To Save on New York Hotels, Look Outside Manhattan

About 3 years ago at xmas time, we (2 + 1 kid) were faced with the challenge of finding a 'reasonably priced' hotel in NYC and, coming from Bayside, I knew about the Adria Hotel on Northern Blvd and we decided to give it a try! We were meeting our son and his family, who were coming in from PA and we both had cars so the prospect of staying a little further out than LIC was a definite possibility. And it turned out to be a great decision!! The cost was around $130-150/night, the rooms were a little tight but clean and we ended up eating twice at the Marbella Restaurant downstairs (Spanish!). [My wife swears to this day that the martinis that the old waiters concocted were the absolute best that she has ever had!!] And driving into Manhatten after rush hour and coming out in the evening was no problem at all. About 20 minutes through the midtown tunnel and out on the LIE to the Cross Island and we were at the hotel in no time flat!! Having a car definitely opens up a whole new set of Hotels that exist outside of the reach of the NYC subway system! It turned out to be a great choice and we have been back there another time since! Check it out!

I don't get the hype about Long Island City. During last September's NY Art Book Fair in LIC, I stayed at the Paper Factory Hotel nearby - a converted paper factor. The hotel was oppressively dark and gloomy in general and my room was dark enough to be a crypt. There was one light fixture - way up near the ceiling in the factory type room, illuminating the ceiling above rather than the room. I couldn't believe how dark the room was. I asked the hotel to bring up a lamp so I could read a newspaper and over an hour later, hotel employees showed up with a ratty old lamp for my use.
When I plugged it in - it didn't work! I asked the desk to call me a taxi the next morning and instead of a regular taxi, an expensive sedan showed up that wanted to charge me $50 to take me Brooklyn - a ridiculous price for a trip I'd made many times before which should cost about $25. Whoever was on the front desk either didn't know what a "taxi" is or was in on getting some dumb-tourist rip off business for this car service.
The hotel had several wedding parties plus people I think - based on talking to them - had never been to NYC before (I used to live in both Manhattan and Brooklyn) who I can only assume didn't know how lousy the hotel and it's service was.

Tell people to head out of Manhattan or Brooklyn and aside from the chains, I think you're likely to be dealing with places that are like hotels in some medium size city - it's not like being in or near NYC.

Just visit NYC in January for ultra-low hotel rates. I'm booked for 5 nights in a "deluxe studio suite" at a 4-star Murray Hill hotel for about $160 a night. January is, admittedly, very cold - but cultural offerings are in full-swing and there are sales in all stores. It's a great solution for travelers who want comfort and style at a good price.

There are a number of new large hotels open and soon to open in downtown Brooklyn. The Marriott Brooklyn is excellent, has been open a number of years. The Bossert in Brooklyn Heights is being renovated after being a dormitory for decades and is expected to open next year. It's on Montague Street, in the commercial heart of the Heights, within 3 blocks of the 2, 3, 4, 5, R, and N trains, all of which are one stop from Manhattan.

The W hotel in Hoboken. The hotels in Newark across from the PATH station. All good value for money.

I visited New York last spring for the first time in over 35 years. I've rarely paid more than $100/night for a hotel room (and have never paid that much in my eleven trips to Europe.) I managed to find a place in Manhattan -- in a good neighborhood -- for about $135/night. The room was very small and all baths/toilets were shared but that's fine with me. It's what I'm used to in Europe (and in the hotel I stay at in San Francisco.) Many people, I'm sure, would be horrified by a place like this and that's also fine with me. Less competition for the rooms. I thought Brooklyn would have some funky European-style relatively-inexpensive hotels like this but I couldn't find any while planning the trip. I loved New York...fantastic city.

Just looked at the Box House Hotel (that's correct name) which Marilyn Wise had stayed at in Brooklyn. Prices didn't seem any cheaper than staying in Manhattan.

Big fan of Aloft in Harlem, walking distance from a Harlem insider gourmet destination: The Red Rooster.

Don't choose a NY hotel because they offer free breakfast. If you can't afford donuts and coffee in a diner you are better off staying home. My 'free' buffet breakfasts have been terribly stressful experience ---a lousy way to start the day-- pushing and shoving overseas visitors not constrained by social boundaries hogging the coffee and eggs, loading up withenough fruit and take-away makeshift sandwiches to last the whole day. Then there's their kids cutting in line and leaving messy tables for you to clean yourself if you want to sit down and eat. Forget about it

Check out Newark, NJ, too.

Some excellent hotels, within walking distance of PATH direct service to NYC, are available.

I stayed in one several times and was very satisfied with the room and the price.

The first time I visited NYC, I was travelling alone. I was dismayed at the high prices for shabby (and sometimes scary) accommodations in Manhattan. After some internet searching, I stumbled on the Opera House Hotel in the Bronx. It's 2 blocks away from a 2/5 subway station and a relatively quick ride into the city. It was also clean, modern, beautiful, and the service was excellent. I typically arrived back from my city adventures between 11pm-midnight, and I never once felt unsafe walking the 2 blocks from the subway to the hotel. I don't remember what I paid, but it was definitely low enough that I assumed there must be a catch, and was delighted when the hotel was just as lovely as it appeared online. I always recommend it when I hear someone is looking for something nice, safe, and (relatively) cheap.

Don't be an idiot.

Any hotel not below 92nd Street in Manhattan will be in a dangerous area and an hour away (even though only a few miles on a map, as the bird flies) from everything a tourist will want to do.

Sure, the subways are usually safe, even late at night, but what about the 15 minute walk to the hotel in an isolated and empty section of the Bronx late at night?

And the fact that everyone knows you are a tourist and that makes you (at best) annoying and (at worst) a mark?

If you stay five nights, you can usually average $200 a night for a nice and clean hotel in the heart of Manhattan.

If you cannot afford that and you have no relatives in NYC (who are really hoping you do not ask to sleep on their couch), then you should reconsider visiting this city. (FYI: Hotels in Manhattan are cheaper than most Airbnb apartments and you do not have to deal with someone else's personal items.)

After all, it is not exactly news that it is expensive here.

How close are these hotels to public transportation? That's what I need to know. I love staying with friends, but they are mostly pretty far out or have no spare space.

We love the Aloft in Harlem, it's pet friendly too.

I stayed at the Box Hotel in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, two years ago on my last visit to New York. There was a free cab available for local trips, the subway stop was not too far, and you could see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building at the same time. We saved about $100 per night.

From my experience, over many years, those who want a less expensive NYC hotel will need to select both the proper hotel and one of the less expensive weeks to visit. You will not get a good deal in West Village during fashion week.

If you're flexible enough to opt for a three-star Queens hotel rather than a hotel in Manhattan, you are probably flexible enough to accept any of a number of three stars in your target area of Manhattan. That's the way Priceline bidding works -- you name an acceptable price for a three star in the target neighborhood, and they assign one to you. As long as it isn't high season, you are likely to get your $241 three star for $154. 40% bidding discounts are routine.

Recently stayed at a beautiful AirBnB brownstone in Park Slope for $149/night. It was an authentic and great way to truly experience the city. Cam complete with a friendly dog and great hosts. Not some airless chrome and glass monstrosity.

There are alternatives.

Hello! Queens was a very good option for me last October. I was just 10 minutes in subway or 20 minutes walking from Manhattan.