When to Visit New York City, NY
There's always a crowd in New York City, so no single season stands out as the best or worst time to visit. However, there are several seasonal factors to consider when planning your vacation. Christmas and the New Year are major events in NYC, and hotel prices soar in response to the influx of visitors. However, many visitors find it well worth the price and crowds to experience the city decked out for Christmas, or stand in Times Square on New Year's Eve.The spring months bring comfortable weather, but plenty of showers. Visit in May, and you can experience the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival and Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, just before the city transitions into the sweltering heat of summer. June through August gets a bit sticky in NYC. If you prefer something cooler, wait for September through November. Temperatures are ideal, and you can catch events like the New York Film Festival in September or Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in New York City, NY:
Averate Rates by Star Rating
Below are 3 charts displaying average nightly cost trends by star rating class in New York City, NY. Analyze these illustrations to evaluate the cheapest seasons to stay in New York City for upcoming travels.
Luxury Hotel Options in New York City, NY
4 Star Average Prices: $264.91
If you're looking for a place where you can splurge a bit, New York City has plenty of options. You'll find many chic luxury hotels in the city, all prepared to pamper you.The Four Seasons in New York offers spacious accommodations that are designed with all the comforts of home. The smallest rooms in the hotel offer 500 square feet of space, including an oversized marble bathroom with its own television. In-room amenities include a refrigerated private bar, complimentary WiFi, terry bathrobes, and Bulgari bath amenities. Twice-daily housekeeping keeps everything pristine. On-site dining is available at The Garden as well as the TY Bar. If you don't feel like heading down, in-room dining is always an option.The Lowes Regency New York is a sophisticated hotel pick on Park Avenue. Guest rooms feature complimentary WiFi, Frette linens, and Julien Farel bath amenities. You'll find several high-tech touches in the hotel, like flat-screen TVs built into the bathroom mirrors, electronic window shades, and smart televisions. Venture beyond your room to enjoy The Regency Bar & Grill, fully equipped fitness center, and Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa.Book your stay at a New York City icon with a room at The Plaza. This hotel has the distinction of being the first in the world to provide in-room iPads, so guests can control their hotel experience. From these tablets, visitors can order room service, print boarding passes, or communicate with the concierge. On-site amenities include the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, LA PALESTRA gym, Warren-Tricomi Salon, and the Shops at The Plaza.
Cheap Hotels in Manhattan NYC under $100
3 Star Average Prices: $213.61
Are you visiting New York City on a budget? You don't have to splurge to get a comfortable room in the city. Though you may sacrifice some of the more opulent amenities, you can find affordable options that keep you close to your favorite city highlights.Don't settle for a drab room to enjoy an affordable stay in the city. The Pod Hotel has two locations in New York, both offering bright, playful accommodations at an affordable price. The cozy rooms here feature complimentary WiFi, an iPod dock or in-room media center, a flat screen LCD TV, and lighting with dimmer controls. If you're travelling alone, you can book a single pod with a shared bathroom for the best savings. Upgrade to a full pod to get your own private bathroom and enough space to sleep two.Looking for a hotel on the upper west side? Hotel Newton is conveniently located near the Manhattan Children's Museum, American Museum of Natural History, and Riverside Park. The hotel's affordable accommodations include refrigerators and microwaves, so you can easily keep small snacks or simple meals on hand right in your room. The most affordable rooms in the hotel have a shared bathroom, though there are several options you can upgrade to that offer a private bath if you prefer.The Row NYC is surprisingly affordable for a Times Square hotel. The rooms are sleek and simple, but the hotel's on-site amenities include several unique perks. City Kitchen offers on-site dining in a convenient market setting, so you can grab a bite from seven of the city's most popular vendors in one spot. District M is a café by day and lounge by night, so there's always something to enjoy.If you want to stay fit on vacation, The Row offers an indoor cycling studio and 24/7 fitness studio. The Bosco Photo Booth, Glam & Go styling bar, and Iconic M shop offer additional fun and conveniences right in the hotel.
2 Star Average Prices: $155.47
Best Discounts in New York City, NY
Hotel discounts can take your stay to a whole new level by giving you the same comfort and convenience for a surprising bargain. While you may associate discounted rooms with mid- to low-priced hotels, you can find some stellar deals at even the priciest picks in the city. The Four Seasons Hotel offers discounts like a free third or fourth night, early booking discounts, and bed and breakfast deals.If you're looking for creative packages that will help you sneak in some savings, the Lowes Regency New York has several fun options. Pop the question right with the Ultimate Proposal Package, or experience NYC entertainment in a fresh new way with the Broadway Baby Package. The hotel also offers AAA discounts, seasonal promotions, and food credits with qualifying stays.The Comfort Inn Times Square South offers several packages with added discounts as well. You can combine your hotel stay with admission to some of the city's best highlights, with choices like the American Museum of Natural History Package, Empire State Building Package, or Top of the Rock Package.If you have a favorite hotel chain, don't forget to look for New York locations where you can collect or cash in on loyalty points. Programs like Hilton's HHonors can yield great discounts when you book with the chain often. Earn double points for select stays at locations like the Hilton Garden Inn Times Square. The Hilton line of hotels also offers discounts for AAA members, military and their families, AARP members, and seniors.
Best Value Options in New York City, NY
If you're looking for a mid-priced hotel that will help you squeeze the most value out of every dollar, you'll find a variety of options in New York City. Whether you value location, comfort, or a complimentary breakfast above all else, there's a hotel here that will suit your preferences.Hotel Le Bleu is a boutique find in Brooklyn, less than two miles from the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Museum, and Barclays Center. Mornings here begin with a complimentary breakfast basket and newspaper. The rooms feature 450-thread-count Pratesi linens, soft robes and slippers, rainfall shower heads, iPod charging stations, Bose DVD surround-sound systems, Keurig coffee makers, and fully stocked mini bars. Guests enjoy complimentary WiFi, so it's easy to stay connected from this value-packed hotel.From the Magnuson Convention Center Hotel, you can easily walk to Times Square, Central Park, and the Empire State Building. This hotel offers added value in the form of a complimentary continental breakfast, free Internet access, and comfortable Tempur-Pedic mattresses.The Comfort Inn Times Square South knows all about convenience and value. This mid-priced hotel features a free daily breakfast, so you can always start your day right. Complimentary high-speed WiFi keeps you connected, so it's easy to plan the day ahead. An airport shuttle and towncar service are available for a moderate fee. Rooms feature pillow-top mattresses, HDTV with premium channels, and an in-room coffee maker.
Getting Around New York City, NY
Thanks to the ample public transportation options, getting around NYC is easy no matter where you stay. Consider walking to your destination to see the city like a real New Yorker. If you're too far from your destination to make it on foot, you can use the MTA subways and buses.The subway and many buses operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Get a MetroCard shortly after your arrival, so you're equipped to use the MTA system throughout the city. You can also use your MetroCard for the Roosevelt Island Tram. This travels from 59th Street and Second Avenue to Roosevelt Island between Manhattan and Queens.Whether your agenda is filled with foodie highlights, nights at the theater, or long days of shopping, New York City offers an unforgettable vacation experience. Snag the right hotel for your home base and start planning your next visit.
New York City, NY in a nutshell
America's most populous city is also one of its smallest, with 305 square miles densely populated with competing skyscrapers, busy streets, and a jostle of the most culturally diverse people one can ever encounter. New York City is a hodgepodge of anything and everything the country has to offer, and beyond. Tourists can never find themselves lost in the cultural capital of the world, with mixed signs and posts that further prove it is also the nation's most linguistically diverse. Annually, 50 million people journey through the streets of the "Crossroads of the World' with varying purposes; some drive towards the Wall Street or to the New York Stock Exchange, scholars head to Ivy League universities, while others run towards the Subway. Keeping up with New York City's pulse can be exhilarating-energy pumps throughout the avenues of Williamsburg, Times Square, and Wall Street at an almost exhausting pace. Tourists can traipse up and down Museum Mile, duck into the area's art galleries, or wander through Soho's streets with arms loaded of shopping bags. The legwork can be thrilling, and you can at least start somewhere. With a majestic view from the Empire State Building, there's no need to say the best way is to start on top.
'The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the great American authors who penned classics like ˜The Great Gatsby', was one among the millions of people who have loved New York City to the core, perhaps more than their hometowns.
New York is where life meets dreams and dreams meet life. It is a city that never sleeps and yet, somehow, with a twisted twist in the fate, is always drowsy. Nobody has time here to question life. From high end boutique shops and million dollar jewelry stores to street side news vendors with a stash of vintage Coltrane vinyl discs, New York has it all.
