by Daniel | Last Updated January 1st, 2021
If you could describe New York City in one word, what would it be?—Unforgettable.
At least, that’s how we would describe it.
Even down to the Manhattan hotels, there’s just nothing like the big city.
Speaking of hotels in Manhattan (and the other boroughs), don’t let expensive hotel prices scare you away.
There is such a thing as affordable hotels in New York City. Read on to learn more.
Unforgettable and Affordable Hotels in New York City
Cheap hotels in New York City don’t exist—but affordable hotels in NYC are absolutely possible. After all, anything is possible in the city of dreams (that coincidentally never sleeps).
If you’re planning a trip we’ve got you covered. From the family-friendly to the chic boutiques, here’s a list of the best and most affordable hotels in New York City.
(Please note: all pricing is subject to change due to seasons, holidays, events, etc. at the hotel’s discretion).
Pod 39 Hotel
Located on Manhattan’s Murray Hill, the Pod 39 Hotel is as hip as it is exquisite. All of the rooms, aka pods, are cozy and equipped with a media center, flat-screen TV, and a glass-enclosed shower. Some of the double rooms even include bunk beds.
Here you can enjoy tacos and margaritas at their connected cantina as well as incredible views and cocktails to match on their elegant rooftop bar.
Pod 39 Hotel is located at 145 East 39th St. Prices for Double rooms begin at $95 per night.
SoHo 54
Soho 54 IS New York City.
Inspired by all of the Big Apple’s culture in arts and entertainment, the other hotels in Manhattan don’t even compare. Just two miles from Times Square and all of the other big attractions, here you’ll find style as well as convenience. This is a hotel created for food and shopping enthusiasts.
SoHo 54 offers basic amenities as well as a fitness center, an indoor pool, and 24-hour service. Breakfast is included in your stay and there are rooms with balconies available. There’s even a beautiful outdoor garden.
SoHo 54 is located on 54 Watts St, New York, New York. Room rates can be found for as low as $96 per night.
BKLYN House Hotel
Featuring the works of Brooklyn artists on rotation, this minimally-furnished, no-frills boutique is located in the “New Williamsburg” area. (And by no-frills we’re talking minimal furniture and a shared elevator among guests and housekeeping).
The urban hotel offers 116 rooms—some with a beautiful few of the city skyline. Manhattan is only about 20 minutes away by subway or taxi, but you’ll find some of the best bars, restaurants, and cafes in New York.
BKLYN House Hotel is located on 9 Beaver St, Brooklyn, NY. Prices for rooms begin at $99 per night.
The Broadway Plaza Hotel
The Broadway Plaza Hotel is a prime location in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood. It’s an intimate, 69-room boutique hotel that is just steps from Manhattan’s world-class restaurants, famous attractions, and best retailers.
While this boutique hotel dates all the way back to 1984, you can expect a new sleek, modern design once you walk through the doors. Parking is additional, but your stay will include free WiFi, large flat-screen TVs, 24-hour room service, and plush bedding.
The Broadway Plaza Hotel is located at 1155 Broadway, New York, New York. Prices begin at $119 per night.
The Brooklyn
The Brooklyn is a chic boutique just 30 minutes from Manhattan by taxi or subway. Here you’ll find a more modernized and stylistic approach as the walls in each of the rooms are decorated with scenes of classic Brooklyn neighborhoods.
This stylish boutique is settled in between the historic neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant offers plush suites as well as luxury suites. Being in the heart of Brooklyn, you’ll be surrounded by plenty of nightlife. It’s also just minutes away from the Barclays Center.
The Brooklyn is located on the bustling street of 1199 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Prices for rooms begin at $139 per night.
The Hotel Shocard
The Hotel Shocard is a stylish 47-room hotel right in the center of Broadway’s theatre district. The inside of the establishment is just as bright as the outside with its theatre-style lighting and brass hardware.
The hotel rooms are even categorized by names such as “spotlight” and “opening act” to complement its theatrical theme. The rooms themselves have wood panelings modeled after old theatre doors. Each room is equipped with modern amenities including WiFi, refrigerators, rain showers, TVs, and retro radios that have iPod docks.
Guests can also enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour at Gleason’s Tavern, which is attached to the hotel. Did we mention that it’s a pet-friendly hotel as well?
The Hotel Shocard is located on 206 West 41st St, New York, New York. With its large bright theatrical sign, you can’t miss it! Prices begin at $112 per night.
The Seton Hotel
Fashionable yet affordable, the Seton Hotel has 60 rooms to offer in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. While the lowest-priced rooms have shared baths, the hotel offers Wifi and premium bedding. Trust us, you’ll feel right at home here.
Parking and airport shuttle costs are additional, but you’ll soon forget about those amenities once you realize that you’re just walking distance from some of New York’s most famous landmarks: the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Rockafeller Center, and the Grand Central Terminal. Not to mention, you’ll be surrounded by bars and restaurants.
The Seton Hotel is located on 144 E 40th St, New York, New York. Room prices begin at $100 per night.
Aloft Harlem
The Aloft Harlem blends right in with the brownstone homes and boasts 122 modern rooms close by the northern section of Central Park. This area is full of life with its restaurants and shops—and it’s just one block away from the famous Apollo Theatre. It’s also close to major subway lines.
