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Hotels · United States

Where to stay in New York

Four New York hotels we have read the guest data on — one in Chelsea, one in Midtown West, two by Times Square — with the complaints written as plainly as the praise.

  • 4 properties reviewed
  • 3 areas covered
  • 4 head-to-head comparisons
  • Guest sentiment from our hotel data provider

Written by the TravelShifu editorial team · last checked

Desk assessmentWe have not stayed here. This verdict is built from the property’s own records and third-party guest reviews, read in full — including the complaints.

Check New York rates

We hold no live rates, so nothing on this page quotes a nightly price. This opens the partner’s own New York search, where you can put in your dates and see the real number.

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Should you book this New York stay?

Where to stay in New York — the verdict

Stay in Chelsea if the High Line and Flatiron are the map; stay in Midtown West if Penn Station and Hudson Yards matter; stay by Times Square if Broadway and Rockefeller Center are the week — then pick between the Riu and Margaritaville on guest data, not logo alone.

Times Square density is real. Hotel Riu Plaza puts Times Square at 0.1 km and Rockefeller Center at 0.6 km; Margaritaville puts Times Square at 0.2 km with a pool listed but inconsistent-amenity complaints. Motto by Hilton Chelsea puts the High Line at 0.2 km and Times Square at 1.7 km — a different trip entirely.

Guest scores in this sample include flat 10s that still carry caveats. Motto posts 10 out of 10 across every category from 4,105 reviews while one review notes limited room space; Margaritaville posts 10s on service, location and overall experience while amenities and breakfast expectations underperform at 8.72. We cite scale, count and date on every score.

Nothing on this page quotes a nightly rate. We hold no live rates for these properties, and a price baked into a static page is wrong by the next morning — the CTAs send you to Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com or Vrbo so you see the real number for your dates. Those are partners; the links may earn commission.

Best for

  • First-time visitors choosing between Chelsea gallery walks and Times Square theatre nights
  • Travellers arriving at Penn Station who want a short walk from Midtown West
  • Anyone comparing two Times Square four-stars on room-size and amenity complaints rather than address alone

Not for

  • Anyone expecting large rooms — small size is a named con at three of the four
  • Quiet-room absolutists near Times Square — noise is a named con at Arlo Midtown
  • Readers hunting a quoted nightly rate on this page — we do not publish one; check the partner for your dates

Verdict last reviewed . Rates, refurbishments and management change — re-check anything time-sensitive before booking.

Best Hotels in New York

Manhattan rewards picking the neighbourhood for the days you actually want: High Line walks, Hudson Yards, or theatre-district nights. These four sit in three different Midtown-adjacent bases on purpose — Chelsea, Midtown West and Times Square.

4 properties reviewed by our editors · Last checked 6 Aug 2026

Filter New York hotels by price band or trip type
  1. Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea — supplier photograph 1

    Number 1: Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea

    4-star hotelUpscaleChelsea & High Line

    A four-star Motto by Hilton on West 24th Street — High Line 0.2 km, Flatiron 0.2 km, restaurant on site — with flat 10 out of 10 category scores and a limited-space caveat in the highlights.

    • 0.2 km to The High Line
    • 0.2 km to Flatiron Building
    • Restaurant and bar on site
    • Pets allowed

    our hotel data provider: 10/10 from 4,105 reviews — as of 18 Dec 2025

    Full review of Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea
  2. Arlo Midtown — supplier photograph 1

    Number 2: Arlo Midtown

    4-star hotelUpscaleMidtown West & Hudson Yards

    A four-star Arlo on West 38th Street — Times Square 0.7 km, Penn Station 0.6 km, parking listed — with strong service and location scores and small-room, noise and privacy complaints.

    • 0.7 km to Times Square
    • 0.6 km to Penn Station
    • Parking listed
    • Pets allowed

    our hotel data provider: 9.4/10 from 7,354 reviews — as of 18 Dec 2025

    Full review of Arlo Midtown
  3. Margaritaville Resort Times Square — supplier photograph 1

    Number 3: Margaritaville Resort Times Square

    4-star hotelUpscaleTimes Square & Theatre District

    A four-star Margaritaville on Seventh Avenue — Times Square 0.2 km, pool listed, soundproof rooms listed — with flat 10s on service and location and inconsistent-amenity complaints at 8.72.

    • 0.2 km to Times Square
    • Swimming pool listed
    • Soundproof rooms listed
    • Pets allowed

    our hotel data provider: 9.2/10 from 6,561 reviews — as of 18 Dec 2025

    Full review of Margaritaville Resort Times Square
  4. Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square — supplier photograph 1

    Number 4: Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

    4-star hotelUpscaleTimes Square & Theatre District

    A four-star Riu Plaza on West 47th Street — Times Square 0.1 km, Rockefeller Center 0.6 km — with the largest review sample on this page and room-size and parking complaints.

