“Fabulous” and “affordable” don’t often go together, especially when it comes to accommodation in New York City.
We’ve already rounded up our top hotels to splash out on, so now we’ve included some budget-friendly hotels with rates starting at less than $200 a night. Proof that you don’t have to compromise to get a good deal on a hotel in NYC.
10. Washington Jefferson Hotel
A room at the Washington Jefferson Hotel
Double rooms from $180 per night
As a New York real estate broker would say: Location, location, location. The Washington Jefferson Hotel offers patrons a clean and comfortable place to lay their heads within a stone’s throw from Times Square, Columbus Circle and Central Park. Located in the oft-underrated Westside neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, the 135-room property may not have extremely large rooms (standard rooms are around 120-150 square feet), but the beds are outfitted with Frette linens and goose down comforters, and the rooms feature wireless Internet and flat screen HDTVs with cable. There is a small fitness room and concierge service for help with restaurant recommendations, transportation and theatre reservations. The on-site restaurant Shimizu Sushi & Shochu Bar has a $27.95 prix fixe dinner that includes miso soup, an appetizer, an entrée, and ice cream dessert, plus the restaurant has an extensive shochu and sake list. 318 W 51st St.
9. 3B Bed & Breakfast
The 3B bed-and-breakfast is located in Downtown Brooklyn
Double rooms from $149 per night
This bed-and-breakfast is run by a group of artists and creatives who live in the apartment downstairs in an old brick building in downtown Brooklyn (near multiple subway lines into Manhattan, just a couple stops away). The four rooms include two private rooms with queen beds, one large room with two queen beds, and a room with bunk beds for up to four people. This is more like a home than a hotel, and guests all share two bathrooms (one with a shower) that are out in the hallway. There is also no elevator, and no televisions in the rooms. But breakfast is prepared for guests daily by the residents from locally sourced produce. The menu always consists of granola, coffee and orange juice, and can include items such as homemade bread, croissants, quiches, frittatas, oatmeal, porridge, strata, fruit salad, French toast and pancakes. The space is equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access, and 3B gets all of its electricity from wind power. 136 Lawrence St., Brooklyn, 347-762-2632, 3bbrooklyn.com
8. The Jane Hotel
Rooms at The Jane were inspired by sailor’s quarters
Double rooms from $135 per night
There’s a reason The Jane Hotel refers to its room as cabins. Reminiscent of sailors’ quarters (in fact they once were, having originally been built at the turn of the century as a hotel for seamen), the bunk bed cabins and standard cabins are a cozy 50 square feet each, and share communal bathrooms. The roomier captain’s cabins are 250 square feet each and all have river views and/or terraces. The rooms have cable TV and DVD players and air-conditioning, and there is free wireless Internet throughout the hotel. There are also complimentary bicycles for patrons, and a 24-hour front desk. What this chic West Village hotel lacks in headroom it makes up for in history and design, having been refurbished by the team behind the hip Bowery Hotel and nautical-themed Maritime Hotel. The hotel’s restaurant is Café Gitane, known for its French-bistro-meets-Northern-Africa menu and stylish servers. The Jane Hotel is ideally situated just off the Hudson River and in the heart of downtown, with easy access to the charming West Village, the bustling High Line park, the Meatpacking District and Chelsea Market, with ample shopping, dining and nightlife options. 113 Jane St.
7. The Pod Hotel
The design of the rooms at Pod Hotels make up for the snug interiors
Double rooms from $185 per night
The name says it all. But don’t let that dissuade you. The chain’s two locations, Pod 39 and Pod 51 make up for the snug rooms with an emphasis on sleek, modern and clean interiors that have all the contemporary conveniences the 21st century traveler needs. Rooms are outfitted with mp3 docking stations, wireless Internet and flat screen LCD TVs. Pod 51 also boasts an indoor/outdoor café that serves breakfast from May through October and a French wine bar, Le Bateau Ivre. Head up to the rooftop deck on a warm night, or get local recommendations from the concierge service, available 8am to 10pm. Pod 39 (the newer of the two Pod Hotels) has a rooftop bar and lounge as well as Salvation Taco, an April Bloomfield taqueria and cantina with $3 tacos. After dinner, kick back in the chic lobby lounge and bar. Concierge service is available from 8am to 11pm. Pod 51, 230 E 51st Street, 212-355-0300; Pod 39, 145 E 39th St., 212-865-5700, thepodhotel.com
6. Chelsea Star Hotel
The Chelsea Star Hotel has a quirky hostel vibe
Double rooms from $170 per night
This is no trendy hotel, but the Chelsea Star is perfectly placed in the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and is a respectable place to get some rest. Exuding a quirky hostel vibe, rooms vary from the teensy to the titanic — a new expansion next door hosts apartment suites with two and three queen beds. Services are bare bones, but there is a concierge is on-hand to help with recommendations and reservations. For budget travelers, there are single rooms available with twin beds, and double rooms with full beds, all with a shared bath in the hallway. 300 West 30th St.
