Travel to NYC, Part 2: Booking a Hotel in New York
- Nov 9, 2025
- 8 min read
The NYC Traveler in NYC:
An Introduction to the City of New York
(practically speaking!)
Part 2: Staying in NYC, How to Pick a Hotel
BONUS Tip #1: Manhattan addresses will be New York, New York. Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island addresses are the same as their borough name. But Queens addresses run by their neighborhood: Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing, Astoria, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, etc. (there are many more neighborhoods than this). BONUS Tip #2: Midtown Manhattan is traditionally considered from 59th Street to 23rd Street from river to river. This is a very loose definition. Uptown is anything above 96th street on both the East Side and West Side. Central Park West and 5th Avenue are the dividing lines: The East Side is streets from 5th Avenue to the East River; the West Side is from 6th Avenue to the Hudson River. Below 14 Street (Union Square), it becomes a little less clear. On top of that, there named neighborhoods.
The NYC Traveler in NYC YouTube Playlist
BONUS Tip #3: Beware of Broadway. Clearly the longest street in Manhattan, it really goes from The Battery all the way to West 220 Street, winding through, never in a straight line, mostly on the west side. If you could drive it without traffic, it would be quite a tour. You would hit everything that Manhattan had to offer. But look up on a map a Broadway address so that you know what cross street your location is. In fact, do that for all addresses.
BONUS Tip #4: To make sure you are where you want to be, use a good map, either on paper, online or digital. Map apps with GPS help a lot.
With that said, here are our top 10 tips for booking a hotel in New York: 1. You do not need to stay in midtown Manhattan, so don't be afraid of public transportation. You might find something more suitable in another area or even another borough. You can use cabs, limo services and car services to get around but they will be in the same traffic that a rental car would be in. The subway usually moves the fastest. And, there are more bus lanes so that surface transit gets through road traffic faster than cars. Cabs and car services do not have access to bus lanes. There are hotels that might be located near stops off the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), such as downtown Brooklyn. Therefore, booking a hotel in New York City doesn't necessarily mean Manhattan. Read the reviews carefully and look at an online map of the address. Some hotels or vacation rentals are in residential neighborhoods. They may be very nice and safe, but they may not have the amenities you want, such as many restaurants and the tourist sights. On the other hand, you will have access to a market and laundry mat. Just look for a location near public transportation so that you don't have to lug your bag over the sidewalks too far or consistently walk far when you go out for the day.
2. Having said that, many people booking a hotel in New York stay in Manhattan for many reasons, mainly because it's the borough people think of most when they they of New York City,: more attractions, more options of public transportation (almost all of the subway lines run through Manhattan), restaurants that have long hours. If you stay in midtown, consider hotels on side streets, rather than just on the major avenues. They may be cheaper. If you do decide to stay in Manhattan, particularly Times Square, read the reviews very carefully. Right in the heart of Times Square is not a residential area. Businesses such as markets and many pharmacies are west of Broadway, towards 9th and 10th Avenues and way towards the east side, past Lexington Avenue. There is also less hustle and bustle than the atmosphere of Times Square. Note the times of restaurants nearby so that you don't get hungry with no resources.
3. Don't be fooled by the promise "minutes to midtown Manhattan" when booking lodging, especially if you stay in Brooklyn or Queens. You might save some money, but the neighborhood might not be the best. The nice areas may not be as close to Manhattan or public transportation as you need. "Minutes to Manhattan" might mean the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), which is a regional railway. The ticket prices are based on zones. New York is its own zone: the prices are lower within the five boroughs, well really the three that have access to the LIRR. Lodging in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx might have easier access to Metro North rather than the LIRR or MTA (your regular subway). Both services offer the discounted City Ticket. Check whether the time you want to go is considered Peak or Off-Peak. And City Tickets can only be used on the day of purchase, so don't buy them ahead of time. If you want more options and, the regular priced tickets are more flexible. Use the MTA app to figure out your commutes to your sightseeing destinations. The app will tell you the travel time so that you can plan your day accordingly.
And yes, it's ok to check out Jersey!
