Hotel prices can obviously get a little crazy in New York but I’m going to select some hotel options on the more reasonable, mid-range side that might work for a variety of budgets ($200-$400).
In Greenwich Village where I prefer to stay in Manhattan, the most affordable (and my favourite) is The Jane. The next best thing budget wise is The Washington Square hotel, which is a little basic but clean and friendly and well located. The Marlton Hotel in the West Village is a slightly more expensive option, but for good reason – once a haunt of Kerouac and the beatniks, now a swanky boutique hotel with an intimate, French-inspired bistro, dining solarium and espresso bar.
Alternatively, for full on quirky boutique hotel charm, The Harlem Flophouse might not sound family-appropriate, but it certainly is! Step back in time in this jewel of a guest house in Harlem that is anything but a flophouse today. The Victorian townhouse is a charming B&B where prices run low (rates start at $99), and the hospitality runs high (cuddles with the resident cat, Phoebe). You’ll be just a hop and a skip away from Sylvia’s gospel brunches, the American Legion Post 398 and the world-famous Paris Blues jazz club.
I don’t love to recommend staying in Midtown because it’s so busy but it is where you tend to find the best rates in Manhattan. Look at the Benjamin or The Fifty and nearer Murray Hill, see the HGU and the Renwick. Freehand Hotel also has an interesting history – Keith Haring and W.H. Auden lived here for a time, and during Prohibition, it was even used as a bootlegging house. In Soho, check out Arlo Soho
In the East Village / Lower East, Sixty Les has a pool as does Hotel Indigo. The Moxy is pretty happening
In Brooklyn, the Wythe and Ace Hotel as well as the Hoxton keep rates quite acceptable
Here are a few options for Airbnb, too.
This suite is for 4 in a townhouse near Central Park / Carroll Gardens 2bdrm / South Slope with Patio / Spacious studio in the East Village and I have a larger list of Airbnbs in NYC here.