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Tips on Accommodations in New York City

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Remember that the accommodations scene in New York City goes well beyond hotels. You can save money—and have a more interesting stay—by considering the following "alternative accommodations".

Private B&B accommodations

Alas, it is illegal to rent vacation apartments in New York City for fewer than 30 days. In December 2021, the mayor’s office also started requiring owners who rent for fewer than 30 days to register with the city, and companies that list unregistered apartments are now being fined.

So, although Airbnb, Vrbo, Wimdu.com, and others list apartment rentals around the city, they are now almost always for rooms within apartments where the owner lives with you, which may raise privacy concerns.

If you do decide to rent a room in an apartment with the owner in residence, think of it as a private B&B (though often breakfast is not included). This type of stay is usually much cheaper than a hotel room, it allows you to meet a friendly local, and it will most likely place you in a residential neighborhood where you live like a local, rather than a visitor.

Stay at a guesthouse affiliated with a religious order

Around Manhattan are a few specialty lodgings operated by churches and other organizations. In some cases they’re open to all, in others you must be a veteran or member to stay there, but they all are clean, friendly, well-located hotels, offering private rooms for as little as $125/night for a single, rarely more than $170 for a double with private bathroom. In the case of the religious hotels, there’s no required attendance at services, though at some, unmarried couples are not allowed to share the same room. Here are three I heartily recommend:

  • The House of the Redeemer (7 E. 95th St. off Fifth Ave.; tel; 212/289-0339; 6 to 96th St.). Open to all, run by the Episcopal Church. Simple rooms but in a former mansion. No alcohol is allowed on guest floors.
  • The Leo House (332 W. 23rd St., btw. Eighth and Ninth aves.; tel. 800/732-2438 or 212/929-1010; E or C to 23rd St.). Open to all, run by the Catholic Church.
  • Menno House (15 Rutherford Place, btw. 15th and 16th sts.; tel.  212/677-1611; L to First Ave.). Run by the Mennonite Church and mostly for volunteers and students. Three nice rooms are set aside for transient visitors.


Look into hostels

Open to people of all ages as well as families, the following hostels have a mix of dorm accommodations and private rooms. Rates range between $43 and $76 per person at these facilities, varying by date and type of room. Private doubles start at $120. Here are NYC’s best-maintained (and most amenity-laden) hostels:

  • Hosteling International New York (891 Amsterdam Ave., at the corner of 103rd St.; tel. 212/932-2300; 1 to 103rd St., or 1, 2, or 3 to 96th St.).
  • The Local NYC (13-02 44th Ave., Long Island City, Queens; tel. 347/738-5251; E, M, 7 to Court Sq.).
  • Q4 Hotel/Hostel (29-09 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City, Queens; tel.  718/706-7700; E, M, N, R, or 7 to Queensboro Plaza).
  • West Side YMCA (5 W. 63rd St. off Central Park West; tel. 212/912-2600; 1, A, B, C, D to Columbus Circle).