Best of all, the hotel rooms are eco-friendly and pet-friendly! They come equipped with spa products, free WiFi, plug-in stations, and oversized showers. Not to mention there’s a lounge where you can enjoy some jazz and shoot some pool as well as a fitness center where you can get in a quick workout.
Parking, however, is additional.
The Aloft Harlem is located on 2296 Fredrick Blvd, New York, New York. Prices for rooms start at $125 per night.
The Lucerne Hotel
The Lucerne can be found in Manhattan’s prime Upper West Side. From basic rooms to suites, the Lucern offers modern yet regal decor with dark wood furnishing, granite, and marble baths. Here guests can relax and enjoy in-room spa treatments, free WiFi, Sony Dream machine radios, TVs, and Keurig Coffee.
There’s also a fitness center and a cozy French restaurant at the base of the hotel. Transportation and parking can be arranged for an additional cost.
The Lucerne is located on 201 W 79th St, New York, New York. Prices for rooms can be found at as little as $100 per night.
Saint Nicholas Inn
If you’re backpacking through the city, you’ll find that the Saint Nicholas Inn is the perfect place for you. Located in the Sugar Hill District just south of Washington Heights, is this beautiful and historic townhouse that offers five rooms.
Each room comes with basic amenities and the option for a private or shared bath. There is also a shared lounge and kitchen area, and breakfast is included with your stay. You can get to Manhattan from here in 20 minutes by subway, which is conveniently located just around the corner from the Inn.
The Saint Nicholas Inn is located on 885 St Nicholas Ave, New York, New York. Rooms are available starting at $131 per night.
Comfort Inn Times Square West
The Comfort Inn is the perfect place to accommodate you, don’t doubt the greatness in its simplicity. It’s the perfect place for you and your whole family in the Big Apple vacation of your dreams.
With 70 rooms to choose from and close proximity to Madison Square Garden, Broadway, and Rockafeller Center, you can’t go wrong. Even the most basic rooms here offer amenities such as coffee makers, WiFi, private baths, TVs, and free breakfast.
The Comfort Inn Times Square West is located on 343 W 44th St, New York, New York. Room pricing can be found at as little as $94 per night.
The Hotel @ New York City
Relax in style, as well as comfort and convenience at the Hotel @ New York City. This chic boutique hotel is located right on the corner of 30th and Lexington Avenue, making it the shopaholic’s dream location.
If being close to Fifth Avenue shopping isn’t enough reason to settle in here, there are also amenities including free breakfast, WiFi, and newly-renovated and spacious guest rooms. Being in the heart of Manhattan, you’ll be able to explore the city with ease.
The Hotel @ New York City is located on 161 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York. Pricing for rooms begins at $129 per night.
Candlewood Suites Times Square
Calling all business and leisure travelers—the Candlewood Suites makes for a nice home-away-from-home. Located in the “Crossroads of America”, this Times Square hotel comes with the perfect studio suites equipped with full kitchen facilities.
It’s also conveniently located near all the big attractions of the city as well as some of the best bars and restaurants you can find. Some of the amenities here include free laundry and a fitness center as well as a 24-hour receptionist.
The Candlewood Suites is located on 339 W 39th St, New York, New York. Prices for studios begin at $101 per night.
Cambria Hotel Chelsea
An upscale boutique nestles within the flower district of Chelsea, the Cambria hotel is just blocks away from Madison Square Garden, Times Square, the Highline, and the famous Chelsea Market.
Here you’ll have access to modern and spacious rooms, signature cocktails and iconic views from their rooftop lounge, and a locally inspired menu from their Social Circle Restaurant. There’s even an onsite fitness center and a CoWorking space to suit all of your needs.
The Cambria Hotel Chelsea is located on 123 W 28th St, Chelsea, New York, New York. Room rates begin at $127 per night.
The Boro Hotel
When visiting the city, it’s only right to give all the boroughs a chance. This includes Queens—specifically the Boro Hotel. Just two blocks away from the N and Q trains, this designer hotel also boasts amazing views of Midtown Manhattan. It’s also surrounded by quality restaurants and a few comedy clubs that you won’t want to miss.
Flooded with natural light, most of the hotel rooms here have their own private terrace and bathrooms worth mentioning. Here you’ll have access to a rooftop bar that will make you forget that you’re in an outer borough. Comfy robes are the least of the amenities you’ll have here.
The Boro Hotel is located at 38-28 27th St, Long Island City, NY. Prices start at $109 per night.
The Jane
The Jane in New York City is anything but plain—it’s one of the best hotels in New York City.
Built in 1908 as a sailor’s bunkhouse, it once housed survivors of the Titanic. With luxury ship-inspired rooms and river views, the Jane is a landmark building that offers a unique experience to each of its guests.
Amenities include WiFi, 24-hour service, complimentary bicycles, a seasonal rooftop bar and nightclub, a ballroom, and best of all—the Old Rose Restaurant.
The Jane is located on 113 St, New York, New York. Room rates begin at $109 per night.
Affordable Hotels in New York City Exist
There’s just nothing quite as unique as the boroughs and all the attractions that make up this magical city. Not to mention the art, entertainment, and food.
If you haven’t visited this world-renowned gem of an island—yes New York City is, in fact, an island— you should put it down as next on your list!
If you found our compilation of unforgettable and affordable hotels in New York helpful, you’ll probably want to read our review of the best cafes in New York City.
Bon Voyage.