New York's hotels run from iconic 1900s grande dames like The Plaza and The St. Regis to the most exclusive new address in the country, Aman New York, and on to hip boutiques and sharp budget stays. Where you sleep matters: Midtown for the classic first-timer experience, the Upper East Side for quiet elegance, SoHo and NoMad for boutique style, and the West Village or Lower East Side for downtown cool. This guide covers the best places to stay across every price band, with neighbourhoods, nightly rates in USD and tips on which area suits your trip — and remember city and hotel taxes add roughly 15% on top.
$$$$The Plaza Hotel
Area
Midtown (Fifth Ave & Central Park)
Type
Iconic Luxury
“The iconic 1907 hotel on the corner of Central Park — the 'Eloise' and 'Home Alone 2' landmark. From about $950 a night.”
$$$$Aman New York
Area
Midtown (Fifth Ave & 56th)
Type
Ultra-Luxury
“The USA's most exclusive hotel, opened 2022 in the restored 1921 Crown Building. All 83 suites are 70 m²+. From about $3,000 a night.”
$$$$The St. Regis New York
Area
Midtown (East 55th St)
Type
Iconic Luxury
“The 1904 hotel where the Bloody Mary was invented; per-room butler service is included. From about $1,100 a night.”
$$$$Mandarin Oriental New York
Area
Columbus Circle
Type
Modern Luxury
“On the 35th–54th floors with Central Park views and the city's largest hotel pool (25 metres). From about $1,200 a night.”
$$$The NoMad Hotel
Area
NoMad (West 28th St)
Type
Boutique
“Set in a restored 1903 Beaux-Arts building with a much-loved library bar. From about $600 a night — smart value for the style.”
$$Ace Hotel New York
Area
NoMad (West 29th St)
Type
Hip Boutique
“The flagship of the Ace chain, hip and design-led. From about $350 a night — better value than the SoHo boutiques.”
$$citizenM New York Times Square
Area
Midtown (West 50th St)
Type
Modern Budget
“Compact, tech-forward rooms with self-service check-in and a Times Square rooftop bar. From about $250 a night — among Manhattan's best values.”
$The Jane Hotel
Area
West Village (Jane St)
Type
Historic Budget
“A characterful 1908 building where Titanic survivors once stayed; cabin rooms from about $110 a night — small but full of history.”
New York hotels in detail
1.The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza is perhaps the world's most iconic hotel, built in 1907 on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. It is the backdrop of 'Home Alone 2', 'The Great Gatsby' and the 'Eloise' children's books, and its 282 rooms wear full Belle Époque dress — crystal chandeliers, marble bathrooms and antique furnishings. The Palm Court is a New York ritual for afternoon tea (around $95 a head), and the hotel holds several restaurants including the Todd English Food Hall, a rare affordable lunch option inside a landmark of this stature. Rooms run from around $950 a night, with suites from $3,500 and up. It sits at the very heart of Midtown, steps from Central Park, the Fifth Avenue flagships and the Museum Mile. This is a hotel for a special occasion — a celebration, an anniversary, or simply the chance to sleep inside a piece of New York legend rather than a modern tower. For history, glamour and an unbeatable Central Park address, The Plaza remains the definitive grand New York hotel, and its public rooms are worth a look even if you are not staying.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
From ~$950/night; suites from $3,500
Getting there
Subway N/R/W to Fifth Av–59 St, at Grand Army Plaza
Insider tip: The iconic 1907 hotel on the corner of Central Park — the 'Eloise' and 'Home Alone 2' landmark. From about $950 a night.
