We often receive messages asking us for advice on how to find cheap accommodation in New York and we completely understand the concern: when we were organizing the trip to New York , we thought that in order to enjoy the city we would have to spend a fortune because the city has a reputation for being an expensive destination. And we thought right hehe. There is not much cheap accommodation in New York, things as they are, but it is also true that with a bit of luck and planning, it is possible to find good deals.
If you want to save money, forget about staying in a luxury hotel in the centre of Manhattan with breakfast and transfer included. Apart from this, there are other ways to find cheap accommodation in New York . How? We will tell you in this post.
Cheap accommodation in New York
Before we start recommending the best sites and areas to find cheap accommodation in New York and give you some ideas for hotels with the 3 Bs, we clarify that all the accommodations we recommend meet certain conditions:
- They have a private room for 2 people.
- The price is for 7 nights .
- We have looked for dates 6 months in advance (in New York you have to book in advance, it is the best trick to get cheap accommodation!)
2. Where to find cheap accommodation in New York
When looking for cheap hotels in New York (or flats/apartments) you have several options. Let's briefly talk about each one:
› Booking
Finding a hotel room is the most comfortable and traditional way to visit a city, and New York is no exception. The thing is: if you want to pay little, be in a central location and sleep in a double room, you will have to assume that you will not find a great hotel or that you will have to pay a lot of money. But if you think that you only want the room to sleep in and that you are going to spend the whole day walking around the city, what does it matter? As long as the room is decent, that's enough, right?
Prices depend A LOT on the season you travel in. January and February are by far the cheapest months . Depending on the accommodation, there will be a difference of up to $200 per night! The same hotel in February costs €120 and a few months later, in May, it goes up to €300. So you know: traveling in the low season has its advantages 😉
Cheap hotels in New York
⭐ Here are some recommended hotels with good ratings, reviews and an optimal quality-price ratio:
- West Side YMCA
- Pod 51
- The Central Park North
- Carlton Arms
- The Herald by Luxurban
Take out IATI travel insurance with a 5% discount here . Whatever your destination, save yourself trouble and don't take any chances.
› Home Exchange
Home exchanges are an increasingly popular way of travelling and no, you don't have to leave your home to enjoy these exchanges: through a points system (guestpoints) you can "pay" for nights wherever you want to go, including New York. We haven't tried it (yet) in New York but we did enjoy an exchange in San Francisco (9 nights) and it was great.
⭐ Here we tell you more about Home Exchange .
› Airbnb
Another option to find cheap accommodation in New York is to look for shared rooms in private homes. Prices depend a lot on the area (in Manhattan they don't go below €100) but in neighborhoods like Astorias you can find interesting places for €60-80.
Remember to get the Revolut card (with a €10 promo from this link ) so that you are not charged commissions when paying and withdrawing money abroad.
1. Where to stay in New York on a budget: neighborhoods and areas
Obviously, the best thing would be to find a nice little hotel or hostel in Manhattan . Of course, it's not easy. But we recommend you take a look at central areas like Kips Bay, Murray Hill, Bowery or the West Village to see if with a bit of luck, you can find accommodation that isn't too expensive. And in New York that means around $130-160/night :-p
But sometimes it's worth going away from the center of New York to get lower prices (assuming that you have accessible public transportation that takes you to the most interesting places). We recommend this option if you plan to stay in Airbnb apartments . We stayed in a room in a super cute little apartment in Astoria (Queens neighborhood) that we loved.
- Astoria is a quiet and safe neighborhood, with single-family homes and many restaurants of all kinds (and for all budgets). There are also some great views of Manhattan from the park facing the river. The Astoria subway takes you to Central Square in 25 minutes.
- There are areas of Harlem that we also consider not to be bad options for accommodation. In addition, the connections to downtown Manhattan are good.
But there are other neighborhoods/areas where it is worth looking for cheap accommodation in New York:
- Brooklyn , it is actually becoming more and more difficult to find cheap accommodation in Brooklyn, but sometimes there are offers and we personally would not hesitate to take them. Brooklyn is amazing, but we recommend that you find out about the street where you will be staying beforehand, as there are some rather shady neighbourhoods. Also keep in mind that there are areas of Brooklyn that are quite poorly connected to Manhattan.
- Jersey City (New Jersey), from where transportation to Manhattan is fairly quick and easy (buses run throughout the day and night). However, it is a very large area and you will have to find out where exactly the accommodation is. Note: you have to pay a fee per night/stay. Find out well or the “gamble” may end up being quite expensive.
Save on New York's tourist attractions with the Go City pass , the most comprehensive of all. And get a 5% discount with the code 'MOCHILEANDO'
Maps with the areas where to sleep in New York
To help you locate the areas quickly and easily, we provide you with a map:
Do you know more cheap accommodation options in New York ? Leave us your comment 🙂
