best hotels near Times Square under $150 – Honest Ranked List

Finding the best hotels near Times Square under $150 is one of those searches where the internet gives you a lot of results and almost none of them are honest. Most listicles are littered with hotels starting at $89 that cost $210 when you actually pick a date. Some are sponsored. Others have not been updated since 2022. This guide is different -we ranked these hotels based on consistent under-$150 availability in 2025, real guest reviews across Booking.com, Tripadvisor and Hotels.com, and honest notes on the downsides as well as the upsides.

Here is the one thing worth saying upfront: staying near Times Square under $150 a night in New York City is genuinely possible, but it comes with trade-offs that you need to know about before you book. Rooms are small. The area is noisy. Some hotels charge facility fees on top of the advertised rate. January and February are your friends. July is your enemy. And the difference between a good Times Square area hotel experience and a bad one often comes down to which floor you end up on and whether the room faces the street or a courtyard.

Everything in this guide is based on what actually happens when people stay at these hotels, not the marketing copy on their websites. The ranked list below runs from best overall value to most specialised. Read through the notes before booking.

Hotels Near Times Square Under $150 -Quick Summary

Best Overall Value: Pod Times Square -from $109, 2 blocks from Times Sq, Bar 42, solo/couple focused

Cheapest Option: Hotel St James -from $105, literally on 45th St in the Theatre District

Best Design/Vibe: Civilian Hotel -music-themed, rooftop bar, quieter side street, from $119

Best For Families: Holiday Inn 57th St -IHG brand reliability, slightly removed from noise, from $125

Best For Longer Stays: Homewood Suites 47th St -kitchenette saves daily food costs, from $135

Cheapest Months: January–February -prices drop $30–$50 below summer peak rates

Watch For Facility Fees: Pod charges $22.95/day. Always check ‘total cost’ not just room rate

Room Size Reality: Budget Times Square rooms are 100–180 sq ft. This is New York -it is normal

Noise Tip: Always request a rear-facing room or a floor above the 10th when booking

The Reality Check -What $150 a Night Near Times Square Gets You

Let us get this out of the way first. A $150 hotel near Times Square in New York City is not a $150 hotel in Chicago or Miami or London. Manhattan real estate is brutal and hotel rooms reflect that. The experience is good -but the expectations need calibrating before you book.

What You Will Get

You will get a clean, private room with your own bathroom. You will be within walking distance of Broadway, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal and almost every major Midtown attraction. You will have fast subway access -the A/C/E, 1/2/3 and N/Q/R/W lines all run through this neighbourhood. Most properties in this guide have 24-hour reception, free Wi-Fi and luggage storage.

The location is the thing you are paying for. And in New York, that location is worth a lot. The convenience of being able to walk back to your hotel after a Broadway show at 11pm, or walk to Times Square on New Year’s Eve without needing a taxi, is real and tangible.

What You Will Not Get

• Space -budget Times Square hotel rooms run 100–185 square feet. Some have cleverly designed storage and layouts. Others just feel cramped. Travelling with large suitcases is genuinely challenging in the smallest rooms.
• Quiet -Midtown Manhattan between 42nd and 57th Streets does not sleep. Even with double-glazing, you will hear the city. Request a rear-facing room or a floor above the 10th. Some hotels place you in a room facing an air conditioning unit on a neighbouring building, which is arguably worse than street noise.
• Free breakfast -virtually no budget hotel in this price range includes breakfast. NYC has excellent breakfast options everywhere; budget $12–$18 per person per day for this or find a grocery store and use the mini-fridge.
• No resort fee surprises -this is the one that catches people most. Pod Times Square charges $22.95 per day in facility fees on top of the room rate. Always check the total price including taxes and fees before comparing.

The Honest Ranked List -5 Best Hotels Near Times Square Under $150

1. Pod Times Square -Best Location and Value (from $109)

Pod Times Square is the best consistently-under-$150 hotel within genuine walking distance of Times Square, and it achieves that at around 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. That is about two blocks from the tourist core of Times Square, which is actually ideal -you are close enough to walk there in five minutes but far enough to get some quiet on a side street. The Port Authority Bus Terminal is a two-minute walk, the A/C/E subway lines are immediately accessible.

The rooms are genuinely small -between 100 and 150 square feet -but they are better designed than most rooms at that size. En-suite rainfall shower in every room, charging ports by the bed, a decent enough amount of storage for one bag. Bar 42 off the lobby is a proper bar with cocktails and a happy hour that makes arriving and departing more pleasant than it might otherwise be.

