New York City
There is certainly something about this city of over 8 million people that has brought visitors and immigrants alike to its streets. And in such an iconic and historic city there are certainly no shortages of places to stay.
But I wanted to help you take some of the guess work out of finding a place to stay in the city. So I went through both recommendations based on places I’ve stayed, friends, readers, and other research I have conducted on hotels on where are the best places to stay.
If anything, the first thing I note is that budget is of course important. You can find hostels or you can stay in grand 5 star accommodations. So we tried to break things down by rough budgets.
So read along for the best accommodations in nyc and make your trip planning much easier.
Table of Contents
Criteria
Price
Price is obviously a factor. I’ve stayed in places that were sub $100 dollars in New York and ones that cost over $1000 a night (generally in the case for me based on business travel). So we look at the prices and try to break them down by a $ category
- $ : less than $100
- $$ : $100 – $300
- $$$ : $300 – $500
- $$$$ : greater than 500+
Type
You may be willing to rough it a bit and do a hostel, or you may require lounge access and a certain thread count. So we look at both the luxury level and the budge level for those in any sort of price point. We also take a look at some apartments as well for those looking to stay longer.
Location
This is one of my most important criteria. You want something that has easy access to metros and something that doesn’t take as long to get to where you want to go. This way we also avoid some of the outer borough locations that most people visiting won’t be going to (although the outer boroughs are amazing in many regards).
Wi-Fi
Umm this is basically a non-starter these days. Every hotel these days needs to offer Wi-Fi.
Rating
Hotel quality can change and we recognize one good or bad experience can be a fluke. So we look at the ratings of the hotels to see which have consistently been doing well. We generally look for things that are 8+ or 9+ only.
Parking
Honestly in NYC this isn’t as big of a factor. To be honest, you are better off not parking in the city. But it is nice to know that parking is available for those who need it. We think though there are better ways to handle this by parking in New Jersey or Connecticut.
Spa / Wellness Center / Gym
This is basically a must have for the really high end hotels. I’m particularly interested in Gyms here for myself when I’m traveling. Although a Spa and Wellness center are also very nice (however I often find in a big city you can get a great experience for less cost outside of the big fancy hotels).
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Hotels
We break out hotels by star rating. This generally translates to cost as well. In addition we use the “Price” designation we mentioned above in terms of costs. I mostly stay in the 3 – 4 star range. Although sometimes in the 5 star range when on business travel and 2 star range when trying to cut costs on trips. This is an approx. of costs. They can often skyrocket during busy times even for lower star rankings.
- $ : less than $100
- $$ : $100 – $250
- $$$ : $250 – $500
- $$$$ : greater than 500+
2 Star Hotels
- $ – Hotel St. James
- $ – City Rooms Chelsea
- $ – Hotel 31
3 Star Hotels
- $$ – The Hotel @ Fifth Avenue
- $$ – Four Points by Sheraton New York Downtown
- $$ – Citadines Connect Fifth Avenue New York
- $$ – Cambria Hotel New York – Times Square
- $$ – The French Quarters
- $$ – Residence Inn Downtown Manhattan/WTC
4 Star Hotels
- $$$ – Hotel Giraffe by Library Hotel Collection
- $$$ – Bryant Park Hotel
- $$ – The Kimberly Hotel & Suites
- $$ – Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel
- $$ – The Pearl Hotel
- $$ – The Broome
5 Star Hotels
- $$$ – The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue
- $$$ – The Pierre, A Taj Hotel
- $$$$ – Mandarin Oriental
- $$$$ – Four Seasons Hotel New York
- $$$$ – The New York EDITION
- $$$$ – The Ritz-Carlton New York
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Hostels
Hostel options in NYC are a bit slimmer than some other cities. Especially given that some of the lower cost options will be a bit further afield. However there are some lovely options in the city and a few we recommend as well.
For more hostel advice. Check out another local NYC blog’s post on hostels in NYC.
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Apartments
We also checked on those who may be staying longer. I often used to stay at places like these when on business travel to NYC or other cities around the world.
- $$ – Candlewood Studios
- $$ – AKA Central Park
- $$$ – Midtown Lodging
- $$$ – East Village Apartments
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Have you been to NYC? Do you have a favorite hotel that you would recommend (or one that should be avoided). Do let us know! We’d love to hear your experiences in NYC. And be sure to share this information with anyone you know traveling to the city.
I’ve been coming to NYC for travel for decades and have since started living in the city. Be sure to let me know though on what you think!
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