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By: Press Services
February 11, 2026

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PowerSearch.NYC Launches to Tackle Hidden Hotel Fees

Plan Your NYC Trip with PowerSearch.NYC: No More Hidden Costs

New York, United States - February 10, 2026 / Power Search.NYC /

NEW YORK, NY - PowerSearch.NYC, a unique travel planning platform focused exclusively on New York City, proudly announces its official public launch today. This groundbreaking service tackles one of the most significant challenges travelers face: unexpected resort and destination fees that can significantly increase hotel costs during checkout. By collaborating with transparent booking providers and offering genuine NYC experiences, PowerSearch.NYC aspires to be the primary resource for the approximately 62 million visitors each year to America's most iconic city.

Unlike conventional online travel agencies that often prioritize commissions over customer satisfaction, PowerSearch.NYC is founded on a straightforward principle: travelers are entitled to fair pricing and local insights all in one convenient location. The service merges hotel search functionalities across all five boroughs with immediate booking options for Broadway productions, museum admissions, culinary tours, observation decks, and countless other attractions-all featuring clear, upfront pricing.

"Planning a trip to New York City should be thrilling, not stressful," remarked Mark Karten, the founder of PowerSearch.NYC. "We developed PowerSearch NYC after personally experiencing the frustration of comparing hotel rates only to find hidden fees adding $50, $75, or even $100 per night at checkout. This isn't simply bad practice-it's a breach of trust. We recognized that travelers required a better option."

The Hidden Fee Challenge

The practice of charging mandatory resort or destination fees in the hotel industry has surged over the last decade. These fees-often claimed to cover amenities such as WiFi, fitness facilities, or pool access-are frequently omitted from advertised prices, complicating price comparisons. A hotel advertised at $199 per night could actually cost $274 after fees and taxes, a reality that travelers often discover only when they are about to finalize their purchase.

In New York City, where hotel prices already rank among the highest in the nation, these concealed charges can add significant amounts to a family's vacation budget. For international travelers grappling with currency conversions and unfamiliar booking practices, the confusion is compounded. Business travelers encounter challenges with expense reports when actual costs diverge from approved budgets.

PowerSearch.NYC takes a direct stand against this issue by prominently showcasing hotels that do not impose destination or resort fees and clearly marking pricing structures across its entire selection. The platform's "No Destination Fee" category has quickly gained popularity among travelers weary of pricing tricks.

Extensive NYC Coverage

The hotel database of PowerSearch.NYC includes properties from Staten Island to the Bronx, ranging from luxury penthouses in Manhattan to budget-friendly accommodations in Queens. The platform understands that travelers have diverse needs, and that the variety of New York City is one of its greatest assets.

Hotels are categorized not only by price point but also by traveler type and specific requirements. Families can search for accommodations featuring connecting rooms, cribs, bunk beds, and child-friendly amenities. Business travelers can filter for hotels equipped with conference rooms, reliable high-speed WiFi, and close proximity to key business areas like Midtown Manhattan and the Financial District. Couples celebrating special occasions can find romantic boutique hotels with spa services, rooftop views, and special packages for anniversaries or honeymoons.

The platform's neighborhood-based search feature assists first-time visitors in navigating NYC's intricate geography. Detailed guides outline the characteristics and benefits of staying in various areas-from the vibrant atmosphere of Times Square to the artistic spirit of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and from the historic charm of the West Village to the diverse dining options in Queens.

"Many travelers are unaware that staying in Brooklyn or Queens can reduce hotel expenses by 30-40% while still providing subway access to Manhattan in under 30 minutes," Karten explained. "We empower visitors to make informed choices regarding location, convenience, and budget."

Beyond Hotels: The Complete NYC Experience

What sets PowerSearch.NYC apart from traditional hotel booking platforms is its integration of the entire travel experience. Acknowledging that visitors seek more than just a place to rest, the platform has formed partnerships with top attraction and experience providers, including Tiqets, Viator, GetYourGuide, Fever, and Big Bus Tours.

Through these collaborations, travelers can book:

Broadway and Live Entertainment: From major musicals like "The Lion King" and "MJ: The Musical" to intimate Candlelight concerts and interactive performances, PowerSearch NYC offers access to NYC's acclaimed theater scene, with ticket prices starting at $56.

Iconic Landmarks: Skip-the-line tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, entry to the Empire State Building observatory, and priority access to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum enable travelers to make the most of their limited vacation time.

