Can anyone give hints on small and moderately priced hotels (100-180 USD) in central New York City?

For a trip in February/March I am looking for small, cosy hotels with unique charm and style, preferably on Manhattan.

In Europe such hotels often are runned by families.

Where are the N.Y. ones? Or is this Mission Impossible?

JGF
Oslo, Norway

NYC has many fewer - but much bigger - hotels than you generally find in major europen cities. Family run hotels are quite uncommon.

That said - there are smaller boutique type hotels - but I don;t know any family run. And since Feb/March is low season you should be able to get something decent for your budget.

I would recommend not staying in the center (Times Square) since it is quite touristy, tacky, loud, more expensive - and generally filled with the largest chain hotels.

I would go for one of the more residential neighborhoods - upper west side, village, lower east side - where you can get much more of a flavor of the city, better food at much lower prices and be only 10 minutes or so by subway from many things you want to see do.

Check out the Lucerne on the upper west side (near central Park, the Museum of Natural History/Planetarium, right across the Park from the Met and the Guggenheim and 2 blocks from the subway) for a moderately priced choice.

There are also two small NYC hotel chains that might meet your needs - applecore hotels (budget) and affinia hotels (moderate). Many are located in very convenient locations.

www.larchmonthotel.com

You might want to look at the Washington Square Hotel.
www.wshotel.com

I haven't stayed there but have heard some nice things about it.

NY really doesn't have European style hotels in any great abundance. (I don't know of any really - even small hotels are well over 100 rooms.)

That said, you can get a great hotel that doesn't have a huge, busy lobby and 20 minute waits for the elevator - but you have to seek them out.

I'd recommend The Blakely or Hotel Casablanca. Both are very well located, have a little character, and are nice and quiet. (Both will be over 180 USD.) You just won't find the same, shall we say, hospitality as at a great little 2 or 3 star Parisian hotel.

Now that I'm thinking about it you might look at the Lowell hotel too. It is small (65 rooms) and well located - and nicely rated on tripadvisor.com. I've never stayed there myself, and I don't knwo its price.

Check www.hotels.com for info on hotels and rates for the dates you will be here. It is one of the best sources for hotel info in the US.

I have stayed at a small hotel called the Kimberly. It is near the Radio City, fifth ave, etc... It is a small apartment that was renovated into a hotel suite. There was a small kitchen and living area with a separate bedroom. The lobby was small and it was great for our traveling family. We all had some space.

You can stay at one of several very nice B&B's. There is good one on Horatio Street in the West Village; I think the name is Rooms to Let but you can check for it under NYC B&B's in Trip Advisor.

One of the only privately owned hotels I can think of is the Salisbury on West 57th across from Carnegie Hall.

Real estate is just too expensive in NYC.

The Gramercy Park Hotel used to be family run but I beleive they lost the lease on the building. Tragic family and story. Ian Shraager is in charge of the revamp.

We really like the Hotel Roger Williams. Great funky chic decor. Wonderful breakfast. At the corner of Madison and 31st St.

You could try www.newyorkhotel.com

They have a number of smaller hotels some of which are in your price range.

I was also going to mention the Roger Williams. Very nice.