Big Apple Bargains

There are tens of thousands of hotels and B&Bs in New York City. Here are six good picks for every price range, from economical to over-the-top luxurious.

The prices listed are rack rates, but it’s a good idea to check the hotel’s Web site or call for current specials. Sites such as Kayak.com, Expedia.com, and Travelzoo.com may offer reduced rates.

Three Good Budget Bets

La Quinta Inn Manhattan, 17 W. 32nd St.; 212-736-1600; lq.com. From $119.

If you’re looking for value, this 182-room hotel—two blocks from Macy’s and within walking distance of Madison Square Garden—may fit the bill.

The hotel offers free continental breakfast as well as a free stay for children age 13 and under who share a room with their parents or grandparents. All rooms have TVs, coffeemakers, free wireless high-speed Internet, and free local and long-distance calls. A year-round, outdoor rooftop bar serves up cocktails and snacks along with sweeping views of the Empire State Building.

Radio City Apartments, 142 W. 49th St.; 212-730-0728; radiocityapartments.com. From $205.

This affordable theater-district hotel is perfect for budget-minded visitors—and just steps from Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and Fifth Avenue.

The 110 units include studio apartments for up to two guests, one-bedroom apartments for up to four, and two-bedroom units for up to five. Double-paned windows keep out NYC’s hustle and bustle. Most of the apartments have a kitchenette with an oven, microwave, refrigerator, utensils, and cookware. (There’s a Food Emporium nearby for those who want to save money by cooking meals.) Each apartment has an iron and ironing board, and there’s a laundry facility.

A Garden in Chelsea Bed and Breakfast, 439 W. 22nd St.; 212-243-8621; agardeninchelsea.com. From $225.

Although this charming B&B has just one guest room, the brownstone is on a serene, tree-lined street in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. The large room resembles a studio apartment and has its own entrance, kitchenette, and twin beds that can connect as a seamless king-size bed. Up to five people can be accommodated with the addition of AeroBeds.

A private garden comes with lounge chairs and a table. Other amenities include terry robes, a flat-screen TV, and free wireless Internet.

Hosts Paul Vershbow and Karen Jacob live in the building, so there’s always someone to offer advice on where to go in the city. You can take a short stroll to Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex to enjoy golf, bowling, indoor horseback riding, and year-round ice skating.

Three Special Splurges

6 Columbus, 6 Columbus Cir.; 212-204-3000; 6columbuscircle.com. From $525.

Open since October, this ultrahip boutique hotel sits across the street from the Time Warner Center’s upscale restaurants and shopping, diagonally across from Central Park, and close to the new Museum of Arts & Design.

The 88 luxurious rooms and suites have a 1960s-meets-modern feel, with sleek teak-and-chrome-filled interiors, 400-thread-count linens, and spa products by Fresh. Minibars offer gourmet snacks from Dean & DeLuca and Zabar’s.

Each room features a flat-screen TV, on-demand movie library, and iPod docking station. Free wi-fi and broadband Internet access are provided, and laptop computers are available on request.

Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery at E. Third St.; 212-505-9100; theboweryhotel.com. From $525.

Transformed from its once-seedy past, the Bowery, on the Lower East Side, is becoming one of New York’s hippest neighborhoods, with the New Museum of Contemporary Art, galleries, restaurants, and trendy clubs. Last year, the fashionable Bowery Hotel opened with 17 stories of rooms and suites (some with terraces) featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors topped by Turkish rugs, and beds with velvet headboards and Egyptian-cotton linens. Be sure to ask for a higher floor for spectacular Manhattan views.

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park, 2 West St.; 212-344-0800; ritzcarlton.com/batterypark. From $795.

Manhattan’s only luxury waterfront hotel, the 39-story Ritz-Carlton offers sweeping views of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Art-deco-inspired rooms feature 400-thread-count Frette linens, featherbeds, and goose-down pillows. Bulgari bath amenities await next to the deep marble bathtubs.

Through October 15, the Ritz is offering a New York City Waterfalls package for $480 a couple for one night in a harbor-view room or suite equipped with in-room telescopes. The package includes two tickets for a 60-minute Circle Line cruise of the Waterfalls display plus breakfast for two.

This article first appeared in the September 2008 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles like it, click here.