Pod Times Square -What You Need to Know

• Price: $109–$139 per night for a standard room. That $22.95 daily facility fee brings the effective rate to $132–$162 -still competitive but worth building into your budget.
• Facility fee includes: early check-in/late check-out when available, luggage storage, walking tours, free local calls. Not entirely without value.
• Room size: 100–150 sq ft. This is not a misprint. It is a genuinely small room. For a solo traveller or a couple who plan to be out all day, it is fine. For anyone who needs to work from the room or has large bags, it is challenging.
• Best for: solo travellers, couples on a tight budget, people who are in New York for shows and sightseeing and will spend minimal time in the room.
• Honest downside: the facility fee, the room size and the noise if you get a street-facing room on a lower floor. Request a room above floor 10 facing away from the street.

2. Hotel St James -Cheapest Legitimate Option (from $105)

Hotel St James on 45th Street and 7th Avenue is about as central as you can get -you are literally in the Theatre District, surrounded by Broadway stages and restaurant row. Rooms start around $105 in shoulder season and the hotel consistently appears on budget NYC lists because it delivers clean, functional accommodation at a price point that is difficult to match this close to Times Square.

There are honest caveats. This is an older property and it shows in some rooms. The bathrooms are compact. Some rooms have window AC units rather than central air, which can create a cold-or-noise trade-off. Guest reviews are generally positive about cleanliness and location but mixed on room size and the noise levels on lower floors. The consensus position is: it is a fair deal at the price, particularly if you book a room on a higher floor or rear-facing.

Hotel St James -Practical Notes

• Price: $105–$138 per night. No facility fee -the rate you see is the rate you pay (plus taxes).
• Location: 45th Street and 7th Avenue. This is literally in the middle of the Theatre District. Broadway shows are walkable. The 1/2/3 and N/Q/R/W subway lines are around the corner.
• Room tip: request a rear-facing room. Street-facing rooms on low floors near 45th Street are noisy.
• Best for: budget-focused travellers who want maximum location with minimum spend. Not glamorous but does the job.

3. Civilian Hotel Times Square -Best Design and Vibe (from $119)

Civilian is the most interesting hotel in this price range near Times Square, and it is probably the one most people have not heard of. Built around a music-and-culture theme -the building is named after the civilian population that supports the arts rather than performers -it sits on 48th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, one block from the main Times Square bustle but on a noticeably quieter street.

The rooms are a good size by New York standards, the design is thoughtful without being pretentious, and the rooftop bar is genuinely good -outdoor space in Midtown Manhattan at this price point is unusual and worth something. Guest reviews consistently score it highly for atmosphere, service and the quality of the on-site bar experience. The Booking.com score sits around 8.4, which for a budget Times Square hotel is strong.

Civilian Hotel -Who It Works Best For

• Price: $119–$148 per night. No facility fee. What you see is what you pay.
• Rooftop bar: a genuine asset. Views over Midtown Manhattan and a well-run bar. Not every $150 NYC hotel has this.
• Location: 48th between 8th and 9th is quieter than the immediate Times Square core. This is a positive.
• Best for: travellers who care about the experience of where they stay, not just the location. Couples, design-conscious solo travellers, anyone who wants a hotel with some personality.

4. Holiday Inn Midtown 57th Street -Best Family Option (from $125)

Holiday Inn Midtown on 57th Street is not the most exciting hotel on this list but it is reliably good, which at the IHG price-to-quality ratio is actually a meaningful endorsement. The rooms are larger than Pod or Hotel St James -this is a proper full-service hotel rather than a micro-hotel concept. Families travelling with children will find it significantly more practical than the smaller properties.

57th Street is ten to fifteen minutes’ walk from Times Square, which removes some of the noise. It is however extremely close to Central Park South, the Time Warner Center, Carnegie Hall and Fifth Avenue shopping. For guests whose agenda extends beyond Times Square itself, this location is arguably better than being right on top of it.

Holiday Inn 57th -Key Details

• Price: $125–$148 per night. IHG Rewards members earn points -useful if you travel on IHG properties regularly.
• Room size: noticeably more spacious than the micro-hotels. Fits a family of four comfortably.
• Location: 57th Street and 6th Avenue. Quieter than Times Square directly, closer to Central Park.
• Best for: families, business travellers, anyone who values a reliable brand experience over boutique design.

5. Homewood Suites by Hilton Midtown Manhattan -Best for Longer Stays (from $135)

Homewood Suites is Hilton’s extended-stay brand, and it earns its place on this list for one specific reason: the kitchenette. In a city where a sit-down dinner for two routinely costs $60–$100, having a kitchenette in your hotel room genuinely changes the economics of a longer stay. You can buy groceries, make breakfasts and lunches in the room and eat dinner out. On a four or five night stay, this saves real money.

The 47th Street and 8th Avenue location is three minutes from Times Square and very close to the Theatre District. The hotel scores an 8.6 on Booking.com, making it the highest-rated property on this list. Rooms are larger than average for the price point, with separate sleeping and living areas in most configurations.

