ton of galleries in the Village and Soho where are different... THe Museum of Natural History is very cool...I love the dinosaurs and the blue whale...
Depending on what you want to spend per night - you're going in prime time - so it won't be cheap... check places like
www.hotels.com or some of the other discounters - or even thru where you've booked your flight, sometimes there are package deals.
If you're a littlemore adventurous and trying to be thrifty, New Jersey (a quick train ride away) or Brooklyn/Queens might be an option for hotels as well