Best budget hotels in New York 2024: Where to stay for style, location and value for money

Long ago, staying in a cheap hotel in New York City conjured up images of a filthy room in a questionable neighbourhood, with a surly receptionist and only the bare necessities – consisting of a bed, dresser, toilet and TV, none of which necessarily worked properly.

Today, the city’s most affordable hotels are the most stylish and tech-savvy spots in town, thanks to an influx of design-forward brands that encourage guests to hang out in lobbies with carefully curated lounge scenes, or on rooftops amid sweeping city views.

This might mean the rooms are on the smaller side, but what they lack in size they make up for in artful decor, fun amenities and great technology.

Of course, a “budget” hotel room in The Big Apple still costs about $150 (£120) a night, depending on the season, but you can score further discounts by booking directly through a hotel’s website or by becoming a member of their loyalty programme.

Additionally, several hotels offer discounts with their advanced pre-pay rates. Be aware these rates are non-refundable, however, so be certain you’ll make your stay, or you’ll risk losing out.

Neighbourhood: Midtown

Moxy sits on the ever-busy 7th Avenue at 36th Street, along the border of the Fashion District and Times Square, but it’s eschewed the usual modern-Gotham look favoured by nearby hotels for a natural, organic and playful one. Under a soaring lobby atrium, guests can either check in at a dedicated kiosk or can access a mobile room key through the Marriott app instead.

The guest rooms (more than 600 of them) are tiny – the biggest one is a studio suite at 350sq ft – but they’ve been designed by fancy firm Yabu Pushelberg, a design team who have worked on several luxury hotels in NYC, and kept the decor style a tad rustic with neutral colours.

Amenities include daily housekeeping, fast wifi, plush bedding, a 43in flat-screen TV, and walk-in rain showers. At night, guests can while away the hours at Bar Moxy on the second floor, indulge in a proper meal at Legasea, a seafood brasserie from the Tao Group, and watch the sun go down at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge, the largest all-season hotel rooftop bar and lounge in the city. And, for the morning after, guests can shake off their hangover at Egghead, an all-day breakfast spot at the hotel. Plus, pets are allowed too.

Neighbourhood: Hell’s Kitchen

CitizenM proudly sniffs its nose at the old hotel clichés, giving guests a thoroughly modern hotel experience where in-room tech is more important than white-glove service and where lobbies are meant for hanging out and relaxing in, rather than just checking-in guests and storing luggage.

The rooms are minuscule, no bigger than 200sq ft, but they come with extra-large beds, fluffy pillows and wall-to-wall windows. Fear not – those windows are triple-glazed and the walls are soundproofed too. Plus, guests can control their own mood lighting and stream their own content to the TV.

Downstairs, the lobby includes towering bookshelves, interesting artwork and plenty of seating. The canteen in the lobby serves a proper breakfast buffet with barista-made coffee, but it’s also open 24/7 for snacks, drinks and light bites. Up on the roof, there’s cloudM – a panoramic lounge and bar, which opens every day at 5pm. Best of all, entrance is exclusively for hotel guests.

Neighbourhood: Flatiron District

Freehand is a hostel-hotel hybrid concept that began in Miami and became an instant hot spot, thanks to its tropical-inspired bar. Here in NYC, the historic George Washington Hotel has been lovingly restored and transformed into a relaxed hangout with Instagram opportunities in every nook and cranny. Guestroom options are a mix of queen, king, bunk, and even threesome rooms (a single bunk that’s above a double-bed), all accompanied by artwork from Bard College’s past and present students.

Latin American restaurant Cómodo gives guests (and locals) dining options for day and night, while a takeaway café, Smile To Go, offers choices for between meals. But the main attraction is the rooftop oasis that is the Broken Shaker, where innovative cocktails, such as the Jafar’s Revenge (made with Patron Silver, saffron, kumquat, pimente and lime), are served alongside fresh bites such as arepas, cheese boards and soft-serve ice cream. Inspired by New York and New Mexico landscapes, Bar Calico and the interconnected Georgia Room and Ballroom offer additional places to drink and dance.

Neighbourhood: Soho

Arlo is another hotel brand that subscribes to the “small rooms, big hangouts” theory. This Soho hotel has 325 guest rooms – including accessible rooms and suites – averaging around 150sq ft. All feature smart design and useful amenities, such as bedside charging outlets and flip-down desks, so no space is wasted. Arlo also has a variety of room options, from bunk-bed rooms to terrace rooms and alcove rooms with up-close-and-personal city views.

Downstairs, you can satisfy sweet and savoury food cravings at all hours of the day at night at a 24-hour Soho Bodega, while the hotel’s rooftop ART Soho goes all in on the urban oasis vibe.

Neighbourhood: Greenwich Village

One of The Big Apple’s oldest hotels, The Jane first opened in 1908 along the Hudson River as a hotel for sailors (a few survivors of the Titanic stayed here after being rescued). A renovation in 2008 brought the landmark building up to somewhat modern-day speed, as the style of the hotel borrows heavily from the golden age of travelling. This might explain why the teeny standard rooms (with shared bathrooms) resemble sleeping cabins on a ship. But never fear – if you desire more privacy, the Captain’s Cabins look like proper guest rooms with en-suite baths and either river views or private terraces.

Food and drink areas at The Jane are currently undergoing renovation works until February 2025, but there are plenty of local restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat.