2.Aman New York
Aman New York opened in 2022 inside the restored 1921 Crown Building and is the most exclusive hotel in the United States. It has just 83 suites — all 70 square metres or larger, a rarity in space-starved New York — plus 22 private Aman Residences that run well into five figures a night. The facilities are extraordinary: a 25-metre indoor pool, the Aman Spa (the largest hotel spa in the city at 2,300 square metres) and Arva, an Italian fine-dining restaurant. There is a smart-casual dress code as a minimum, and rates start around $3,000 a night for the standard suites, climbing steeply from there. This is a hotel for travellers who prize seclusion, serenity and full butler service above all else, and who want the calm, minimalist Aman aesthetic transplanted into the middle of Midtown, moments from Central Park and the Fifth Avenue flagships. It is not a place you stumble into — it is a deliberate, top-of-the-market choice for a once-in-a-lifetime stay. For discreet, spacious ultra-luxury in the heart of the city, nothing else in New York quite matches it.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
From ~$3,000/night
Getting there
Subway F to 57 St or N/R/W to Fifth Av–59 St
Insider tip: The USA's most exclusive hotel, opened 2022 in the restored 1921 Crown Building. All 83 suites are 70 m²+. From about $3,000 a night.
3.The St. Regis New York
The St. Regis New York is a Beaux-Arts luxury institution, open since 1904 as John Jacob Astor IV's personal hotel. It is famous for the King Cole Bar, where the Bloody Mary was created in 1934 — sampling one is a classic New York rite. The 171 rooms come with round-the-clock butler service included, one per room, and are dressed in elegant Beaux-Arts style. The Astor Court serves a refined afternoon tea (around $85), and the whole hotel has the hushed, old-money atmosphere favoured by business travellers and returning guests. Rates run from around $1,100 a night. Its Midtown location puts you steps from Fifth Avenue's flagship stores and a short walk from Central Park and the Museum of Modern Art. This is a hotel for those who want classic, formal luxury and impeccable, personal service rather than contemporary design or buzz. For a traditional grand-hotel experience with genuine history — and a Bloody Mary in the bar that started it all — the St. Regis is one of New York's most distinguished addresses, and a reliable choice for a special stay.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
From ~$1,100/night
Getting there
Subway E/M to Fifth Av–53 St; on East 55th St
Insider tip: The 1904 hotel where the Bloody Mary was invented; per-room butler service is included. From about $1,100 a night.
4.Mandarin Oriental New York
The Mandarin Oriental New York occupies the 35th to 54th floors of the tower at Columbus Circle, giving all 244 rooms a view over either Central Park or the Hudson River. Its 25-metre indoor pool is the largest hotel pool in the city, and the 35th-floor Lobby Lounge is a favourite for afternoon tea with Central Park laid out below (around $95). The Asian-influenced spa has 14 treatment rooms, and the hotel's dining has long been among the city's best-placed for views. Rates run from around $1,200 a night. The location is superb for culture and shopping: it sits above the Time Warner Center's shops and restaurants, at the south-west corner of Central Park, with Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art and Fifth Avenue all within easy reach. This is a hotel for travellers who want contemporary five-star comfort, wellness facilities and, above all, those spectacular high-floor Central Park panoramas — a very different proposition from the historic canal-house grandeur of the Plaza or St. Regis. For modern luxury with the best views in the city, the Mandarin Oriental is a standout choice.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
From ~$1,200/night
Getting there
Subway A/B/C/D/1 to 59 St–Columbus Circle
Insider tip: On the 35th–54th floors with Central Park views and the city's largest hotel pool (25 metres). From about $1,200 a night.
5.The NoMad Hotel
The NoMad Hotel occupies a restored 1903 Beaux-Arts building on West 28th Street, in the district north of Madison Square Park that gave it its name. Its 168 rooms are dressed in a modern French-American style that feels both grand and lived-in, and the hotel became a scene as much for its food and drink as its rooms: the NoMad restaurant held a Michelin star, and the atmospheric NoMad Library bar, with its double-height shelves and spiral staircase, is a destination in itself. Rates run from around $600 a night, which makes it relatively good value for a design hotel of this standing. The NoMad and Flatiron neighbourhoods around it are among the best-placed in the city for restaurants and bars, and you are within easy walking distance of Madison Square Park, the Flatiron Building and the shops of Fifth Avenue, with excellent subway links in every direction. For travellers who want a boutique hotel with genuine character, a strong food-and-drink scene downstairs and a central-but-not-touristy location, the NoMad is one of the most appealing mid-luxury choices in Manhattan.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
From ~$600/night
Getting there
Subway N/R/W to 28 St; in the NoMad district
Insider tip: Set in a restored 1903 Beaux-Arts building with a much-loved library bar. From about $600 a night — smart value for the style.
