What to Expect From New York City Hotels

New York City has more than 66 million visitors in a standard year.

66 million! That’s more people than the entire population of France. 

As the world starts opening up and COVID restrictions start to lift, you might be thinking about taking a trip to New York. We can’t blame you. Between the food, the people, the arts, the culture, and the nightlife, New York is one of those places you just have to visit. 

But if you want to visit New York, you’re going to need to look for New York City hotels. But how are you sure you’re going to find the right ones?

Hotels near New York City are numerous, and often run the gamut from great to terrible. All it takes to avoid the Roach-Motel is a bit of research. This article will walk you through all you need to know to discover the best hotels in New York City. 

Choose a Location 

If you come from a smaller part of the US or a different country, you might underestimate the size of NYC. Unless you’re taking a month-long vacation (a-la Ernest Hemingway in the 1920s), you’re just not going to be able to see everything you want the first time. 

First off, you have to choose if you want to stay in the city itself, or just outside of it. While there are options available just outside of the city, the best way to get the complete experience is to drop yourself right in the heart of it all. Stay in NYC itself.

Secondly, figure out which attractions you’re gonna hit. If you want the big touristy popular wonders, you’re going to want to plan your trip for midtown Manhattan. If you want to get a bit more of the insular culture, take a look at sports in Williamsburg, Greenwich Village, and Alphabet City. 

We recommend for a first stay, however, seeing those big attractions downtown. Look for a high-end hotel around this area so you won’t have to travel very far. It might end up costing you more, but it will save you money, walking time, and the headache of figuring out the NYC subway system. 

As an example, a high-end hotel around this area might look like this. 

Check the Reviews

Once you’ve got the location down, you can start narrowing your search. By now, you probably have the name of a few hotels written down. But how do you pick the correct one? 

Go to the online reviews. When you read the online reviews, you read the words of everyday people just like you who comment to assure quality. 

Pick a hotel, and check the reviews online. What’s the start rating? More importantly, what do people have problems with? 

Sometimes, people have generally bad experiences with their whole trip and blame it on the hotel. Other times, people complain about the lack of something (such as room service or a hotel spa) that you don’t personally need. Take some time to do the research, and you’re more likely to enjoy your experiences.

You should also check to see if the hotel is responding to people’s reviews. A responsive hotel will care about the stays of every individual and work to make sure customers know they care. 

Stay clear of hotels that take down reviews or seem ashamed of their reviews. They might be hiding something. 

Room Options in New York Hotels

Now that you’ve found a conveniently located, well-reviewed hotel in the city, it’s time to start looking at the individual luxuries the hotels provide.

A hotel with many room layout options is a smart investment. While you’ll only be staying in one room the first time, you never know if you’ll come back with more people on your next visit to NYC. If you do happen to, it’d be very convenient to go back to the same hotel. 

Check out hotels that have options for great rooms and great suites. You might want a room that has a large balcony or can accommodate a large number of guests. 

X-Factors

Not every hotel is going to have certain features. However, it’s a plus if they do. 

If you can, find a hotel that allows a virtual, 360 tour of the rooms. Pictures can be extremely deceiving. A 360 view of the room is the closest you can get to the real thing.

Besides reading the reviews, it’s where people like you get to use language to paint a world. 

It’s also helpful if you choose a hotel that’s right near a train station or other sort of transportation location. This means as little hustle and bustle as possible, which we all know is the worst part of taking a vacation.

Choosing a great in-city location means you won’t have to travel far from the hotel, so overall you’ll get an extremely easy experience. 

Look For the Best New York City Hotels to Have the Best Trip Possible 

To say that New York City is a wonderful trip for a vacation is a statement that’s so true it’s practically useless. However, to say that you need to make sure you stay at a good hotel, or else the whole trip might be ruined — now that is worth saying. 

Choose a good location so you don’t have to walk or ride the subway too far. Check the reviews of the hotels so you don’t end up at the Roach Motel. Look at the options for rooms to make sure they can accommodate you.

And don’t forget to check out the X-factors in case you want to spoil yourself, and you’re far more likely to have a great trip. 

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