We’ve stayed in New York Metropolis many occasions now, throughout 5 Manhattan neighbourhoods plus an house in Brooklyn. Our stays have ranged from a points-burn Occasions Sq. resort on my first ever go to (again earlier than Jess and I began travelling collectively), as much as a Fifth Avenue five-star reverse Central Park. We’ve finished budget-end, mid-range chain, four-star historic, five-star treat-yourself, and house rental, and we’ve finished them in numerous components of the town in numerous seasons. So once we sat down to put in writing this information, we wished to place collectively the article we want we’d had on our first go to, and on our fifth.
The factor about New York is that selecting a neighbourhood issues greater than selecting a resort. Get the neighbourhood proper and many of the resorts in the fitting tier will work wonderful. Get it flawed and even the perfect resort looks like a slog. The rationale this text is structured by neighbourhood somewhat than by resort is that that is how the choice ought to go: which space first, which property second.
Jess has a factor for historic resorts, particularly the high-end ones. That’s how we ended up at each the Warwick (constructed by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing magnate behind Hearst Fort) and at The Sherry Netherland on Fifth Avenue. We don’t keep on the five-star tier on each NYC journey, however sometimes we’ll deal with ourselves for an evening or two, and the Sherry has been our decide when we have now. The Warwick will get us into the identical period for a fraction of the worth.
A observe on disclosure: none of our NYC stays have been press journeys. Every little thing beneath is paid stays or factors stays, and we’ll flag which is which the place it issues. We’ve additionally linked to resorts by our Reserving.com affiliate, which doesn’t change your value however does assist help the location. Our normal rule applies: if we wouldn’t ebook it ourselves, we don’t hyperlink it.
NYC at a Look: The place to Keep Resolution Shortcut
If you happen to’d somewhat skip the neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood walkthrough and decide one thing shortly, this desk is the brief model. Every row maps a visit kind to a neighbourhood and our decide inside it.
The remainder of the article unpacks every row.
Midtown Manhattan: The Default First-Timer Decide
If that is your first NYC journey, or if you wish to maintain strolling distances brief and tick off the famous-name sights effectively, Midtown is the place to base your self. It’s central, the subway strains all converge right here, and you’ll stroll to the Empire State Constructing, Occasions Sq., Rockefeller Centre, Bryant Park, the New York Public Library, and Grand Central Terminal while not having transit. We’ve coated the primary Midtown sights in our 2 day New York itinerary and our 3 day New York itinerary if you happen to’re planning a visit round them.
Professionals and cons of staying in Midtown
The professionals are apparent: it’s central, walkable to the headline sights, and the subway covers the remainder. There’s loads of meals at each value level and the world is busy day and evening, which suggests it feels secure strolling again to your resort after a Broadway present.
The cons are value flagging upfront. Midtown is loud, crowded, and tourist-heavy. The streets instantly round Occasions Sq. specifically are a slow-moving sea of individuals and digital billboards, and the meals on these blocks tends in direction of overpriced chain eating places somewhat than wherever you’d truly wish to eat. The repair is easy: keep a couple of blocks east or west of Occasions Sq. itself, the place the crowds skinny out and the costs come again to earth.
The place to remain in Midtown
For our prime decide, we’d level you on the Warwick New York, a historic four-star resort constructed by William Randolph Hearst within the Nineteen Twenties. It sits on 54th Avenue and Sixth Avenue, which is much sufficient north of Occasions Sq. that it’s quiet, however nonetheless contained in the Midtown strolling radius. We’ve stayed right here greater than as soon as and it’s one in all my favorite resorts within the metropolis. Spacious rooms (which is an enormous deal in Manhattan, the place customary rooms can really feel like cabins), useful employees, a correct old-school foyer, and costs which are very reasonable for what you’re getting. It’s not a five-star and doesn’t attempt to be, however it’s the type of mid-range historic resort Jess and I each like, and we’d fortunately return.
For one thing extra up to date at an analogous value level, the Radisson Resort New York Midtown sits 200 yards from Rockefeller Centre and is a stable four-star at truthful costs. It’s a series so you realize what you’re getting, however it’s well-located.
