New York City is the most visited city in the US and ranks 8th worldwide and for good reason. There are so many amazing attractions, hotels, restaurants. It’s just fun to be a part of it all. We wanted to bring you an insider’s peek into all things NYC and offer some tips for your next trip to our home city with this hotel guide.

As an added insider tip be sure to get the Digit app. I originally talked about it here. It’s a great way to save up for the cost of your big trip to NYC or for some extra spending cash while you’re here. Also, be sure to read through to the end for a special discount code for your hotel stay through Hotel Tonight.

Hotel Guide

Think of this as a neighborhood and hotel guide. There are great neighborhoods up and down the island and across the river in Brooklyn as well. Each neighborhood has its own vibe so there really is an area for everybody. There are positives and negatives dependent on your taste but make no mistake, regardless of where you stay, you’ll have a great time. Let’s start with Midtown, the epicenter of tourist attractions.

Midtown

Let me just say, this is where I live. I know midtown gets a bad rep, but I love living in the middle of Manhattan. It’s central to everything you need, especially when visiting NYC. I just wanted to get this off my chest, because I love Midtown….but if you gave me my same apartment in the West Village, I’d move in a millisecond.

Now when you think of Manhattan, particularly if you have never been here before, this is it. The noise, colors, hustle, and bustle. It’s lively but it has so many of the attractions that draw millions of people every year. There is Grand Central, Rockefeller, Times Square, Empire State Building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and more. If you want to be in the controlled chaos, stay here. However, if you want to remove yourself at night, one of the other neighborhoods may be more suitable. Don’t worry, we will share the best ways to get around the city in the next part of this series. Micro-neighborhoods around the area; Midtown East, Midtown West, Murray Hill, Hell’s Kitchen, Gramercy, Korea Town.

Hotel Recommendations: The Quin Hotel, The Refinery Hotel, The Plaza (The Home Alone hotel)

Soho

South of Houston Street. We love Soho! If you like fashion and shopping, this is it! It’s busy, has amazing restaurants and bars, and has that NYC cool feel to it. We shoot a lot of content on the cobblestone streets here. The streets and buildings are gorgeous. You can spend hours shopping and eating. Think fashionable crowds and high- end restaurants. Micro neighborhoods include; Noho, Nolita, ChinaTown, Little Italy

Hotel Recommendations: Nomo Soho, Crosby Street Hotel, 11 Howard

Chelsea

This is the art culture capital of Manhattan. It’s located on the west side of Manhattan just southwest of Midtown. It boasts great spots like the High Line, Chelsea Market, and Madison Square Garden.

Hotel Recommendations: Dream Downtown, High Line Hotel, Maritime Hotel

Union Square

The name says it all. In the middle of Manhattan (14th- 18th street) centered around the bustling Union Square Park. Lots of big chain stores all around and has the best farmer’s market in the city.

Hotel Recommendations: W Hotel, Gramercy Park Hotel

Upper East Side

Welcome to posh Manhattan. This is just east of Central Park that boasts gorgeous brownstones and luxury high rise apartments. Tons of high-end shopping and restaurants along Madison Avenue will keep you busy. Noticing a theme here…lots of shopping everywhere.

Hotel Recommendations: Parker NYC, Bentley Hotel

Upper West Side

This is a fairly quiet area by Manhattan standards. Located on the west side of Central Park, it hosts the likes of the Natural History Museum and the Lincoln Center.

Hotel Recommendations: Inn NYC, NYLO New York City

Tribeca

This is definitely a “hip” area. Lots of celebs live here. It’s located in the southwest corner of the island. There are lots of cobblestone streets with industrial buildings that have been turned into luxury lofts. It also hosts the Tribeca Film Festival every year.

Hotel Recommendations: Greenwich Hotel, The Roxy Hotel

Lower East Side 

First thought is, amazing food. It’s located where it sounds, in the southeast corner. It’s another area that is becoming more and more popular with great restaurants and bars seemingly popping up every week.

Hotel Recommendations: The Ludlow, Sixty LES

East Village

It used to be the punk scene of Manhattan. It’s big on nightlife and music venues. It’s a really fun area to hang out in but a little grungy.

Hotel Recommendations: The Standard, The Bowery Hotel

West Village  

This is easily one of our favorite neighborhoods in all of NYC. It has gorgeous tree-lined streets, cute bakeries, and even better restaurants. It’s a great place to walk around and snap photos.

Hotel Recommendations: The Jane, Hotel Hugo

Williamsburg

This is the hipster hood. It’s one of our favorite areas in Brooklyn located next door to Dumbo. It’s a young crowd with great restaurants, bars, and magnificent views of the city from across the river.

Hotel Recommendations: The William Vale Hotel, The Williamsburg Hotel

We hope you find this hotel guide helpful when planning your trip to NYC. We love it here and hope you do too. There really isn’t a bad time to visit unless of course, you don’t like hot weather or cold weather. There are four distinct seasons here so just come when it’s your type of weather.

As far as booking a room, it’s really up to you and your comfort level. We tend to wait until we are pretty close to our trip before we book our hotel. The best recommendation I can give you for booking is to use Hotel Tonight. We use it all of the time when we travel. It allows you to get great hotels for super cheap when you book last minute. You can book up to 2 weeks in advance but it’s fun to wait until the day before! Use Code: MLOGUSH to get $25 off of your first booking. If you have any questions let us know! Next up in the series, how to get around the city once you’re here!

For those traveling with a little one check out this post on travel essentials with a toddler!

Happy travels and be sure to let us know what you think of our hotel guide in the comment section. Not visiting soon but know someone who is? Don’t forget to share this post with them.

xo, Olivia