4. Like any other city, using alternatives to booking traditional hotels in New York takes savvy. For example, many small motels are independently owned franchises associated with a major brand name. This doesn't mean that they are totally reliable as motels to give you the same type of stay you want or that you are accustomed to. Usually, these motels (or even hotels) are the budget brand of a franchise. They may have certain rooms set aside for long term residents such as those placed by the city, social agencies or community organizations. Sometimes, this experience is not always positive. Look for signals such as curtains that do not look maintained, items stacked on the inside window sill, with that area being used for storage, stale smells, lack of maintenance in the common areas, like dirty and/or torn carpets and even food cooking. If you are in a residential type neighborhood with parking, see if there seem to be non-matching lawn chairs placed in front of motel doors with residents hanging out. When you are checking in, look for signs indicating long term residents might live there, like signs in the elevator reminding people of rules, regulations, garbage days, etc.
Not every budget brand serves the long term population, but it can be hit or miss. Stick with the mid to upper levels of the major brands. And do your homework and research.
5. Hotels close to the airport make it easier to catch a flight but are not necessarily easy for sightseeing and getting around (see our article about arriving to NYC). In fact, they may not be what you need for your whole trip. If you are flying out of La Guardia (LGA), there are a few options. Hotels near Kennedy Airport (JFK) seem to have more options but some are near neighborhoods that are non-existent, smack dab in the middle of a residential section with absolutely no amenities (have food delivered, it's the best option) or are so close to the LIRR near Jamaica that it is a bet they fall in the category of hotels listed above in Tip #4. Our personal opinion? Stay where you are for your entire time that you are in New Ork, get up early and get to the airport from there. It is best to stay in midtown Manhattan, Long Island City, Queens or downtown Brooklyn, near public transportation. Get to Penn Station/Moynihan Hall, Grand Central Station or Atlantic Terminal (Brooklyn), take the AirTrain and call it a day.
6. Use a travel consultant to get information on Manhattan hotels that you may not see on booking sites, particularly if the agent is either based in NYC or very familiar with the city. We will literally go to the hotel and do a site visit and come back with an honest report: what is the best way to get there, what amenities are nearby, how easy is it to go sightseeing and is it near accessible public transportation.
7. There is other lodging in New York City through sites such as VRBO (incorporating Homeaway) and AirBnB. Once again, consult with a travel consultant, read the reviews carefully. For the most part, sometimes the address of a vacation rental is not revealed until you book it. Read your options carefully about cancellations. See our site visit service listed above. Your stay can often be one of the most influential aspects of your trip as to whether you enjoy it or not. It is literally your home away from home. It should be what you need and acceptable during your stay in New York.
8. Tour the whole city. Once you begin to come to NYC a little more often, you will get to know the neighborhoods better and you can make an informed decision regarding vacation rental locations. Make a note of amenities such as distance from transit, food stores and restaurants and even a laundry place in case the apartment does not have appliances. Wander around downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Harlem, Soho, Greenwich Village, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, East Village, Long Island City. Note the daily life that is going on, the local businesses, public transportation. Could you stay here for 2-7 days?
9. Make a rough itinerary so that you can get an idea of which area will be most convenient. Midtown Manhattan works well if you are planning to go uptown (Harlem, Washington Heights) and downtown (The Battery, South Street Seaport). Most of the subways to the outer boroughs run through midtown. If you want to see many museums, consider the East Side. Other neighborhoods may be more residential: grocery stores, laundrymats, pharmacies, local eateries, etc. These may be amenities that you may want or need. And in every tip, I keep stressing public transportation. We have the best, sometimes the most exasperating, most complex and most comprehensive system in the world. Other people sometimes focus on cleanliness (we can be a bit gritty from time to time), but where else can you catch a train at 2:00AM? And although we have been saying take the train or bus, car services do have a good purpose between the hours of 11AM and 5AM. Learn our system and use it.
10. Finally, look at other sources such as this blog, social media groups and travel guides. You may see information in common that will help you to make the best decision for you. We would love for you to come back to our articles all the time, but we also have an article about how to read reviews. Use that article as a guide to read other blogs, pages, groups and travel guides to make an informed decision when you make your choices. As the song says, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. If you can conquer how to book a hotel or vacation ownership in New York City, you can feel confident in booking anywhere in the world. London, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Berlin, Prague, Mexico City: transfer these skills and travel the world. Remember, we are here to help you, guide you and even book your trip for you.
Happy Travels!
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