Cheap hotels in New York are often available, but you may have to make a few sacrifices for your savings.
New York Accommodations
Whether you've traveled to the Big Apple on several occasions, or you are in the midst of planning your first trip, finding the right accommodations is important. There are cheap hotels in New York, but how cheap is actually relevant to all the other hotels that are available. Unfortunately, prices that are considered cheap in other cities, like Las Vegas or Nashville, may not be found in New York City. Las Vegas often offers extremely good travel deals with hotel specials or packages because these hotels want to encourage visitors to stay and gamble. Nashville is a smaller city, and although it has plenty of tourists throughout the year, accommodations are usually easy to find.
Location and Timing
Finding cheap hotels in New York is all about location and timing. While this might be true in other cities, such as those in Hawaii or Florida, it is especially true for New York. For example, you may be able to find a hotel deal in the dead of winter in New York, but that same deal simply won't be around in June or July. As you consider where you want to stay, think about how important location is to you and whether you are flexible on your travel dates.
Location
With five boroughs in New York City, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, your chances of finding an inexpensive hotel would appear to be really good. As a matter of fact, this is true with one exception: Manhattan. Typically, tourists come to New York City to take in the sights and sounds of Manhattan. They want to stay in the city instead of traveling from another borough by subway or taxi, and this is understandable. If you are unfamiliar with New York City, the prospect of jumping from one borough to another is daunting.
However, if you really want to find a great hotel deal, staying in a borough other than Manhattan is one of your best bets. You can also stay in nearby New Jersey. With subways and trains running from one area to another, traveling doesn't have to be difficult, especially if you arm yourself with a good subway and street map. One of the best maps of Manhattan is the "New Yorker's Manhattan Map". Unlike many of the subway maps that can be found at subway stations, which don't show every street in the city, this map gives you each street and color coded subway lines and stops, as well as popular tourist attractions.
No matter which area of the city you choose to stay in, finding a hotel deal often starts with visiting a major travel site, such as Travelocity or Hotels.com. Here you can search for hotels in New York City and the surrounding area, looking at prices and taking virtual tours of each one. You can also compare hotels at sites like Kayak.com or Hotel Pricebot or New York hotels at UpTake to make sure you are getting the best deal. Keep in mind that you will almost certainly be sacrificing certain amenities, like concierge services, breakfast buffet for lower pricing. If you want to save some serious money and do not care about perks, consider staying at a hostel. While you may be able to get your own room, you'll probably have to share a bathroom. The difference in the price of a hostel and a hotel, however, can be significant.
Timing
Finally, another way to save money on accommodations in New York is to consider the timing of your visit. Finding a cheap place to stay in the summer, especially in Manhattan, is hard to do. You may have trouble finding a room for less than $150, and most travel sites' listings start closer to $200 a night. However, if you can travel during the colder months of the year, you may be able to find more acceptable hotel deals. Of course, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are popular times in the city, so these can also be pricey time frames.
In conclusion, finding a cheap New York hotel can be difficult, but it can be done. Consider what you are willing to pay, think about how flexible your dates and location requirements might be, decide what amenities you are willing to forgo, and you may just find the perfect place to stay.
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