I am now seeing that $400 is common in New York, even for a budget hotel near the centre of things. thinking that Edison Hotel or Wellington might be appropriate. We will be going in October. Does anyone have any advice on these two hotels or others that are no more than $400 per night. Thanks

In Manhattan, there really is no center of things. While there may be Times Square and Broadway, there are scores of attractions spread out all over the island. The subway system is extensive and reliable, as are the buses, cabs, and feet.

Try the Cosmopolitan Hotel in TriBeca.

And try the Row hotel if you want to be in vicinity of Times Square

Exact dates of stay matter, ESP. in peak seasons like October in NYC.

If you want Times Square area, go to Hotels.com and search for Times Square hotels in NYC. then sort them from lowest price to highest, and start researching the hotels less than $400 for your dates,

What do you mean by 3 stars?

Agree that unless you are focused primarily on broadway shows you can certainly look in other areas of Manhattan for a hotel - since there are major sights all over the city.

You might want to look at the Newton Hotel on the upper west side. They have double queen bed rooms - for 2 people starting at about $280 per nights - but not for all nights - some are sold out. This is a pleasant reliable budget property with the subway only a block away. It is definitely in the 3* (tourist) class.

Stars are about amenities ( restaurant, business center etc.) not "niceness." Both the Edison and the Wellington are old somewhat tired hotels. At the Wellington, some rooms are renovated and others aren't. It's a HUGE hotel with uneven quality of rooms. There are much nicer newer chain hotels like Hampton Inns and Hilton Garden Inns. You will also likely do better price-wise if you're willing to pray by using say Hotwire and picking hotels with high thumbs up ratings.

If you like the location of the Edison, you might want to also check the rates at The Belvedere, Hilton Garden Inn Times Square, and maybe The Mayfair.