For funds travellers who nonetheless need a Manhattan deal with, Resort 31 is a well-located two-star resort 650 yards from the Empire State Constructing. Some rooms have shared loos at decrease charges, which is a good commerce if you happen to’re spending most of your time exterior the room. Don’t count on frills.
Decrease Manhattan: Walkable Hub for Downtown Sights
Decrease Manhattan is the world south of Canal Avenue, and it has two distinct sub-neighbourhoods we’ve stayed in. They really feel totally different and serve totally different sorts of journey, so we’ll cowl them individually.
FiDi and Wall Avenue: quiet downtown with the financial-district really feel
The Monetary District sits on the southern tip of Manhattan and is walkable to many of the headline downtown sights: the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Statue of Liberty ferry from Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge stroll, and Wall Avenue itself. The realm additionally has the Oculus, which is value a couple of minutes even if you happen to’re not catching a practice.
The professionals are walkability to downtown sights and surprisingly truthful costs given how central it’s. The cons are the world’s character: FiDi is constructed round finance, which suggests it goes quiet on weekends and after 6pm. If you’d like a buzzy night scene proper exterior your resort, this isn’t it. If you’d like to have the ability to stroll to the ferry terminal within the morning and have a quiet avenue to come back again to at evening, it’s precisely proper.
Our decide right here is Gild Corridor, A Thompson Resort. It’s a four-star resort on Gold Avenue, strolling distance to Wall Avenue and the Statue Cruises ferry. We loved our keep right here. The rooms are comfy, there’s an on-site restaurant, and the situation is an actual power for a downtown-heavy itinerary. It’s the type of resort the place the situation is the headline profit, and the room delivers precisely what you’d count on from a Thompson property.
Finances choices are skinny in FiDi. If you happen to’re on a good funds however wish to be downtown, the higher play is to take a look at Greenwich Village (coated beneath) or commute in from Brooklyn.
Decrease East Aspect and Chinatown: meals, nightlife, downtown grit
A couple of blocks east, the character adjustments fully. The Decrease East Aspect and Chinatown sit proper subsequent to one another, and collectively they make up one of the food-led, vigorous, and characterful corners of Manhattan. Chinatown’s slim streets are dense with dim sum, hand-pulled noodles, and bakeries; the LES has the bars, eating places, and music venues that the Monetary District doesn’t. The Manhattan Bridge entrance is a brief stroll away if you wish to stroll over to Brooklyn, and the F, J, M, and Z trains all cease within the space.
The professionals: an actual meals scene, nightlife, and a way of being in a working neighbourhood somewhat than a vacationer district. The cons: the walks to the headline downtown sights are a contact longer than from FiDi, and the streets can really feel busy late at evening (extra vigorous than unsafe, however if you need quiet this isn’t it).
Our decide is the Fairfield Inn & Suites Manhattan/Downtown East at 95 Henry Avenue. It’s not an thrilling resort and we received’t fake in any other case, however it was reliably good. The rooms are clear and well-equipped, the included breakfast is an actual money-saver in NYC the place breakfast pricing in eating places is steep, and the situation places you a brief stroll from Chinatown’s meals, the LES nightlife, and the Brooklyn Bridge. That is the journey we did once we wished a no-stress mid-range chain keep in a neighbourhood we’d truly wish to stroll round in, and it delivered.
It’s additionally value flagging that this a part of Manhattan is a structural blind spot for many NYC lodging guides, together with ours till now. We’ve coated Midtown and FiDi extensively in our present itinerary articles, however the LES and Chinatown facet of downtown deserves extra consideration than it often will get.
Greenwich Village and Chelsea: Cool Neighbourhood, Nice Meals
If you happen to’ve been to NYC earlier than and also you’re on the lookout for someplace with extra character than Midtown, Greenwich Village and Chelsea are the apparent solutions. The streets are tree-lined, the structure is generally low-rise brownstones somewhat than skyscrapers, the Excessive Line runs alongside the western edge, and the meals and bar scene is nice somewhat than tourist-priced. It’s additionally a brief stroll to Washington Sq. Park, the West Village, and Chelsea Market.
