Pod Hotel - 230 East 51st
Street
There is barely space to swing an MP3 player in the rooms, and couples will
have to be very close before they’ll want to use the see-through bathrooms,
but there are compensations to this Midtown hotel. Even though a third of
the rooms have shared bathrooms and bunk beds, all of them have flat-screen
TVs and iPod docking stations. The designers, who also worked on the
fashionista-fave Maritime Hotel, drew inspiration from airlines to take the
sting out of the cramped conditions.
The rooms with shared bathrooms, for instance, have indicator lights telling
you when the bathrooms are free. In keeping with the designery budget feel,
the concierge produces a handy daily tip sheet on bargain meals, sample
sales and exhibitions.
Singles from £48, doubles with private bath £73
Cosmopolitan Hotel - 125
Chambers Street
In the heart of Tribeca, a couple of blocks from SoHo, the Cosmopolitan isn’t
flashy, and doesn’t draw attention to itself, but lives up to its name with
accommodation that will suit everyone, from families and couples to solo
travellers. With 125 rooms, all en suite, it uses considerable ingenuity
with some awkward spaces, the miniloft rooms are the cheapest and most
quintessentially New York – with a bathroom and sitting area on one level
with staircase leading up to the bed area – and is fantastically clean. The
management is friendly and efficient, and the location is great – crammed
with bars, vintage shops and general downtown cool.
Doubles from £83
The Gershwin - 7 East 27th
Street
Andy Warhol hung out here in the 1960s and left behind some fine screenprints,
but it’s not the only reason to stay here. The hotel, pictured on our cover,
is in the heart of Midtown, close to Madison Square Garden and the Flatiron
building.
The Canadian owners want the hotel to be a melting pot, so every type of
accommodation is on offer, from dorm rooms (from £16 a night) to suites
(£161 a night), with a few quirky touches thrown in – the fourth floor
usually houses models and has extra large cupboards as a result. There is
also an artist-in-residence programme. All rooms are en-suite.
The downside: as the manager, Joel Oury, says: “It’s an old hotel, you’ll hear
the heating start up in the morning and street noise.” The rooms can be
plain, but the art-stuffed lobby and bar hold regular exhibitions and
readings. Occupancy regularly runs at 100 per cent – book early,
particularly for the sought-after family rooms.
Doubles from £53
Hotel 17 - 225 East 17th St
The star of Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery and, thanks to
the 1950s wallpaper, many an edgy fashion shoot, this veteran budget hotel
accommodates tourists and long-term residents (with a strong showing in
actors and models. If you want to get plugged into the club scene, there’s
no better base than here, just off the East Village. Hotel 17 has 120 rooms,
the cheaper of which have shared baths. A room with private bath hits the
psychologically important $200 mark.
Doubles from £68
Bed and Breakfast on the Park - 113
Prospect Park West
No longer cast as a mere Manhattan spillover; Brooklyn has landmark museums
(notably the Brooklyn Museum), parks, some of New York’s best restaurants
and a well-heeled counter-culture feel. Prices tend to be lower than
Manhattan and the Subway is fast. Housed in a brownstone mansion, Bed and
Breakfast on the Park is full of chintzy Victoriana and the basement rooms
come in on budget.
Rooms from £93
Park Slope B&B - 604
Fifth Street
A self-contained apartment within a brownstone, which has two rooms, a
kitchen, and its own meditation room.
Doubles from £85
Landmark Guest Rooms - 3041
Broadway
Probably some of the best-value accommodation in Manhattan, and all the rooms
come with air-conditioning and your own en suite bathroom. Yes, it’s part of
a seminary (itself part of Columbia University) and probably not the best
place to plan a major party session, but this imposing Gothic-style early
20th-century edifice offers a rare blend of tranquillity and cable
television on Broadway. There are 25 rooms in a family-friendly mix of
singles, doubles and twin rooms. It’s a short walk from the Upper West Side
and Harlem in Morningside Heights.
Doubles from £81
Chelsea Lodge (and Suites) - 318
West 20th Street
Behind a discreet brownstone, the Chelsea Lodge has 22 rooms – all of which
have washbasins and showers (the lavatories are in the hall). Just around
the corner, the same owners have opened a set of suites.