From movies like ˜Taxi Driver' and ˜Gangs of New York' to ˜Manhattan' and ˜Midnight Cowboy', New York of all types and kinds has been etched into the texture of culture that people often love to call their Americanness. Agreed, this city is nothing like any other you will see in America, perhaps the world, but it's a city that people resort to in dreams and hopes, follies and virtues, ambitions and broken hearts “ it's a city that just knows how to assimilate everyone, anyone really.
If you are planning on visiting New York City, make it a point to live in New York, rather than just hopping sight (there are plenty of those, anyway!), and you can be sure to find some unforgettable memories in busy mean streets of this hazy city.
Cheap Stays in New York
New York is a city that knows not how to say no. So, you are going to find all kinds of establishments here, from cheap hotels to luxury resorts that can only be entered into if you are a legit celebrity.
Finding accommodation shouldn't be a problem here, though, as the city holds the highest number of hotel rooms in all of North America.
For finding affordable hotels in New York, you will probably have to head down to one of the cheaper boroughs, perhaps Queens would be the best bet for you. You are guaranteed to find great hotel rooms at reasonable prices in most suburbs of Queens.
From heritage establishments like the Marcel and the Bentley, to a whole chain of Doubletree resorts by Hilton, New York offers many affordable staying options for tourists and travelers.
Flying High and Mighty
If cheap hotels don't really appeal to your senses or your idea of a perfect gateaway in New York, you can always turn your head to any of the many luxury hotels in New York.
And be sure “ New York is as luxurious as it gets in America (of course, if you discount Vegas). Name a reputed chain of resorts and you are going to find at least one establishment owned and operated by them in New York.
Take the Plaza Hotel for example. Now owned by Trump Group, the Plaza Hotel has a longstanding history that features the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Truman Capote. If you need more of luxury, Hilton at Time Square can be a great pick. Not many things can beat the feeling of living smack in the center of Time Square. Other popular New York hotels in this segment include Waldorf Astoria, Ritz Carlton Central Park and Wyndham New Yorker etc.
Some Offbeat Sights in New York
Everyone is aware of famous sights to see in New York “ from the Ellis Island to Time Square and from the Museum of Natural History to MoMA.
So, assuming that you are going to visit these places anyway, let's take a look at some of the understated and often ignores sights in New York.
New York Public Library boasts of the largest collection of physical information in the world. Just walking through giant corridors of its imposing building is enough to make you fall in love with it. Another attraction well worth visiting is Staten Island Ferry Trip that proves to be some respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Performing arts lovers can head in the evening to Broadway to see what the best known theater street in the world has to offer. Also, Radio City Music Hall regularly features great bands and acts.
Hotels Near New York Airport
Almost all of tourists arriving in New York use the JFK International Airport as their point of entry. Although the airport is not too far away from the city, it makes sense for tourists to look for some good New York hotels near the airport, for the sake of convenience.
If you happen to be looking for such a hotel, there are quite a few branded hotel chains operating in this area. However, these are perennially booked to the brim. So, make sure that you book well prior to your trip to avoid any last minute hassle and running around.
When Should You Head to New York?
It really depends on what you want to visit New York for.
If you are planning on visiting New York just to tick it off your checklist, then probably summer months will provide you the best deal of fun, activity and sightseeing.
If you are looking to get some romantic time off, away from the shackles of domestic life, then winter (October to December) can be a great time to visit New York. Unlike most parts of America, New York is at its busiest around Christmas. Hotel prices are manageable and of course, who wouldn't love to see the counting down ceremony in Time Square and enjoy the overall holiday ambiance in historic streets of New York?
So, the final word is that New York City is as good as it gets. Make your plans come true and enjoy the stay in New York to your fullest. It's very much possible that you will be coming back to this magical city time and time again, sooner rather than later!
FAQs about hotels in New York City
How much does a cheap hotel in New York City cost per night?
In the last year, a 2 star hotel in New York City can be as cheap as $155.47 per night. (based on HotelPlanner prices)
How much does a 3 star hotel in New York City cost per night?
In the last year, the average 3 star hotel in New York City has been $213.61 per night. (based on HotelPlanner prices)
How much does a higher-end hotel in New York City cost?
In the last year, the average 4 star hotel in New York City has been $264.91 per night. (based on HotelPlanner prices)