    • 0.1 km to Times Square
    • 0.6 km to Rockefeller Center
    • 0.7 km to MoMA
    • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant listed

    our hotel data provider: 9/10 from 13,923 reviews — as of 6 Jan 2026

    Full review of Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

Where to stay in New York: best areas by trip type

Pick the area before you pick the property. In New York the walk out of the front door decides more of the trip than the room does.

New York at a glance

Best area for families:
Times Square & Theatre District — best area for families in New York
Best area for couples:
Chelsea & High Line — best area for couples in New York
Best area for nightlife:
Midtown West & Hudson Yards — best area for nightlife in New York
Best area for business travel:
Midtown West & Hudson Yards — best area for business travel in New York
Best area for a first visit:
Chelsea & High Line — best area for a first visit in New York

Chelsea & High Line

Typical nightly rate: Upscale four-star territory for this sample per night

Best for couples · first-time visitors

West Side gallery and park belt — the High Line and Flatiron Building at 0.2 km on our hotel data provider’s figures for Motto, Chelsea Market 0.8 km, and a quieter night than Times Square.

Trade-off: Times Square is 1.7 km away. Flat 10 out of 10 category scores look perfect until you read the limited-space note in the guest highlights.

Getting around: Penn Station is 1.1 km; Hudson Yards 2.1 km. LGA is 12 km on the POI row — plan transfers, not walks with luggage.

Close to: The High Line, Flatiron Building, Chelsea Market, Empire State Building

  • High Line
  • Gallery district
  • Flatiron

See 1 hotel in Chelsea & High Line

Midtown West & Hudson Yards

Typical nightly rate: Upscale four-star — parking listed at Arlo, rare in Manhattan per night

Best for business trips · first-time visitors · nightlife

The Penn Station and Hudson Yards knot — Times Square 0.7 km, The Edge 1 km, and the practical base for theatre plus west-side development walks.

Trade-off: Rooms run small with privacy concerns named in the guest analysis. Noise is a con — you are still in Midtown, not Chelsea calm.

Getting around: Penn Station is 0.6 km; Times Square 0.7 km; High Line 0.9 km. You can walk much of tourist Midtown from here if you accept the room size.

Close to: Times Square, Hudson Yards, The High Line, Empire State Building, Penn Station

  • Penn Station
  • Hudson Yards
  • Theatre access

See 1 hotel in Midtown West & Hudson Yards

Times Square & Theatre District

Typical nightly rate: Upscale four-star — two properties here with the largest review samples on the page per night

Best for first-time visitors · nightlife · families

Broadway’s bright core — Times Square within 0.2 km, Rockefeller Center and MoMA within a kilometre, and the noisiest, most convenient base in this sample.

Trade-off: Small rooms and parking difficulties show up in the Riu data; Margaritaville adds inconsistent-amenity and breakfast-expectation complaints beside flat 10s on service and location.

Getting around: Times Square–42nd Street subway is 0.2 km from Margaritaville; Penn Station 1.2 km from the Riu. You trade peace for doorstep theatre.

Close to: Times Square, Broadway Theatre District, Rockefeller Center, MoMA

  • Times Square
  • Broadway
  • Rockefeller Center

See 2 hotels in Times Square & Theatre District

The full guide

Read the full New York guide

Neighbourhoods, transport, what a day costs, when to go and what to skip — the long-form guide behind these hotel picks.

Read the full New York guide

Straight comparisons

Hand-picked pairs, not every possible pair. Each of these exists because it is a decision readers in New York genuinely have to make.

Popular New York searches

New York hotels — common questions

Which area of New York is best for a first visit?
Times Square if Broadway and Rockefeller Center are the week; Chelsea if the High Line and gallery walks matter more; Midtown West if you want Penn Station and Hudson Yards within a kilometre. All beat a vague “Manhattan hotel” that satisfies none of those maps.
Are Times Square hotels too noisy?
Often, yes — though Margaritaville lists soundproof rooms and both Times Square picks score location at 9.59–10 out of 10. Arlo Midtown names noise as a con 0.7 km from Times Square. Read the cons, not just the location score.
Should I book New York hotels direct or through a booking site?
It varies by property and by date, which is why we never quote a nightly rate here. Check the partner link for your dates, then check the hotel’s own site before you confirm — direct rates sometimes include breakfast or a cancellation window the aggregated rate does not. Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com and Vrbo are partners; those links may earn commission.
Why do you show guest scores but never a star-rating snippet in search results?
Because the scores are not ours. Every review number on this site comes from a supplier’s aggregate, and Google’s review-snippet guidance says not to aggregate ratings from other websites and that ratings must come from your own users. We show the supplier score plainly, attributed and dated, and we never emit it as structured data.
Why does Motto show 10 out of 10 everywhere?
That is what our hotel data provider’s guest analysis returns for Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea from 4,105 reviews as of 18 December 2025. The same analysis still notes limited space in guest rooms in one review — we show the scores as attributed supplier data and state the caveat alongside them.