All have their own bathrooms while the garden suites have access to outdoor
space – an excellent way to enjoy the fantasy of being a Manhattan resident
(with daily maid service on the side and the back-up of a hotel’s services
if necessary). Walking distance from Chelsea’s clubs and the quainter joys
of the West Village and deservedly popular, so book well in advance.
Doubles from £63, suites from £95
Self-catering
Staying in an apartment is a good way to keep accommodation costs low,
especially on longer trips. The least expensive options come with a resident
New Yorker whose flat you share, but you can also find private apartments
for less than £100 a night, if you look carefully. Affordable
NYC has 120 properties on its books. Prices start at £46 for a hosted
apartment (four-night minimum stay) and £85 for a private, one-bedroom
apartment (five-night minimum stay). City
Sonnet concentrates on Lower Manhattan and Williamsburg in Brooklyn,
although there is a studio apartment on the Upper West Side for £85 a night.
There is usually a three-night minimum stay.
Harlem Flophouse - 242
West 123rd Street
This four-room B&B typifies the new arty coolness of Harlem. Restored by
the owner, the artist René Calvo, the original tin ceilings have been
preserved, the furnishings are 1930s utility, and the walls are painted in
moody greens, with patchwork quilts and vintage prints. None of the four
rooms is en suite (not historically accurate) or has air-conditioning
(ditto). Just off 125th street and a short hop by bus to the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, the Frick Collection and the Guggenheim. It’s also the ideal
place to appreciate the Harlem Renaissance and learn about the area’s
fascinating past (the owner has a superb library of books and music about
the district).
Doubles from £64, room only
The Sohotel on Broome Street is very clean with lovely exposed brick walls and very comfortable beds and ensuite bathrooms. Cost is $149 USD. Little tip - leave your chambermaid 1 - 2 dollars and she will give you extra towels and toiletries etc...
LB, London, UK
Carter Hotel, 250 W 43rd St, off Times Sq. $116 single/$134 dbl., set prices, huge hotel with lots of rooms and a good location, decent, en-suite, faded 70`s style. Right by the big lights!
Gary, islington, uk
For real budget but with a bit of style, "Jazz On The Park" travellers hotel is just off Central Park West, a couple of blocks from the subway and a nice walk down to Columbus Circle. It's pretty funky, there used to be a bar/performance area in the basement, bbqs etc. I believe they now have a few other "Jazz" places around Manhattan.
worldtour, Birmingham,
NEKP - I disagree. I was walking around 125th St a month ago around 2am and found it to be very safe.
As for cheap places to stay, check out Hostelling International NYC - super cheap dorm rooms in a great building 2 blocks from central Park
AS, LONDON,
Harlem is far, far safer than it once was. In fact, all of Columbia University lies above CPN which turns into 110th Street on the west end. That's my alma mater and I'd hate to think our friends overseas would consider that to be an area to avoid. Along with the campus. St. John the Divine and Riverside Park, there are wonderful restaurants, the Studio Museum and other things to explore. It's probably better to go in daylight the first time and/or with some one who knows the area until you get your bearings, but that's true of just about any part of Manhattan save for the touristy Midtown parts.
Brenda, New York, USA
People need to be aware that although Harlem is much safer then it used to be its still not all that safe. I was in the area on my own earlier this week when my train terminated at 125th St due to technical problems. It was around 9pm at night and I left the station to try and get a taxi. I felt very uncomfortable and unsafe as a single white female. I am British and I have not been here long enough fully understand the cultural differences. When I came home to Hoboken, NJ I asked my friend who grew up in the area. He advised me not go above Central Park North after dark on my own. He told me that racial tensions still exist in the area, although they are much better then they used to be.
When I used to visit New York i went through Hostels.com which also covers all the above places and more. Now I live here my parents stay in Jersey City in Newport Pavonia. Another great place is the Holland Tunnel Motor Lodge. Its about $45 a night for a basic clean room.
NEKP, Hoboken, NJ, USA
Sounds a deal compared with London, but in Tokyo you can easily find downtown accommodation at a "business hotel" for around £30.00 a night with breakfast. Essentially apartment hotel with all the facilities needed to regroup. And with a fridge, cutlery, crockery and a microwave provided, you can use the supermarket takeouts. Washing machine, dryer, iron and Internet connection complete the picture. Just follow the Indian sales reps for the best deal in town. Cleaner and nicer than many London hotels at three times the rate. TIA; this is Asia.
Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan