Hotels in New York City

Time now for a change of mood. On a website that celebrates the joy of travel, it's necessary for just a short while to deal with a far less pleasant topic: the over-priced accommodations of New York. By and large, hotels in Gotham charge more than hotels anywhere else in the U.S. (an average of $300 per night) for rooms that often aren’t nearly as spacious or full of amenities. Why? Over 56 million people visited NYC in 2022, which was less than pre-pandemic, but because of the closing of some properies it meant that beds around the city were filled. Hotels could charge pretty much whatever they darn pleased . . . and most of them did.

But though I concede this unpleasant fact, I am not discouraged by it. Bargains can still be found in all price categories of hotels. Values do, and will continue to, exist. And this website will introduce you to the very best of them, as well as to a few worthy splurges, for those willing to splash out.

Furthermore, the hotels in this website are properties that could only exist in the Big Apple. They will give you a more authentic experience than you could ever have by searching randomly through the Internet. And that promise will in the end make up for the high cost of lodgings in New York.

What You’ll Really Pay

You’ll notice that the rates listed on this website are more than a little bit odd. A typical hotel listing will state that rates start at $199 per night but can go up to $399—for the same room category. That is not a typo. Unfortunately, getting a bed in this city is a bit like playing roulette: you never know what number will come up. It's all based on occupancy rates. And in high season, that means hotels charge whatever they feel they can get away with (see more about that below).

I have calculated the rates by looking at what discounters are offering in three different seasons and then showing you the range, from low to high. But the sad truth is: rates can change at any time, meaning you may find even higher rates than those listed in this guide. I have tried to list the averages, for high and low season, for these hotels, but nothing is average here. Alas, that is the nature of NYC, the city that not only never sleeps, it never stops seeking to squeeze out an extra buck. Good luck!

-Pauline Frommer