The professionals: character, walkability, meals. The cons: resort choice is thinner right here than in Midtown (the world is generally residential), and what resorts exist are usually both boutique-quirky or apartment-style. That is additionally a neighbourhood the place an house rental may make extra sense than a resort, particularly for longer stays.
Our decide on the funds finish is The Jane Resort, a unusual two-star resort in Greenwich Village with rooms styled like ship’s cabins (it was initially a sailors’ resort) and views over the Hudson River. The cabin rooms have shared loos which is the trade-off, however the charges are superb for Manhattan and the constructing has actual character. Value figuring out about if you happen to’ve been to NYC earlier than and wish someplace totally different.
For mid-range and high-end choices right here, we’d recommend house leases by way of Vrbo or Plum Information somewhat than resorts. The character of the neighbourhood lends itself to staying in a brownstone or a transformed loft, and the stock on the apartment-rental tier right here is robust. Extra on that within the flats part beneath.
Fifth Avenue and Central Park: Particular Event / Luxurious
If you happen to’re in NYC for a special day, an anniversary, or a treat-yourself journey and funds isn’t the constraint, the world alongside Fifth Avenue reverse Central Park is the place the grand-dame resorts are. That is the New York of the postcards and the movies: Central Park views, the Plaza, Tiffany & Co flagship, the Apple dice, Saks Fifth Avenue, Trump Tower, and the lengthy stroll south down Fifth Avenue from the museum finish to the purchasing finish.
The professionals: the situation is iconic, the rooms (in the fitting resorts) are large by Manhattan requirements, and the stroll into Central Park very first thing within the morning is an actual second. The cons: costs are critically excessive, mid-range choices are skinny (it’s principally five-stars and ultra-luxury), and the world itself goes quiet within the night as soon as the consumers go away (which could be a function or a bug relying on what you need).
Jess has at all times had a factor for historic resorts, and in the event that they occur to be high-end luxurious too, even higher. The Sherry Netherland suits each. The Sherry Netherland is a Fifth Avenue grande dame reverse Central Park, the type of resort the place you’ll be able to really feel the constructing’s age within the foyer’s marble and the brass elevator fittings. Pretty rooms, useful employees, and a improbable location: you’ll be able to stroll straight throughout the street into Central Park, and also you’re a couple of minutes’ stroll from Bergdorf Goodman, the Plaza, and the Fifth Avenue museum stretch.
We don’t keep at this tier on each NYC journey. 5-star Fifth Avenue is just not the place most of our nights have been spent. However sometimes we’ll deal with ourselves for an evening or two, and the Sherry has been our decide when we have now.
If you happen to just like the historic-hotel really feel however the five-star value isn’t going to work, the Warwick (coated within the Midtown part above) is a four-star various. Additionally historic, additionally Hearst-built, at roughly half the worth.
Brooklyn: For Your Return Go to (or Your First, If You’re Courageous)
Brooklyn is the place the sensible return-visitor tends to go, and it’s the place we’ve spent extra nights than wherever else within the metropolis. We stayed in an house proper in DUMBO, close to the spot the place each picture of the Manhattan Bridge framed between two buildings is taken (the nook of Washington and Water Streets, if you wish to discover it your self). It’s a couple of minutes’ stroll to the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River stroll, and the F practice into Manhattan, and the world has extra good eating places per sq. block than most of Midtown.
The professionals: more room to your cash than Manhattan (flats particularly), higher meals, an actual neighbourhood really feel, and the views again throughout the river are the views you’ve truly come to NYC to see. The cons: you’re throughout the river, so think about 20-Half-hour every means on the subway to get to most Manhattan sights. This provides up over a brief journey.
The Brooklyn house sample
We stayed in an house in DUMBO throughout a number of visits. We’re not going to level you at a selected itemizing as a result of house listings rotate quick on any platform, and a suggestion that’s stable this week is gone subsequent yr. The suitable transfer is to advocate the platform somewhat than the property.
