Just like wondering where to eat in New York, I promise you’ll absolutely find something that suits your needs amongst the city’s 700+ hotels.
Here’s a friendly guide to help you decide where to stay based on your preferences.
Price
If price is your top concern, be prepared for some compromises. You might not get the best location or the most comfort, but there are plenty of budget options. Use booking tools to filter hotels by price and be sure to read the fine print. NYC hotels often add extra fees, like occupancy tax, nightly fees, and resort fees, on top of the advertised rate. Make sure you know what additional costs to expect to avoid any surprises at checkout.
Location
New York is huge and you can’t be close to everything – but the subway runs 24/7, walking is easy and there’s always taxis or Uber to ensure you will be able to see everything on your to do list regardless of where you are staying.
Here are some neighbourhood suggestions (with thanks to The Hotel Guru for inspiration)
- First Visit: Midtown Manhattan, Central Park, Upper West Side
- Special Occasion/5-Star Experience: Midtown East, Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side
- Museums: Uptown Manhattan
- Shopping: Chelsea, Midtown East, Upper East Side
- Family Trip: Upper West Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village
- Broadway Shows: Theatre District, Hell’s Kitchen, SoHo, Midtown
- Hip Hotels: TriBeCa, East Village, Meatpacking District, SoHo
- Great Value: Chinatown, Harlem, Brooklyn
- Food and Nightlife: TriBeCa, SoHo, Meatpacking District
- Architecture: Wall Street, Grand Central Terminal, SoHo, Flatiron District
Comfort
NYC hotel rooms are notoriously small. It’s not uncommon to find rooms where the double bed is pushed against the wall and there’s barely any space to shuffle around the rest of the room. Forget about extra amenities like a chair, table, or kitchenette or even somewhere to put your suitcase. After an exciting day exploring the city, coming back to a room where you can’t move about and would need to sit on your bed to have a cuppa or a meal doesn’t tick my boxes – but if you’re just after a place to crash, then that might be just fine for you.
If you’re travelling with family, check the bedding configurations of the room. If you need additional beds, check whether a rollaway bed is allowed and what is the cost. And give some thought to all of you being together in one space and what that space needs to look like in order for you all to be comfortable.
Oh and remember that fridges are not standard in USA hotels so don’t assume there will be one in the room, you may have to add that as an optional extra.
My Personal Favourite: The Beacon Hotel
I always stay at The Beacon Hotel on the Upper West Side. It feels more “local”, away from the hustle and bustle of Times Sq with many families around, tons of restaurants, delis, and supermarkets. It’s just a couple of blocks from Central Park and the river, and the 72nd St subway station is only a 3-minute walk away, making it easy to get anywhere in Manhattan. The area is family friendly and as safe as you’ll get in New York.
The rooms at The Beacon are more like apartments with full kitchens, dining tables, and living areas. This setup is great for saving money on meals and offers a comfy space to relax after a long day. The couch turns into a double bed, and the rooms can accommodate rollaway beds, making it perfect for families. There’s a bottle shop next door for a relaxing evening in and the fabulous Viand diner on the other side where you can get a hearty meal for everyone (eat in, take away or they will deliver up to your room for free).
On our last trip, we had our two adult children with us and turned the living room into the second bedroom (photo below). One slept on the sofa bed, and the other on a generously sized and very comfortable rollaway. We still had plenty of space to eat together around the dining table as well.
The Beacon isn’t a 5-star luxury hotel and it’s not the cheapest hotel – but it ticks all my boxes: clean, spacious, comfortable, and in a fantastic location. You can check out current rates and availability at The Beacon here
Note
Airbnbs are no longer legal in NYC, so The Beacon is probably the closest you’ll get to an apartment-style experience (with the added bonus of daily housekeeping!)
If you’re planning a trip to the City and are confused about where to stay, shoot me a message on email/Facebook/Instagram and I’d be happy to help.
Have a great stay!