Homewood Suites -Why It Makes Sense

• Price: $135–$149 per night. No facility fee. Booking.com score of 8.6 is the strongest on this list.
• Kitchenette: full-size fridge, microwave, cooktop. Bring groceries or use the NYC Trader Joe’s nearby.
• Suite layout: separate sleeping and sitting area in most rooms -more space than standard hotel rooms at this price.
• Best for: stays of 3+ nights, families, anyone cooking their own breakfast and lunch to offset NYC food costs.

Full Comparison Table -Hotels Near Times Square Under $150

Hotel	Price Range	Walk to TS	Rating	Room Size	Best For	Honest Warning
Pod Times Square	$109–$139	2 blocks	7.8/10	100–150 sq ft	Solo / couples	$22.95 facility fee + very small rooms
Hotel St James	$105–$138	1 block	7.6/10	Small	Budget seekers	Window AC in some rooms, street noise
Civilian Hotel	$119–$148	3 min walk	8.4/10	Standard	Design / vibe	Slightly off the main strip
Holiday Inn 57th	$125–$148	12 min walk	8.1/10	Comfortable	Families / business	Not closest to TS -tradeoff
Homewood Suites	$135–$149	3 min walk	8.6/10	Suite layout	Long stays / families	Highest price on list, but highest rating
YOTEL New York	$115–$145	1 block	6.8/10	Very small	Tech-forward solo	Mixed reviews -service inconsistency
JG Time Hotel	$108–$128	5 min walk	7.2/10	100–185 sq ft	Ultra budget	No elevators, tiny rooms

When to Book and How to Stay Under $150

The $150 budget is perfectly achievable in New York -at the right time of year and with the right booking behaviour. At the wrong time, the exact same hotel that costs $115 in February costs $178 in July. Understanding this dynamic is more valuable than knowing which hotels are on the list.

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Best Months to Book for Under $150

January and February are the cheapest months for New York hotels, full stop. The holiday crowds have gone, the weather is cold and fewer leisure travellers are visiting. This is when the hotels in this guide reliably sit in the $100–$130 range. March and April are spring shoulder season -still good value. May starts to climb. June through August is peak summer -this is when staying under $150 near Times Square requires either booking very early or accepting a compromise on hotel quality.

Day of the Week Matters More Than You Think

Friday and Saturday nights near Times Square are always the most expensive. The weekend tourist surge is real. Sunday through Wednesday is consistently the cheapest four-night window in the week -you can often find the same hotel 25–35% cheaper on a Tuesday arrival than on a Friday. If your dates are flexible, arriving Sunday or Monday and departing Thursday saves meaningful money.

Always Check the Total Price -Not the Room Rate

This cannot be stressed enough for New York hotels. Pod Times Square charges $22.95 per day in facility fees. YOTEL charges similar amounts. Some properties charge separate cleaning fees or parking rates that appear at checkout but not in the initial search results. When comparing hotels, always look at the total cost for your stay including all fees before deciding which is cheaper.

Request a Rear-Facing Room Above Floor 10

This specific request is the single most practically useful piece of advice in this guide. Times Square and the surrounding Theatre District are some of the noisiest blocks in one of the noisiest cities in the world. A rear-facing room reduces street noise significantly. Being above the 10th floor removes the immediate level of the most intrusive sounds. Some hotels will accommodate this at no charge if requested at booking -others at check-in. It costs nothing to ask and the sleep quality difference is significant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Recommendation

For most travellers visiting New York primarily to see Broadway, Times Square and Midtown Manhattan, Pod Times Square or Civilian Hotel are the two picks we come back to consistently. Pod wins on pure price-to-location value -there is nothing cheaper that puts you in a cleaner, better-run hotel that close to Times Square. Just build the facility fee into your budget from the start. Civilian wins on experience -it is the only hotel in this price range where you might actually enjoy being in the hotel rather than just sleeping there.

If you are travelling with family or need more than 12 square metres of room to stay sane, skip Pod entirely and book Homewood Suites on 47th Street. The kitchenette alone is worth the slightly higher rate on any stay of three nights or more -breakfast and lunch cooked in the room saves $25–$40 per person per day compared to eating out every meal in Midtown Manhattan.

On timing: if there is any flexibility in your travel dates, visit in January or February. New York in winter is cold but completely operational -every museum, restaurant and Broadway show is running. Hotel prices in January are the lowest of the year for Times Square properties, and the city is dramatically less crowded. The same hotel that costs $148 in June often costs $105 in February. One final note: always check the total cost before booking. Click through to the final checkout screen and confirm what you are actually paying per night including taxes and fees. The headline rate and the checkout total in New York are often different numbers, and at the $150 budget level, a $22.95 daily facility fee is a 15% swing on your entire accommodation budget.