Cheap Hotels in New York City: 5 Central Picks

Finding central, cheap hotels in New York is one of the hardest parts of planning the trip. But there are always well located, clean places at accessible prices.

When I say accessible price, by NYC standards, I mean a range of $100 to $160 per night for a double room.

And during the low season, months like November, January and February in New York, you can find even lower rates.

To help you with your search, here's a list of 5 central, cheap hotels booked constantly by the NewYorkando traveler community, each with dozens of positive reviews.

They're well located hotels that work perfectly for crashing after pounding the pavement in New York all day XD

(Click on the name for more details and bookings)

1. Hotel The Jane

From $60 per person in a double room!
Address: 113 Jane Street, Greenwich Village
Subway: A, C, E, L lines, 14 St / 8 Av station.

Steps from the High Line, the Whitney Museum and Hudson River Park, right in the Meatpacking District, this two-star hotel gives you a great location plus rooms at very cheap prices in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in New York.

In most of the rooms at The Jane you share bathrooms, but as you can see in the traveler reviews, the shared bathrooms are always spotless. On Booking, users rate the Hotel The Jane 8/10, which makes it a very good option.

2. Leo House

From $75 per person in a double room
Address: 332 West 23rd St, Chelsea
Subway: A, C, E lines, 23rd St station.

We include Leo House, a Catholic guesthouse that welcomes all travelers, on this list of central, cheap hotels in New York because it's comfortable, extremely hospitable and very well located in Chelsea, right near the fantastic High Line.

This hotel with shared bathrooms is an excellent option if you want to save money, be comfortable and stay close to New York's biggest attractions.

Pay a little more and you'll get a room with a private bathroom. It works really well for young couples. This is one of the few hotels this cheap in all of Manhattan with such a good location. If you want to be right in Manhattan, consider this hotel.

With a slightly bigger budget, you can find hotels for couples in New York, ideal for a romantic getaway or honeymoon.

3. West Side YMCA

From $55 per person in a double room!
Address: 15 West 63rd Street, Upper West Side
Subway: A, B, C, D lines, 59 St Columbus Circle station

The West Side YMCA is a hostel in one of the best neighborhoods to sleep in New York: the Upper West Side.

When I want to stay in Manhattan it's one of my favorite options, because it's incredibly well located, steps from Central Park (seriously, steps away) and a few blocks from Lincoln Center and Rockefeller Center.

If you don't mind sleeping in a small private room that's clean and sharing bathrooms, this is a solid place to save yourself a good chunk of money, and believe me, the neighborhood is great.

You can also use the sports facilities (remember, it's a YMCA hostel), including the semi-Olympic pool.

At this link you'll find more information and you can check availability (and hurry, it sells out fast! the location is just too good).

4. Feather Factory Hotel

From $70 per person in a double room with private bathroom and breakfast
Address: 26-32 Skillman Avenue, Long Island City, Queens
Subway: E, G, 7 lines, Court Square station / 7 line, Hunters Point Avenue station.

The Feather Factory Hotel has excellent prices, cheaper even than a lot of hostels!

It's in Long Island City, a Queens neighborhood that gets more interesting every year and that really is close to Manhattan (just 2 subway stops from Grand Central Terminal).

The rooms are nice and clean, the beds are comfortable, there's a private bathroom with good little soaps and plenty of towels changed daily, plus breakfast is included. Pretty great, right?

Now here's the catch: it's across from a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station and a subway line, so you'll hear the rattle of trains and the whistles. If that doesn't bother you, and personally I love the sound of trains, it even puts me to sleep 😜, a pair of earplugs solves it.

Another thing to keep in mind: when you read other travelers' reviews you'll see several mentions of how empty the area feels, and sure, it is, Long Island City was an industrial district that's slowly turning into one of the most sought-after residential neighborhoods outside Manhattan. In fact, it's one of the neighborhoods to stay in New York that I always recommend.

The good news is the hotel is right next to a police station and a 10-minute walk from 2 of the best subway lines in the city: the E and the 7, both frequent and with stops at the most popular places you'll surely want to visit.

I stayed here on my last trip, so everything I'm telling you is firsthand. Such a good price for being this close to Manhattan's attractions! Don't miss the great rates at the Feather Factory Hotel.

5. Pointe Plaza Hotel

From $75 per person in a double room with private bathroom
Address: 2 Franklin Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Subway: G line, Flushing Av station.

The Pointe Plaza is a modern, straightforward hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn's trendiest neighborhood and also on my list of recommended neighborhoods to stay in New York.

The Pointe Plaza is in South Williamsburg, home to New York's Orthodox Jewish community. You'll see Hasidic Jews like the ones in the series Unorthodox. Very New York.

There's a subway station about a ten-minute walk away, so you'll be in Manhattan in half an hour.

On top of that, the Pointe Plaza serves a generous continental breakfast, and it's very comfortable and clean.

Remember that you can book without paying anything up front.