New York residents are accustomed to getting very little space for a lot of money, but this reality still shocks visitors. New York City, and Manhattan in particular, is a tight squeeze of tip-top attractions and millions of tourists clamouring to see them, so expect rooms on the smaller side. If you have more than two people in your party, pay special attention to room type, as unlike in other parts of the US, rooms with two beds can come at a premium, whereas rooms with one bed are more the standard.
New York residents are accustomed to getting very little space for a lot of money, but this reality still shocks visitors. New York City, and Manhattan in particular, is a tight squeeze of tip-top attractions and millions of tourists clamouring to see them, so expect rooms on the smaller side. If you have more than two people in your party, pay special attention to room type, as unlike in other parts of the US, rooms with two beds can come at a premium, whereas rooms with one bed are more the standard.
There are times when the city is unavoidably expensive, such as New Year's Eve, the United National General Assembly meeting, April-May (beautiful weather for lots of conferences), and September-October (more beautiful weather and conferences, plus cultural fundraisers). Show some flexibility and you can catch prices that tumble dramatically — a hotel charging $600 on New Year’s Eve may fall as low as $100 in the first days of the new year.
January to early March is typically the most affordable time to spend the night in the city, because let’s be honest, it gets cold. July-August are also affordable, as most city folk head south to the Jersey Shore or east to the Hamptons for the summer. Sunday nights are a bargain all over the city — it's a perennially unpopular night so hotels discount often. Rooms also get unexpectedly inexpensive at the times when most people head home for the holidays: Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Fourth of July, etc. No matter when you are planning to visit New York, do your research, with so many hotels in town, you're usually able to find a deal for cheap hotels in New York.
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