Book direct when the rate matches
Hotel websites usually match the large booking sites and are easier to change if a flight moves. Compare on an agent site, then check the same dates on the hotel's own site and take the better cancellation terms.
Where to stay
Where to stay in New York
The right base is not the best hotel in the city — it is the one that puts your evenings within a short ride of your bed. Here are eleven areas compared honestly, what the tax really adds, and how to book without overpaying.
How to choose
Choose the line before the hotel
Start with the two or three places you will actually spend your evenings, then find a station on a line that reaches them. In New York the address matters less than the journey from it.
A first trip usually wants Midtown for convenience, or the Upper West Side for calm and park mornings. A second trip can trade a little travel time for better food, bigger rooms and lower rates in Brooklyn, Queens or Jersey City. Every figure below is a 2026 planning band for a double room, before tax.
11areas compared
14.75%hotel tax
$3.50per night fee
10–30minutes to Midtown
The comparison
Eleven places to sleep, honestly compared
Price bands are per night before tax, shown as budget / mid-range / upscale. Subway lines are the ones nearest the hotels, not every line in the area.
| Area | Suits | Pros and cons | Per night, before tax | Subway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midtown | First visits, theatre, short trips | Walk to the icons; Penn and Grand Central are here. Crowds and tourist-priced restaurants. | $180–260 / $300–450 / $500–900 | B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W at 34–42 St; 1/2/3, A/C/E at Penn; 4/5/6 at Grand Central |
| Lower Manhattan / FiDi | Sightseeing south, business, architecture | 9/11 Memorial, Statue ferry and Brooklyn Bridge on foot. Quiet evenings and weekends. | $170–250 / $280–400 / $450–700 | 1/2/3/4/5/A/C/E/J/Z/R/W at Fulton–Wall St |
| SoHo / Nolita | Shoppers, design-lovers, couples | Best dining and shopping cluster. Expensive, loud at weekends, few direct lines. | $250–350 / $400–600 / $700–1,200 | N/Q/R/W at Prince St; C/E and 6 at Spring St |
| Greenwich Village / West Village | Food, nightlife, longer stays | Walkable, charming, great places to eat. Boutique hotels only, pricey and noisy. | $220–320 / $350–500 / $550–900 | A/C/E/B/D/F/M at W 4 St; 1 at Christopher St; L at 6 Av |
| Upper West Side | Families, museum-goers, calm | AMNH, Central Park and a real neighbourhood. Twenty minutes or more to Midtown. | $180–260 / $280–400 / $450–700 | 1/2/3 at 72–96 St; B/C at 72–86 St |
| Upper East Side | Museums, quiet, classic New York | Met, Guggenheim and Central Park within a walk. Limited nightlife, some very expensive blocks. | $200–280 / $300–450 / $500–900 | 4/5/6 at 77–96 St; Q at 72–96 St |
| Harlem | Budget, culture, live music | Cheapest Manhattan base, great food, Apollo and jazz. Longer commute, patchier blocks at night. | $140–200 / $200–300 / $300–450 | 2/3 at 110–135 St; A/B/C/D at 125 St; 4/5/6 at 125 St |
| Downtown Brooklyn | Budget, families, repeat visitors | Ten minutes to Manhattan and good value. Less New York feel, construction on several blocks. | $150–220 / $220–320 / $350–500 | A/C/F/R at Jay St–MetroTech; 2/3/4/5 at Borough Hall |
| Williamsburg | Twenties and thirties, nightlife, food | Best bar and restaurant scene outside Manhattan. L train patchy at weekends, loud streets. | $180–260 / $280–400 / $450–700 | L at Bedford Av; J/M/Z at Marcy Av |
| Long Island City | Budget, skyline views, quick Midtown | One stop to Grand Central and the best value. Industrial blocks, very few sights. | $150–220 / $220–320 / $350–500 | 7 at Court Sq; E/M at Court Sq–23 St; G at 21 St |
| Jersey City (PATH) | Budget, families, Manhattan commuters | Fifteen minutes to the World Trade Center or 33rd Street, new hotels. PATH stops overnight. | $150–220 / $220–320 / $350–500 | PATH at Journal Square, Newport or Exchange Pl |
What the tax adds
New York adds roughly 14.75% hotel tax plus $3.50 per night on top of the quoted rate, so a $400 room is closer to $462 before you tip a porter. Ask for the all-in total — room, tax, occupancy fee and any facility fee — before comparing two hotels.
Booking
How to book a New York hotel
The rate is only half the decision. These are the things that change what you actually pay and how well you sleep.
Read the cut-off date
Flexible rates cost a little more and are worth it in New York, where plans change. Note the exact date and hour you can cancel by — some are 72 hours, some three days before arrival.
Expect a small room
New York hotel rooms are small, and “queen” describes the bed rather than the space. Check the floor plan and whether the window opens.
Watch for facility fees
Some hotels add a nightly resort, destination or facility fee for the gym, Wi-Fi or a bar credit. It is not covered by the tax line, so ask what is compulsory before you book.
Location beats facilities
A rooftop pool matters less than the walk to the subway. Check the nearest station and which lines serve it, then count the stops to the places you will visit.
Questions
Where to stay — common questions
Which area is best for a first visit?
Midtown, unless noise and crowds bother you. It is the only area where the Empire State Building, Times Square, Bryant Park, Grand Central and the theatres are all within a walk. The Upper West Side is the calmer alternative, with the park and the American Museum of Natural History on the doorstep.
Is Brooklyn a good base for a first trip?
It can be. Downtown Brooklyn is around ten minutes from Lower Manhattan on several lines, and Williamsburg has the best food and nightlife of any outer-borough base. You trade some convenience for space and value — see the Brooklyn guide.
Is Jersey City cheaper, and what is the catch?
Usually cheaper, with newer hotels and a fast PATH ride to the World Trade Center or 33rd Street. The catch is that PATH stops overnight, so a late evening means a taxi.
How much is hotel tax, and what else is added?
Roughly 14.75% hotel tax plus $3.50 per night, on top of the quoted rate, and some hotels add a compulsory facility fee as well. See the budget guide for the rest of the picture.
Should I tip hotel staff?
Yes, modestly. Around $2–5 per bag for the porter and $3–5 per night for housekeeping is the local norm. Doormen and concierges are tipped for a specific service, not routinely.