The real reason to stay here is for the hotel’s choice location, which is walking distance from the High Line, The Whitney Museum, and the shops and restaurants of Greenwich Village.

Neighbourhood: Midtown East

As the hotel’s name suggests, the guest rooms here are small, utilitarian pods equipped with free wifi, flat-screen TVs, air conditioning and a hairdryer. There are different pod configurations too, ranging from bunk beds with a shared bath to queens with a private bath, and a studio pod that can sleep four people and has its own tub.

Guests seeking a break from city explorations can head to the rooftop where they can unwind in relative peace. Pod 51 – so called for its location on East 51st Street near all the midtown sights, including Central Park – also has a burger and beer joint called Clinton Hall and a courtyard garden cafe where you can BYOB.

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Neighbourhood: Midtown

It has an odd name but the HGU Hotel, near the Empire State Building, is quite the little boutique gem. Named after the Hotel Grand Union, the original hotel that occupied the 1905 Beaux-Arts building, HGU has turned something old into something very new. There are 90 rooms and suites, with features including custom Turkish patchwork rugs, a pillow menu, 24-hour room service, top-of-the-line Toto toilets, free wifi and iPads to use during your stay.

The hotel is also “obsessed” with wellness, offering in-room guided meditations and vitamin-infused IV drips from registered nurses, as well as access to cryotherapy centres and private training sessions at a nearby gym. A restaurant, cocktail bar and rooftop round out the nightlife amenities.

Neighbourhood: Hell's Kitchen

In the middle of the theatre district is a hotel with a futuristic, space-travel vibe, as evidenced by the purple mood lighting in the lobby, the check-in kiosks and the Yobot, which stores guests’ luggage. Founded by the same man who created the Yo! Sushi chain, Simon Woodroffe, Yotel drew its inspiration from the Japanese capsule hotels often found near airports.

While Yotels first launched near Gatwick, Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle airports, this Yotel was the first not connected to a terminal. That gives Yotel more space to cleverly distract guests from its micro-rooms, with cool amenities such as an adjustable bed, free wifi and city views, as well as a rooftop terrace bar. Families will also like this spot for its First Class Queen Junior Suite, which has a bunk bed room and a queen bed.

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Neighbourhood: Chelsea

Moxy Chelsea, on West 28th Street, is right in the heart of New York’s flower district. This floral theme makes itself known in every way – from fresh flower shop Putnam & Putnam on the ground floor and the 35th floor glassy bar, The Fleur Room, with blockbuster views across Midtown, to fat floral wallpaper on the walls in the soaring second-floor lounge.

Rooms in this glass tower are compact (expect the sinks to double as shelving) as emphasis is placed on the floor-to-ceiling windows that take up one side of the room. Ask for a room on a high floor for great views across Chelsea.

On ground level, a zippy Italian, Feroce, serves lively, made-with-love dishes. There are the fun Moxy quirks too, such as the in-room vintage phones pre-programed with bedtime stories and guided meditation. The brand’s own TV channel runs weird-sexy ASMR videos of model Caroline Vreeland eating pasta, which makes a quirky nightcap.

Neighbourhood: Long Island City

Directly opposite Manhattan, across the East River, Queens’ Long Island City offers ever-evolving art, food and drink scenes, superior skyline views, and much bigger hotel rooms than you’ll find over the water – at more affordable rates. Case in point: The Boro, a super-slick, industrial-chic bolthole, where guests’ stylish digs (pine floors, factory windows) have 10ft ceilings and refreshingly roomy en suites (with walk-in showers, no less).

Downstairs, the lobby bar does a fine line in crispy, thin-crust pizzas and Negronis on tap. Don’t stay inside too long, though – you’re only two subway stops from Manhattan, and walking distance from Astoria, a hip neighborhood where you can enjoy traditional Greek cuisine and some cool modern art.

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Neighbourhood: Downtown Brooklyn

In case an in-room hammock isn’t enough to sell you on NU Hotel (and may we ask why not?), there’s also the fact it’s ideally located for exploring the best of Brooklyn, without paying oh-so-trendy Williamsburg rates. In between Cobble Hill’s beautiful brownstones, Atlantic Avenue’s boutique shopping and Downtown’s commercial convenience (not to mention its brilliant Brooklyn Academy of Music), you’re also a short walk from seven different subway lines, so getting to artsy DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights’ elegant waterfront, and Williamsburg’s restaurants and bars is a breeze.

Inside, minimal but bigger-than-average, light-filled rooms (ask for one facing the back rather than the street) boast cork floors and organic linens. You can even borrow one of the hotel’s six cruiser bikes (free of charge) – the Brooklyn hipster’s transport of choice.

Neighbourhood: Harlem

A “flophouse” refers to the budget hotels that sheltered the jazz musicians, artists, dancers, literati, bons vivants and philosophers who flooded into this Upper Manhattan neighbourhood during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. Appropriately enough, this 1890s townhouse-turned-guesthouse looks untouched from those days, with the rooms’ vintage wallpaper and period details taking visitors back to a time that made stars of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Thelonius Monk.

Low rates reflect the limited amenities: no 24-hour concierge, televisions or air-con; only one room has an en suite (though shared bathrooms have antique clawfoot tubs). But, hey, you’re here for the atmosphere – Harlem still buzzes with speakeasy-style jazz clubs and soul food restaurants, and Manhattan’s more touristy districts are just a few subway stops south.

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