The 2 we’d recommend are Vrbo and Plum Information. Vrbo (owned by Expedia Group) is the broad-inventory choice with hundreds of NYC flats listed, and is what we’d use if Airbnb had been nonetheless our default (it isn’t, for numerous causes we received’t get into right here). Plum Information is the curated choice: they hand-check their listings and the stock is smaller consequently, however the high quality is extra constant. We’ve coated the apartment-rental panorama extra broadly in our options to Airbnb information if you need extra choices.
For longer stays (something 4 nights or extra), an house often beats a resort on price per evening and provides you a kitchen (which issues extra in NYC than in most cities, given restaurant pricing).
Brooklyn resort picks
For travellers who need Brooklyn however choose a resort, listed here are 4 we’d contemplate, ranked roughly by tier:
1 Resort Brooklyn Bridge is the posh anchor in DUMBO. Reclaimed-wood interiors, a Bamford spa within the basement, a rooftop pool with views again throughout the river to Manhattan, and the situation is identical one we stayed in by way of house. If you’d like the DUMBO space however don’t need an house, that is essentially the most direct swap.
The William Vale in Williamsburg is the opposite luxurious choice. Glossy trendy design, floor-to-ceiling home windows, one in all NYC’s largest out of doors resort swimming pools (open seasonally, Could to early September), and a rooftop bar with skyline views. The L practice at Bedford Avenue connects you to Manhattan in a couple of stops.
The Tillary Resort is the mid-range decide, well-positioned on the foot of the Manhattan Bridge with easy accessibility to DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, and Downtown Brooklyn. A 174-room resort with a rooftop backyard bar, a foyer café, and rooms that fuse mid-century trendy and art-deco influences. (Value figuring out: it was once branded as Dazzler Brooklyn, therefore the marginally old-feeling URL on Reserving.com.)
Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg is the design-led mid-range choice in Williamsburg. We’ve stayed at Moxy properties in different cities and located the model constant: small however well-thought-out rooms, a bar-led communal foyer, and costs which are cheap by Manhattan requirements. Value a caveat although: the Moxy aesthetic may be very of its second, and we wouldn’t be stunned if the format feels dated in 5 or ten years. Value figuring out if you happen to’re reserving it for an extended keep otherwise you choose a extra conventional resort really feel.
When Brooklyn isn’t the fitting name
Skip Brooklyn in case your journey is brief (one or two nights) and Manhattan-heavy, you probably have early-morning flights from JFK or LaGuardia (the transit logistics get awkward), or if you happen to’re travelling with somebody who’d discover the additional subway time disturbing. For a five-day journey with a mixture of Manhattan and food-led wandering, Brooklyn is the fitting name. For a two-day blitz of the Manhattan headline sights, keep in Manhattan.
Higher West Aspect and Uptown: Quiet, Park-Aspect, Finances Pocket
The Higher West Aspect runs alongside the western fringe of Central Park, north of Columbus Circle. It’s a residential, leafier a part of Manhattan with the American Museum of Pure Historical past on its jap edge and Central Park itself a couple of blocks east of that. Our 3 day New York itinerary begins on this facet of the park.
The professionals: quieter than Midtown, walkable to Central Park, good eating places, and funds choices exist right here that don’t exist additional south. The cons: you’re a subway trip from many of the headline downtown sights, and the world itself is extra about lengthy walks and weekend brunches than headline tourism.
Our decide on the funds finish is HI NYC Hostel, a stable dorm-style choice ten minutes’ stroll from Central Park. It’s a Hostelling Worldwide property so the requirements are dependable, and on the costs NYC expenses for resorts, a hostel mattress is usually the one technique to make a protracted journey work financially.
Queens: Finances Throughout the River
Queens borders Manhattan to the east and is related by a number of subway strains. You received’t come right here for the famous-name sights. But when funds is the constraint and also you don’t thoughts a brief subway trip, Queens is a technique to make a NYC journey occur at a value level that Manhattan received’t enable.
The professionals: considerably cheaper than Manhattan, typically inside 10-Quarter-hour of Occasions Sq. or Grand Central by subway, and the meals scene in Lengthy Island Metropolis and Astoria is robust. The cons: you’re commuting in day-after-day, the neighbourhood character is residential somewhat than tourist-friendly, and you must plan round subway logistics.