5. Larchmont Hotel
The Larchmont Hotel is located on a quiet street in Greenwhich Village
Double rooms from $119 per night
You’ll have to share a bathroom, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better hotel for the rates. While the décor and furnishings are reminiscent of grandma’s house, the Larchmont Hotel’s location on a quiet street in Greenwich Village makes this guesthouse a solid place to make your headquarters. Room rates include a continental breakfast of fresh baked goods, juice, coffee and tea. Each room is outfitted with color TV, air conditioning and a wash basin. Full bathrooms are located in the hall. 27 W 11th St., 212-989-9333, larchmonthotel.com
4. Seton Hotel
A room a the Seton Hotel in Murray Hill
Double rooms from $163 per night
The recently renovated 61-room Seton Hotel is located in the convenient eastside neighborhood of Murray Hill, just a couple blocks from bustling Grand Central and a short walk to Bryant Park and the surrounding shops and stores on Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The boutique-style hotel has sleek, jewel-toned interiors, combining antique-looking furniture, trendy details and modern finishings. Its transformation from a former apartment building has resulted in a wide variety of room types and categories including the “Seton Economy Option,” rooms with a double bed, a vanity sink and a shared private bathroom in the hall. All of the hotel’s rooms have a 32-inch flat screen TV, iPod docking station, hair dryer, workspace and free Wi-Fi. 144 E 40th St.
3. Aloft Brooklyn
Brooklyn’s Aloft Hotel has easy access to Manhattan
Double rooms from $197 per night
Brookyln’s cultural and economic boom means more hotel options on this side of the East River. Among them is Aloft Brooklyn, a branch of the Starwood group of hotels intended to offer boutique styling at a good value. Standard Aloft rooms include a king or two queen beds, walk-in showers and toiletries by Bliss Spa. There is free Wi-Fi in the rooms (and throughout the hotel) and a 42-inch LCD TV. The re:charge Gym is open around the clock, and the re:mix Lounge is a communal area complete with a bar, pool table, TVs, games and a grab ‘n’ go pantry. For families traveling with kids, the hotel offers Camp Aloft, which includes a kid-size air mattress and bedding, a goodie bag and kid-friendly options for kids between 2 and 12 years old. Aloft Brooklyn is located in downtown Brooklyn with easy access to several subway lines into Manhattan as well as popular Brooklyn sites like the Brooklyn Promenade, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Transit Museum. 216 Duffield St., Brooklyn
2. Z NYC Hotel
Queens gets hip with the Z NYC Hotel in Long Island City
Double rooms from $185 per night
With one-stop subway connections into Manhattan, up-and-coming neighborhoods like Long Island City in Queens are a great place to get a little more bang for your hotel buck. The 100-room Z NYC Hotel is located just a few blocks from the waterfront with heart-stopping views of the city. The superior queen room, superior twin room and deluxe king rooms have been designed with a certain modern city glamour appeal — huge decals on the wall, Edison-bulb light fixtures and floor-to-ceilings windows to capture that priceless panorama. They also feature LCD TVs, iPod docking stations, a mini bar and hair dryer. Z NYC offers free transportation to and from Manhattan hourly between 7am and 11pm. There is also free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and dogs up to 20 lbs are allowed at the property. Complimentary bicycles, helmets and locks are available to guests from sunrise to sunset. There is a 24-hour business center and the Z Lounge and Diner is open around the clock for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night bites and drinks. Head up to the 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge, Z Roof, for cocktails to the backdrop of a soaring Manhattan skyline. 11-01 43rd Ave., Queens, 212-319-7000, zhotelny.com
1. Yotel
The Yotel, located west of Times Square, is a high-tech hotel of the future
Double rooms from $179 per night
Yotel is like a prototype for the hotel of the future. Another hotel that ascribes to the theory that bigger isn’t necessarily better, Yotel combines airplane cabin construction with Japanese design to create an uber-modern hotel concept that includes small, well laid out rooms. High-tech features include automated check-in and check-out (as in computer kiosks), free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and flat screen TVs in the rooms. Opened in June 2011, Yotel New York has four cabin categories: premium cabins with two queen size beds, corner cabins with two walls of windows, first cabins with king beds (some with private terraces and outdoor tubs), and two-cabin VIP suites. The Japanese-themed Dohyo restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also a 7,000-square-foot roof terrace where meals and weekend brunch is served during the day, and drinks and DJ sets are served up at night. 570 Tenth Ave.