We'll give you advice and help you find a place to stay in New York in this new article from our travel blog OneDayOneTravel. Indeed, the hotel budget is the biggest part of the overall budget of a trip to New York. The Big Apple, which has been very popular for years, is currently experiencing a huge increase in tourism. Room prices are therefore rising rapidly with each event. We'll give you some advice on how to book your hotel nights in New York at the right time and present you with 5 establishments we tested during our first trip of 10-day trip to New Yorkin September 2019.
Here is the summary of this blog post on where to sleep in New York City:
Practical advice for sleeping in New York
Where to sleep in New York City? At CitizenM Times Square for the Spirit
Where to sleep in New York City? At the Novotel Times Square for the comfort and the view
Where to sleep in New York City? At the Parker New York for its proximity and its view of Central Park
Where to stay in Brooklyn? The Fairfield Inn & Suites Brooklyn for its terrace on the Manhattan skyline
Where to sleep in Brooklyn? At the Gowanus Inn & Yard for its simplicity
Read also our TOP 10 must-do activities and visits in New York
Visiting New York for the first time Tips and tricks
Where to sleep in New York? Opinions and advice on 5 tested hotels
Let's start with some practical tips on where to sleep in New York and when to book.
1. Practical tips for sleeping in New York
There are so many places to stay in New York and the number of establishments is impressive. The city is so huge! However, you really need to budget for accommodation as prices are generally not cheap unless you find shared accommodation. And this is not possible in all areas...
For a first trip or a short stay, Manhattan and its verticality is ideal. The area around Times Square to be precise. You walk out of your hotel and you are immediately in a movie with your head in the air. And then, everything is accessible on foot or in a few minutes by underground.
Brookyn , like the other main districts of New York, is recommended for a second stay in New York or forat least one week in the Big Apple.
Brooklyn is a great place to discover its history and culture, street art and the view of the Manhattan skyline from some of the hotel rooftops like the one we recommend below. The area is far from downtown and the major tourist attractions but it is easily accessible by underground. You'll find rooms at more affordable rates than in Manhattan. The same is true in Queens , for example.
To take advantage of the best hotel rates, book your hotel rooms in New York as soon as possible. The rates given in this article are indicative and correspond to the high season. The rates can easily be multiplied by 2 or 3 depending on the time of the year. This was the case during our 10-day stay in New York that we experienced between 12 and 22 September 2019 due to fashion week followed by the UN climate summit.
A piece of advice before blocking your dates of stay and booking your plane tickets: Take note of the important events likely to take place in New York during your future stay and take a look at the occupancy rate of the hotels offered on the booking site for example.
We tested 5 rather comfortable 2 to 4 star hotels in 10 days in New York, 3 in Manhattan and 2 in Brooklyn. You can find them on this interactive map of New York (purple markers).
What did we think of the 5 hotels we tested in New York?
Good value for money?
2. Where to stay in New York? At CitizenM Times Square for the Spirit
CitizenM is a hotel chain that is appreciated for its concept of accessible luxury and its inspiring design. When you enter the 21-storey building through the carousel door on the ground floor, you immediately enter a typically New York universe with a very well thought-out decoration and staging.
The counter is a UFO. The check-in is automated but the human touch is not put aside. Thewelcome is even very friendly. It's as if we were in a huge loft with a TV lounge, a bar with high tables and a dining area. There is even a glass roof. You quickly feel comfortable working or relaxing there.
We quickly gain access to the 18th floor. The magnetic card touches the lock of our room. The door opens. Our 10-day trip to New York really begins at this moment.
We enter a very modern and connected minimalist room with access to a tablet that centralizes everything. A very functional and contemporary room as we like them. The bedding is also very comfortable in this XL bed. Finally the room is quiet, which is not always the case in New York. If you stay at the CitizenM Times Square, don't forget to test the different lighting ambiances in the shower area ^^
The view from the bed was facing another tower. You could still see the birth of Times Square as you got closer to the big window. The highlight of the view in this hotel is the rooftop on the 21st floor where you can also have a drink at CloudM from 4pm to midnight. Free admission.
And we couldn't finish talking about this favourite Manhattan hotel without mentioning the breakfast, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet offering everything from sweet to savoury. Excellent pastries but not only! We recommend this establishment, especially for a first stay in New York.
The check out is as fast as the check in. Luggage can be stored during the day without any problem.
4 star hotel
21 floors
230 rooms
Room number tested: 1806
Average double room: 283€/night
Breakfast included: Excellent and all-you-can-eat
Gym area: 20th floor
Address: 218 West 50th Street, New York
3 underground stations nearby
Arrival from 2pm - Departure until 11am (+$69 if later)
3. Where to stay in New York City? At the Novotel Times Square for the comfort and the view
After checking in at the counter, we walk along the large restaurant area with its terrace overlooking Times Square to reach the lift that leads to the rooms. The floor numbers scroll by at breakneck speed. The doors open on the 24th floor. We rush to the bay window which gives us a spectacular view towards the East of Manhattan before discovering a few moments later the view from our room on Broadway and its perspective towards Times Square. The ideal hotel for a dream stay in New York!
End of the day in our room on the 24th floor of the Novotel Times Square admiring the hypnotic view of the lights of the city that never sleeps. The room is also really quiet, spacious and the bedding is so comfortable that you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud! And yet, Times Square is right at our feet!
Just look! Even at breakfast, Times Square is right in front of us.