Our decide is The Native Hostel NYC, a funds hostel in Lengthy Island Metropolis with a kitchen, a rooftop terrace, and each personal rooms and dorms. Occasions Sq. is eight minutes by subway. It’s good worth for what you’re getting, and the world itself is okay.
Condominium Leases in NYC
We’ve already touched on flats within the Brooklyn part, however the identical logic works in Manhattan too. For journeys of 4 nights or extra, or for teams of three or extra travellers, an house rental is usually the higher financial name than a resort. You get more room, a kitchen (which saves you a fortune given NYC restaurant costs), and the choice of a multi-bedroom structure that doesn’t exist in any cheap resort room.
Our two go-to platforms are:
Vrbo has the broadest stock, owned by Expedia Group, and lists flats throughout all 5 boroughs. You’ll discover all the things from studio walk-ups to multi-bedroom Brooklyn brownstones. Filter by neighbourhood and value.
Plum Information is the curated choice. They ship individuals to bodily examine listings earlier than approving them, which retains the stock small however the high quality excessive. If you happen to’ve been burned by deceptive itemizing images earlier than, Plum Information is ready as much as repair that drawback.
We’ve written a extra common information to options to Airbnb masking the rental panorama extra broadly. And our journey sources web page collects the lodging instruments we use throughout all our journeys.
A few sensible factors on flats in NYC particularly:
Quick stays (1-3 nights) often don’t pencil out. Many NYC flats have minimum-stay necessities of 3-4 nights, and for a one-night keep a resort is sort of at all times cheaper as soon as cleansing charges and platform charges are factored in.
Examine the precise deal with earlier than reserving. NYC has neighbourhoods which are totally different in character from one block to the following, and a list described as “Williamsburg” can typically be on the sting of a wholly totally different space. Drop the deal with into Google Maps and see how far you truly are from the subway.
Verify the elevator scenario if you happen to’re packing heavy. NYC has a variety of walk-up flats, particularly within the older buildings.
The place NOT to Keep in NYC
A information that solely tells you the place to remain is half a information. Listed below are the areas we’d actively steer you away from, and why.
Occasions Sq. itself (particularly the resorts proper on Occasions Sq.)
I stayed on the New York Marriott Marquis on my first ever NYC journey, again earlier than Jess and I began travelling collectively. It was a points-burn reserving (I had Marriott factors to make use of up), and as a vacationer anchor for a primary go to it was truly wonderful. The rotating restaurant on prime was a second, the in-the-thick-of-it Occasions Sq. power is a one-time-experience type of factor, and the lifts that open onto a thirty-seven-storey atrium are spectacular.
I wouldn’t pay full value for it now although. At Marriott Marquis nightly charges you’re paying a Occasions Sq. premium for the situation, not the room. The room itself is a wonderfully cheap upper-mid-range enterprise resort that you can discover wherever. If you’d like the Occasions Sq. expertise, stroll there from the Warwick (5 minutes east) and stroll again to a quieter avenue to sleep. In case you have Marriott factors to burn otherwise you particularly need the Marquis for the constructing somewhat than the worth, it’s a wonderful decide. At full value it isn’t.
The identical logic applies to many of the resorts proper on Occasions Sq.. You’re paying for the deal with.
The Penn Station / Madison Sq. Backyard space
Penn Station is a significant transit hub however the streets round it are a mixture of theatre crowds, vacationer site visitors, and not-much-character industrial blocks. The resorts on this strip are principally priced for vacationers who wish to be close to the practice station somewhat than close to wherever good, and the world can really feel uncomfortable late at evening. In case your journey includes Amtrak in or out of Penn, a resort a couple of blocks east in Midtown is a greater play than one proper on the station.
Far outer-borough resorts listed as “in NYC”
Reserving.com (and different websites) will return resort outcomes an hour out from Manhattan if you search “New York Metropolis resorts”. These can appear like good offers on value, however think about the true price: subway/cab fares each methods day-after-day, time misplaced to commuting, and the experience-cost of not having the ability to stroll again to your resort for a break in the midst of a protracted day. If a resort is in deep Queens, far southern Brooklyn, or wherever on Staten Island, deal with it as a special class from “NYC lodging” and value accordingly.