Observation Decks: The platform provides tickets to all of New York's premier viewing spots-SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Edge NYC, and Top of the Rock-with prices beginning at $39, allowing visitors to compare options and select the best experience for their preferences.

Museums and Galleries: From The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, as well as ARTECHOUSE's immersive digital art experiences, cultural exploration is made easy with advance booking and combination passes like the New York CityPASS®.

Tours and Experiences: Culinary tours in Brooklyn, harbor sunset cruises, guided walking tours of historic neighborhoods, donut tastings in Times Square, and workshops ranging from cocktail making to art classes complete the experiential offerings.

Interactive and Immersive Attractions: Contemporary attractions such as the Museum of Ice Cream, Color Factory NYC, and Arte Museum cater to social media-savvy travelers looking for Instagram-worthy experiences alongside traditional sightseeing.

This all-encompassing approach allows travelers to organize their entire trip-lodging, shows, tours, dining, and activities-through a single reliable platform with consistent pricing transparency.

Technology Meets Local Expertise

PowerSearch.NYC's search technology enables sophisticated filtering based on numerous criteria. Beyond basic parameters like price range and star rating, users can search by specific amenities (pet-friendly, bathtubs, balconies, kitchenettes, pools), hotel styles (boutique, modern, romantic, business), and proximity to particular landmarks or transit hubs.

The platform's map-based search interface provides visual context for hotel locations, assisting travelers in understanding the spatial relationships between their accommodations and planned activities. Distance indicators display walking times or subway stops to major attractions, empowering informed decision-making.

User reviews are collected from various sources, offering balanced insights on each property. The platform highlights highly-rated properties through its "Top-Reviewed" category while also featuring newer boutique options that provide unique charm at competitive prices.

However, technology alone does not define the PowerSearch.NYC experience. The platform's blog, featuring the series "A Visitor's View," delivers insider insights on NYC travel. Recent articles include detailed guides to NYC landmarks, neighborhood explorations, and practical trip-planning advice from the perspective of actual visitors, not merely tourism industry professionals.

"We believe in the importance of authentic voices," Karten noted. "Our content originates from individuals who have genuinely navigated the NYC visitor experience, who understand the challenges and can offer practical solutions. It's not generic SEO content-it's genuinely useful information."

Accommodating Every Type of Traveler

PowerSearch.NYC's market research has identified ten distinct traveler personas, each with unique needs and challenges. The platform's design caters to all of them:

Families appreciate the ability to filter for connecting rooms, cribs, and child-friendly amenities while booking suitable activities like interactive museums and family-oriented Broadway shows.

First-time visitors benefit from educational materials about neighborhoods, curated "must-see" lists, and the reassurance that comes from transparent pricing and reliable reviews.

Business travelers value quick booking options, filters for essential work amenities, proximity searches to business districts, and choices for after-hours entertainment.

Budget-conscious Millennials and Gen Z travelers are drawn to the platform's focus on genuine pricing, discovery of hidden gems in outer boroughs, and access to trendy experiences like immersive art installations and food tours.

Special occasion celebrators-couples marking anniversaries, honeymoons, proposals, or milestone birthdays-discover curated romantic accommodations, luxury spa resorts, and premium experiences like sunset observation deck visits and fine dining cruises.

Frequent NYC visitors looking for fresh experiences beyond typical tourist attractions find rotating new content, a focus on emerging neighborhoods, and lesser-known cultural experiences.

International tourists appreciate the platform's visual interface, clear pricing without hidden American booking nuances, and comprehensive bundling of iconic experiences they have longed to see.

Senior travelers benefit from filters for accessibility features, comfortable established hotel brands, proximity indicators to minimize walking, and culturally-rich experiences like museum passes and seated entertainment.

Group travelers planning girls' weekends, bachelor/bachelorette parties, or friend reunions find accommodations with suite configurations and group-friendly activities from food tours to nightlife experiences.

Extended-stay visitors needing lodging for a week or more appreciate filters for kitchenettes, residential neighborhood options, and the substantial savings that come from avoiding nightly resort fees.

Strategic Partnerships and Business Model

PowerSearch.NYC operates on an affiliate marketing model, earning commissions when travelers book through the platform's partner network. This structure aligns the company's incentives with customer satisfaction-PowerSearch.NYC thrives only when it successfully connects travelers with properties and experiences that fulfill their needs.

Hotel bookings are primarily facilitated through HotelPlanner, while attraction tickets are sourced from multiple providers to ensure a comprehensive inventory and competitive pricing. The variety of partnerships means PowerSearch.NYC is not reliant on any single supplier, maintaining independence in its recommendations.

