NEW YORK, NY – PowerSearch.NYC, a travel planning platform dedicated exclusively to New York City, announced its official public launch today, aiming to address the widespread issue of hidden hotel fees that inflate costs for travelers. The platform collaborates with transparent booking providers to offer clear, upfront pricing for hotels across all five boroughs, along with integrated booking for Broadway shows, museum admissions, tours, and other attractions.
The practice of charging mandatory resort or destination fees has surged over the last decade, often adding $50 to $100 per night to advertised hotel rates. These fees, typically omitted from initial price displays, complicate comparisons and surprise travelers at checkout. In New York City, where hotel prices are already among the highest in the nation, such concealed charges can significantly impact vacation budgets. PowerSearch.NYC counters this by prominently featuring hotels that do not impose these fees and clearly marking pricing structures across its entire selection.
“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,” said Mark Karten, founder of PowerSearch.NYC. “This isn’t simply bad practice—it’s a breach of trust.”
The platform’s hotel database includes properties from Staten Island to the Bronx, categorized by price point, traveler type, and specific needs. Families can search for connecting rooms and child-friendly amenities, while business travelers can filter for conference rooms and proximity to Midtown Manhattan and the Financial District. A neighborhood-based search feature helps first-time visitors navigate NYC’s geography, with detailed guides on areas from Times Square to Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Beyond hotels, PowerSearch.NYC integrates the entire travel experience through partnerships with providers such as Tiqets, Viator, GetYourGuide, Fever, and Big Bus Tours. Travelers can book Broadway tickets, skip-the-line access to landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, observation deck tickets for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and Edge NYC, museum passes, culinary tours, and immersive attractions like the Museum of Ice Cream. This all-encompassing approach allows users to organize lodging, shows, tours, and activities through a single platform with consistent pricing transparency.
PowerSearch.NYC operates on an affiliate marketing model, earning commissions when travelers book through its partner network, but imposes no booking fees or subscription charges on users. “We’re curating and organizing information in ways that genuinely assist people,” Karten emphasized. “Our revenue model is transparent—we earn commissions, but those commissions do not influence our recommendations.”
The launch comes as New York City tourism rebounds, with approximately 62 million visitors in 2023 and projections of over 68 million by 2025. The platform’s initial user testing showed that travelers reduced planning time by an average of 60% compared to using multiple sources. For more information, visit PowerSearch.NYC.