Airport resorts for something aside from a pre-flight evening
A resort close to JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark is okay you probably have a 5am flight and wish to crash close to the terminal. It isn’t a NYC resort for the needs of a NYC journey. The transit time between JFK and Manhattan is commonly over an hour every means, and the associated fee per day in misplaced time and transit fares makes the worth benefit disappear shortly.
Continuously Requested Questions
What’s the perfect NYC neighbourhood for a first-time customer?
Midtown, nearly with out exception. It’s central, walkable to the headline sights, the subway strains all converge right here, and you’ll ease into the town from a base that’s simple to search out your means round. Keep a couple of blocks east or west of Occasions Sq. itself somewhat than proper on it, and the expertise is a lot better. Our decide is the Warwick New York.
Is Brooklyn place to remain for a first-time customer?
It may be, however it’s not the apparent alternative. In case your first NYC journey is brief (two or three days) and headline-sight targeted, the time you’d spend on the subway every day provides up shortly. Save Brooklyn for a return go to, or for an extended first journey the place you’ll be able to afford a day within the borough itself.
How a lot ought to I funds for a resort in NYC?
Manhattan mid-range resorts run roughly two to a few occasions what equal resorts price in most different US cities. Finances hostels begin meaningfully cheaper, and luxurious resorts go meaningfully greater. NYC pricing can be seasonally and event-driven (a Knicks house sport or a New York Trend Week evening will bump charges). The cleanest play is to set your most nightly charge up entrance, search round it, and settle for that the situation will slim as the speed will get tighter. We’ve been deliberate about not quoting particular 2026 nightly figures right here as a result of resort pricing in NYC is extra variable week-to-week than nearly wherever else we’ve stayed.
Is it value staying close to Occasions Sq. particularly?
For a primary NYC journey, no. The resorts proper on Occasions Sq. are paying a Occasions Sq. premium that doesn’t translate into a greater room or a quieter evening. Keep a couple of blocks east or west and you’ll stroll to Occasions Sq. everytime you need it with out having to dwell inside it.
What’s the perfect space to remain for households with youngsters?
For households, we’d recommend the Higher West Aspect (near Central Park and the American Museum of Pure Historical past, with the quieter residential character that travels effectively with youthful kids) or Midtown a couple of blocks east of Occasions Sq. (central to the headline sights however sufficient off the primary drag to be habitable). An house rental by way of Vrbo can be value a search for households, particularly for stays of 4 nights or extra, as a result of the kitchen and the multi-bedroom structure typically make extra sense than two adjoining resort rooms.
Ought to I get a resort or an house for a week-long NYC journey?
For per week, lean house. The associated fee per evening drops when you’re previous three or 4 nights, the kitchen pays for itself inside the first two breakfasts at NYC restaurant costs, and the additional house issues extra for an extended keep. The exception is if you happen to’re travelling solo or as a pair and worth not having to do any housekeeping in any respect, wherein case a mid-range resort is the easier choice.
A fast shut
Selecting the place to remain in New York Metropolis is the one largest determination you’ll make for the journey after selecting the dates. Get it proper and the town does the be just right for you. Get it flawed and the times get tougher than they should.
If you happen to got here to this text and also you’ve already picked your neighbourhood, go to the part that covers it and ebook the decide to your tier. If you happen to’re nonetheless deciding, the desk on the prime is the brief model. And if this can be a first NYC journey, the reply is sort of at all times Midtown a couple of blocks east of Occasions Sq., in a resort just like the Warwick the place the room is larger than the cliché Manhattan sq. footage and the situation helps you to stroll to most of what you got here for.
We’ve coated what to do when you’re right here in our 2 day New York itinerary and our 3 day New York itinerary. For getting round, our NYC transport information covers the subway, ferry, and taxi choices. And if you happen to’re selecting points of interest, our New York attraction passes article walks by which move truly pays for itself.
Have enjoyable. New York rewards a little bit of preparation greater than most cities, and getting the where-to-stay determination proper is the one most helpful factor you are able to do up entrance.