"We're not merely a website with affiliate links," Karten emphasized. "We're curating and organizing information in ways that genuinely assist people. Our revenue model is transparent-we earn commissions, but those commissions do not influence our recommendations. We suggest what is genuinely best for each traveler type."

The platform imposes no booking fees, membership costs, or subscription charges on users. All services are free for travelers, with revenue generated solely from partner commissions on completed bookings.

Market Timing and Growth Projections

The launch of PowerSearch.NYC comes at a strategic time for New York City tourism. Following pandemic-related disruptions, NYC welcomed around 62 million visitors in 2023, with projections indicating a rise to over 68 million by 2025. The economic impact of tourism in New York City surpasses $74 billion annually, supporting numerous jobs across hospitality, entertainment, dining, and transportation sectors.

However, the travel planning landscape has become increasingly fragmented. Travelers often navigate a multitude of websites comparing hotel prices, reading reviews, researching neighborhoods, booking shows, and arranging activities. This fragmentation leads to decision fatigue and heightens the chances of missed opportunities or booking errors.

PowerSearch.NYC's unified platform directly addresses this fragmentation. Initial user testing revealed that travelers utilizing the platform reduced their planning time by an average of 60% compared to piecing together information from various sources. Customer satisfaction ratings were particularly high among first-time visitors and families, who valued the educational content alongside booking functionalities.

The platform's initial marketing strategy targets the five highest-value persona segments: family vacation planners, special occasion celebrators, business travelers, first-time NYC visitors, and budget-conscious Millennials and Gen Z. Targeted Google Ads campaigns are launching concurrently with the platform, each featuring messaging tailored to specific audience pain points and aspirations.

"We're not attempting to cater to everyone immediately," Karten stated. "We're concentrating on the segments where we can deliver the most distinctive value, then expanding from there as we learn and evolve."

Commitment to Transparency and Trust

At its core, PowerSearch.NYC is founded on a philosophy of radical transparency in an industry that has increasingly obscured true costs and manipulated consumer decision-making through deceptive practices and hidden fees.

The platform's pricing displays include all mandatory fees upfront. When resort fees cannot be avoided, they are clearly disclosed before users proceed to booking partners. Comparison tools showcase total costs, rather than artificially low base rates designed to mislead.

Review aggregation draws from multiple verified sources rather than cherry-picking positive feedback. When properties receive significant negative reviews, those perspectives are included alongside positive ones, assisting travelers in making informed choices.

The blog content openly discloses affiliate relationships while maintaining editorial independence. Recommended hotels and attractions are selected based on quality and suitability for specific traveler types, not commission rates.

"Trust is paramount in this industry," Karten asserted. "We would prefer a smaller customer base that trusts us completely over a large base that feels manipulated. In the long run, that trust will be our most valuable asset."

Looking Ahead

PowerSearch.NYC's roadmap includes several planned enhancements based on user feedback and market needs:

Personalized recommendations powered by machine learning will eventually suggest hotels and activities based on browsing behavior and stated preferences, while respecting user privacy.

Itinerary building tools will enable travelers to create day-by-day plans, with the platform suggesting optimal schedules based on activity locations and operating hours.

Partnership expansion will increase hotel inventory, including vacation rentals and unique properties, while broadening attraction partnerships to encompass every significant NYC experience.

Content expansion will involve video guides, neighborhood walking tours, seasonal event coverage, and user-generated travel stories.

The ultimate vision is for PowerSearch.NYC to become synonymous with NYC travel planning-the first destination that visitors think of when considering a trip to the Big Apple.

About PowerSearch.NYC

PowerSearch.NYC is a comprehensive travel planning platform specializing exclusively in New York City accommodations, attractions, and experiences. Founded on principles of pricing transparency and local expertise, the platform assists millions of annual NYC visitors in finding honest hotel rates without hidden fees while discovering and booking the city's finest shows, tours, museums, and activities. Through strategic partnerships with leading booking providers and a commitment to authentic content, PowerSearch.NYC simplifies the complexities of planning the ideal New York City experience.

For more information, visit www.PowerSearch.NYC or follow the company on social media @PowerSearchNYC.

Media Contact: PowerSearch NYC Press Team press@powersearch.nyc www.powersearch.nyc

image_0.jpeg Power Search.NYC

Contact Information:

Power Search.NYC

112 W. 34th Street, Suite 18068
New York, New York 10120
United States

Mark Karten
(718) 717-1410
https://powersearch.nyc

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