Check out is at 12pm. Luggage can be stored during the day without any problem. More information on the website of the Novotel Times Square Hotel.
4 star hotel
33 floors
480 rooms
Room number tested: 2403 (high floor option)
Average double room: 310€/night
Breakfast included: Buffet
Gym area
Address: 226 West 52nd Street, New York
160 m from the nearest underground station
Arrival from 3pm - Departure until 12am
4. Where to stay in New York? At the Parker New York for its proximity and its view of Central Park
We're still getting our bearings at the hotel Parker New York with a room located on the 35th floor. New York, and especially Manhattan, is definitely a vertical city.
Welcome to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the ideal neighbourhood to visit on foot, close to 5th Avenue and Central Park
Thearchitecture of the building, especially the ground floor, is impressive. High and majestic columns, marble floors, and a play of mirrors that give us an impression of infinity. After a very courteous check-in and an accepted request to stay on a high floor, we reach the 35th floor of a tower that counts 42. The view of Central Park from the lift is incredible!
From the room, a few roof tops partially hide the view but whatemotions.
The room is very spacious and quiet. Ideal to rest for a while. The bedding is impeccable. Large desk. Bathroom with bathtub. Very clean and very well kept.
We recommend this hotel for all these reasons but also for its location which allows you to go shopping on 5th Avenue or to walk in Central Park. Affordable restaurants (Casa Barilla, etc.) not far away on 52nd Avenue.
Check out is at 12pm. Luggage can be stored during the day without any problem. More information on booking.
4 star hotel
42 floors
729 rooms
Room number tested: 3517
Double room from : 282€/night
Breakfast included : No
Gym area
Indoor pool and tennis courts (not visited)
Address: 119 West 56th Street
400m from 5th Avenue 53rd Street underground station
Arrival from 3pm - Departure until 12am
5. Where to stay in Brooklyn? At the Fairfield Inn & Suites Brooklyn for its terrace on the Manhattan skyline
This 4th hotel where we slept in New York is located in the heart of Brooklyn. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Brooklyn by Marriott is one of the tallest buildings in the neighborhood with only 10 floors. And yes, we are not in Manhattan anymore!
The hotel is in an area with a lot of potential and therefore relatively noisy (construction) but fortunately very close to nicer streets. 2 underground stations are accessible in about 10 minutes by foot. The first station is Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center Station if you want to get to the 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q and R lines. You can also get to Union Street Station for the D, N, R and W lines.
We were immediately greeted by the staff and were in our beautiful and relatively spacious room within minutes. We headed for the 8th floor.
When we discover our cosy bed for the first time, we are at first happy to see that we are going to enjoy a nice standing. A nice room indeed but it's a pity for the single glazing. For Franck, earplugs. For Richard, never needed. We all have different levels of tolerance in this respect.
The second downside is the quality of the breakfast served in the form of a mini buffet on level -1. Totally out of line with the category of the hotel. Prefer to have your breakfast outside like a real New Yorker
Let's finish with two positive points of this hotel, the terrace on the 10th floor of the hotel which offers a nice panorama on Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline and the presence of an outside parking if you have a car.
Check out is at 11am. Luggage can be stored during the day without any problem.
3 star hotel
12 floors
133 rooms
Room number tested: 805 (27m2)
Average double room: 250€/night
Breakfast included: Mini buffet without pastries.
Address: 181 3rd Ave, Brooklyn
2 underground stations nearby
Arrival from 3pm - Departure until 11am
6. Where to stay in Brooklyn? At the Gowanus Inn & Yard for its simplicity
You can reach the Gowanus Inn & Yard** can be reached very easily on foot from Union Street Station, which serves the D, N, R and W lines, as it is simply around the corner. The building, covered in black painted brick, can raise questions. And even more so when you come across itsatypical blue wooden front door which you don't really expect ^^
On the other side of the door, we are well received. We find ourselves in a simple hotel but with all the comfort despite the real smallness of the rooms. Comfortable Queen size bedding. Private bathroom with shower and toilet. Small sink in the room. This is common in New York for this type of hotel. We found ourselves on the 4th floor, opposite the street, so it seemed quiet. But this was without counting on the humming of the hotel's global air conditioning system which can be uncomfortable for some. We do not recommend this establishment for its prices which can be interesting especially in very high season. To be kept in a corner of one's mind.
Note thatno breakfast is offered. Filter coffee and tea are available on site. But it doesn't matter, there are plenty of choices in the area to have a good breakfast.
Check out is at 12 noon. Luggage can be stored during the day without any problems. More information on booking.
2 star hotel
4 floors
76 rooms
Room number tested: 420
Average double room: 150€/night
Without breakfast
Address: 645-651 Union St, Brooklyn
Underground station nearby
Arrival from 3pm - Departure until 12am
In conclusion,
New York City deserves its nickname of Big Apple for its immensity. And yet, in spite of the excess that characterizes it, especially in terms of architecture, one quickly realizes that it is necessary to plan a hell of a budget if one wants to sleep in a hotel room of reasonable size and close to the main tourist attractions of the city.
In the middle of September, we found ourselves faced with the problem of not being able to find any form of accommodation for less than $400 for a double room, so book in advance if you want to sleep well in New York without spending a fortune. 97% occupancy rate on booking this week, no more offers on airbnb or others. The situation may be funny but it is not exceptional. You've been warned!
Read also:
Top 10 must-see activities and visits in New York City
Visiting New York for the first time: Tips and tricks
