smeth
its seems that ill be in NYC from the 1-4th March, then in chicago 4-8th March, then im not sure yet, my itinerary is a work in progress...
for the 3 nights in NYC, in a 3 star hotel, the best deal (with breakfast) i could find so far is a hotel around 34th st for 144 USD/night. not cheap at all really. but i have no choice. i prefer to be closer to the action instead of catching cabs and paying unnecessary tips.
the best website i found that has the best deals on hotels is this one.
travelsupermarket.com - the travel comparison site
i found that i could save 5-7% compared to other websites and around 25% cheaper than going to the hotels website directly.
i also did some reading on how to catch some deals, so you may want to read this website on how to do it on the cheap. its a great read with some great ideas...
Cheap Hotels: Bag 5*, hostels or unnamed bargains...
unfortunately with the 'Lishs' with me i couldnt ask to sleep on anyones couch. though couchsurfing is one of the cheapst way to get around.
if none of the NYC TFP'ers would put you up, try
CouchSurfing - Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time
looking forward to seeing you in Chi-city!