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Wondering where to stay in New York? There are thousands of hotels in New York City, one better than the other. Save yourself hours of searching. Here is my favorite collection, on various price levels, based on numerous visits to The Big Apple.
In this article
My requirements
Hotels that I stay with and that are mentioned in this article, meet my personal certain criteria, such as:
- Review average of 8.0 or higher
- Private bathroom
- Centrally located (Manhattan)
- Air-conditioning (especially for summer)
- Twin beds or Kingsize available
- Budget around USD 200 per night*
*Prices may vary per season but on average that’s considered reasonable for a hotel room in Manhattan, NYC.
So having breakfast at the hotel is not a requirement for me. This is because you can get a bagel or whatever you may want to have for breakfast on any given street corner. Breakfast at hotels in NYC is overrated and usually highly overpriced. Better save yourself some dollars and eat outside of the hotel. Pret-a-Manger or Starbucks for example. Or walk into a nice local diner and order some fried eggs or whatever you may be hungry for.
Courtyard by Marriott Times Square West
$$$
The last time I was in New York, I stayed at Courtyard by Marriott Times Square West and I loved it! The cheapest rooms are not the largest of course, but the beds were comfortable, friendly staff and great location in Midtown. Close to Penn Station, Times Square, Macy’s, Hell’s Kitchen, Theater District, etc.
We went to MJ the Musical and could easily walk back “home”! Paid US$ 624,37 for one room with Kingsize bed for 3 nights, really a good deal I found, especially for that location and bed size.
PS: Marriott has four more Manhattan hotels to check out for good deals when lucky:
- Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott New York Manhattan/Times Square
- Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan/Central Park
- TownePlace Suites by Marriott New York Manhattan/Times Square
- SpringHill Suites by Marriott New York Manhattan Chelsea
Hilton Garden Inn New York/Chelsea
$$$
Also Hilton Garden Inn New York/Chelsea is located in Midtown, but a bit more south than the above Marriott Hotel, at W 28th St. It’s right in between the Empire State Building and the iconic Flat Iron Building, close to several central metro stations. We paid US$ 597.00 for a room with two queen beds for 3 nights, but I must say that’s several years ago now.
PS: you could also check out sister hotel DoubleTree by Hilton New York Midtown Fifth Ave for deals, but it’s usually more expensive.
Holiday Inn Express – Times Square South
$$$
Holiday Inn Express – Times Square South is conveniently located at W 36th Street. So close to Macy’s, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, etc. I like staying in Midtown, it’s so central!
For a Kingsize room you can stay here under US$ 600 for 3 nights, especially off season. Nothing glamorous, it’s a chain, 3 stars, reasonably affordable, clean with good standards and location.
PS: you may also want to check out sister hotel Holiday Inn Express New York City Chelsea, which is pretty similar and also has a good central location at W 29th Street.
citizenM New York Times Square
$$$
Are you going to stay in New York off season, so like January for example? Then the citizenM New York Times Square might be still within budget. The room price varies greatly over the year, where Jan can be 1/3 of the price you would pay in May for example. In anyway, I am sure you’ll like it! The rooms are definitely not big (around 14m2) but starting at USD$ 195 per night for such central location in NYC, view, quality and fun styling… this is definitely a deal to consider!
PS: you may also want to check out deals for sister location citizenM New York Bowery.
Budget chic long term stay hotels
$-$$
For long term stays (30 days) I would recommend the following budget chic hotels, where I stayed in the past several times:
- Hotel 31 Extended Stay at E 31 St Street (starting at US$ 114 per night)
- Hotel 17 Extended Stay at E 17 St Street (starting at US$ 43 per night)
Reality check
If these hotels, including Pod 39 mentioned in the specific article on rooftop hotels in Manhattan, are still too expensive for your trip to NYC, then you will probably have to compromise, either on:
- location (anywhere outside of Manhattan like Brooklyn), or
- quality (bad reviews), or
- privacy (shared bathroom)
Brooklyn is all hip and happening, and there are a bunch of great places, sure. But be careful. It is not safe to walk everywhere, especially at night. And that long metro ride between your Brooklyn accommodation and the sights of Manhattan can become a time-consuming burden, especially if you are only there for a couple of days anyway.
Going to NYC with NYE? Stay close at where you want to spend your party evening, as you cannot rely on public transport or taxis on New York Eve. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge might be doable, but consider the cold, possibly snowy weather too.
In the fight against the city’s housing shortage, there are very strict rules in New York City associated with short-term room rental via platforms such as Airbnb. Basically, homeowners can only register as hosts (and legally rent) if they stay in the same unit with their guests, without locks on the interior doors for example, which compromises the guests’ privacy tremendously.
More luxurious hotels
If you are looking for a bit more luxurious hotels than the above, you should have no problem with a budget of US$ 400 per night or more? In that case I can recommend the following:
The Plaza is of course that iconic luxurious hotel with ‘timeless elegance’, where Kevin McCallister stayed in Home Alone 2, at the southeast corner of Central Park. Where room prices start at US$ 939 per night. Yikes! I could not resist mentioning The Plaza here though. The Beatles stayed here in 1964! Back in the late 80s The Plaza was owned by Donald Trump, but he sold it again a few years later. Once upon a time I celebrated my birthday at The Plaza over an Afternoon Tea, which was great!
Not to be confused by the way with The Waldorf Astoria, another iconic luxurious hotel in New York City, where almost all American presidents and stars like Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra stayed. The Waldorf Astoria is closed for renovation until it’s planned to re-open in 2025.
Seasonal pricing
Room prices of hotels in New York City strongly depend on seasonal demand. The same room can cost up to four times more during high season (for example around holidays) compared to low season (for example the 1st week of February). So in that perspective it definitely pays off to come to New York during low season. The weather will not be very attractive in February though. Another difficult decision to make! But do not wait too long because prices usually only go up, not down due to high demand.
Map NYC hotels
This map includes places and spots mentioned in this article (and more). This one is ‘smartphone friendly’; you can easily use it via the Google Maps app. Click the icon at the top left to open the menu and see the categories. To adapt the map to your own preferences and interests, (de)select a category. Via Google Drive you can copy the map to your own My Google Maps account.
Read more about New York City
Have you already read the other articles about New York City on this website?
- Rooftop hotels in Manhattan: 5 fantastic options
- New York City first-timer? Recommendations from an experienced NYC lover here!
- New York City is fabulous – just don’t go with New Years Eve (plus tips if you do)
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Last Updated on 01/17/2025 by Elisa Flitter Fever