6.Ace Hotel New York
The Ace Hotel New York, open since 2009 in the NoMad district, is the flagship of the Ace chain (which also has hotels in Portland, Pittsburgh and London). Its 287 rooms carry the brand's signature hip, design-led style — vinyl turntables, Pendleton blankets and reclaimed furniture — and the buzzing, all-day lobby, part café and part co-working space, became a template that countless hotels have since copied. Rates run from around $350 a night, which makes it noticeably better value than the boutique hotels of SoHo while offering just as much personality. It draws a young, international, creative crowd, and its central NoMad location puts you within easy reach of Madison Square Park, the Flatiron and the restaurants and bars of the area, with subway lines close by. For travellers in their twenties to forties who want style and atmosphere without a full luxury price tag — and who like the idea of a lobby that doubles as a social hub — the Ace is one of the smartest mid-range choices in Manhattan. Book ahead, as its rooms and its lobby are perennially popular.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
From ~$350/night
Getting there
Subway N/R/W to 28 St; on West 29th St
Insider tip: The flagship of the Ace chain, hip and design-led. From about $350 a night — better value than the SoHo boutiques.
7.citizenM New York Times Square
citizenM New York Times Square is part of the Dutch chain built around a modern, compact budget concept. Its 230 rooms are small but clever — king-size beds, tablet-controlled lighting and blinds, and no traditional reception, with check-in handled at self-service kiosks. The rooftop CloudM bar has Times Square views, and the ground-floor 'living room' spaces double as lounge and workspace. Rates run from around $250 a night, which makes it one of the best values in Midtown Manhattan, where hotel prices are notoriously steep. It draws a young, international crowd who don't plan to spend much time in the room and want a well-located, contemporary, no-fuss base. The location puts you a short walk from Times Square, the Broadway theatres, Rockefeller Center and Central Park, with subway lines on the doorstep. For travellers who want a modern, efficient, affordable room in a prime location — and who value smart design and a good rooftop bar over space and traditional service — citizenM is a reliable and stylish choice. Book early, as its keen prices mean it fills up fast, especially in peak season.
Hours
Self-service check-in 24/7
Price
From ~$250/night
Getting there
Subway C/E to 50 St or 1 to 50 St; on West 50th St
Insider tip: Compact, tech-forward rooms with self-service check-in and a Times Square rooftop bar. From about $250 a night — among Manhattan's best values.
8.The Jane Hotel
The Jane Hotel is a historic budget hotel in the West Village, open since 1908 — originally the American Seamen's Friend Society Sailors' Home, where survivors of the Titanic stayed in 1912 after the disaster. Its cabin rooms recall a ship's berth: around five square metres with a bunk-style bed and shared bathrooms, from about $110 a night, which is remarkable value for Manhattan. The lobby and Jane's Café keep the atmospheric, faded-grandeur feel of the building, all dark wood and old-world detail. It suits budget travellers in their twenties to thirties who want a genuinely historic, characterful base in one of the city's most desirable neighbourhoods, and who don't mind trading space for location and price. The West Village setting is superb — leafy, quiet streets full of restaurants and bars, right by the Hudson River and the start of the High Line, with subway lines close by. For a memorable, affordable stay with real history and a prime downtown location — and no interest in a generic chain room — the Jane is one of the most distinctive budget options in New York. Book the larger 'captain's cabin' rooms if you want a private bathroom.
Hours
Check-in from 15:00
Price
Cabin rooms from ~$110/night
Getting there
Subway L to 8 Av or A/C/E to 14 St; on Jane St
Insider tip: A characterful 1908 building where Titanic survivors once stayed; cabin rooms from about $110 a night — small but full of history.