Mrs B and I are off to New York for a couple of nights before heading North in early October. Hotel prices, looking at usual sites, look scarily high to a couple of pensioners like us! Prices seem to increase dramatically about the time we are flying out.

Any suggestions we can check on?

Alternatively, anything a little bit out of town handy for JFK

I have been many times over the years. Only stayed in one place- the beacon hotel. Can't recommend enough and they may have finally renovated all the rooms now. I like it a lot.

The New Yorker is ok and quite cheap. If you want an alternative have a look at Hoboken which overlooks Manhatton

Holiday inn is quie a nice one, the one roughly 2 blocks west of central park 🙂

i'm staying in the New York Palace Hotel in the next couple of weeks. Got an ok deal off expedia

Last time I was there stayed in Morgans, and that was good.

Got to be the Chelsea.

Where Sid Vicious killed Nancy Spungeon and Quentin Crisp and Andy Warhol lived. West 23rd & 7th if I recall.

Try The Comfort Inn on West 35th Street. Nice rooms, nice staff and reasonable prices. Stayed there last May. Rates around $270.
http://www.comfortinnmanhattan.com/

The Beacon is the cheapest so far at $285 per night, still a good $100+ more then we wanted to pay! Some of them are pushing $600 a night, not what I call cheap…

May limit our stay to one night and move towards Boston sooner than planned.

you can get cheap if you head out into the airport area or further into new jersey if you want cheaper.

check out http://www.priceline.co.uk and investigate their "name your own price" option – it didn't work for me, but I know people it has done.

How cheap do you want to go? I was there at the weekend and stayed in the YMCA off central park. It was perfectly fine but definitely just a place to sleep and no more.

Edit: I paid around $110 a night for their 'best room'.

http://www.wolcott.com/

clean, comfortable, great location ( 2 mins walk away from empire state building), lush muffins in the morning. If your using the room just to sleep its really good.

There are no real secrets to cheap places to stay in NYC, I am afraid, IME. it's bloody expensive.

There are a couple of big chain hotels in Downtown Brooklyn that are occasionally discounted and can be good – just a hope across the bridge so a cheap cab ride/quick subway fare away from Manhattan. Don't book the Best Western or the other chain hotel that's in Long Island City/Queens – they're very close and convenient to Manhattan but they're in a horrible industrial neighbourhood and surrounded by highway ramps.

I have no experience of staying in New Jersey. One thing to consider: commuter transport into NYC can be great (or at least fine) during the week but not so good at weekends.

I wouldn't bother staying at the airport for any reason: it's a long haul into town, it's all horrible around there and I don't even think it's that cheap.

Other options to consider: craiglist (can be a bit scammy) or stayz (my brother just used them in NYC and thought it was great).

Also, if you're booking online with the hotel direct, select the AAA rates and see if they're cheaper – they never ask for your membership card IME.

Club Quarters can be very cheap at weekends: it's used by business travellers whose companies are members mostly, which means it's mobbed during the week but quiet on holidays/weekends. http://www.clubquarters.com/nmlowrates.aspx

Thanks all, Mrs B was sorting something earlier today. She was deciding between Wolcott and Chelsea.