SoHotel

Profile

What it is: really cheap, and located right at the intersection of Little Italy, Chinatown, and, of course, Soho. What it is not: filled with luxuries. No minibars and not even an elevator to get you to the second-floor lobby. The SoHotel is decidedly a big-city hotel, with a small lobby, casually dressed clerks seated behind a glassed-off desk, narrow hallways, and sparsely furnished rooms. Claiming the status of "the oldest hotel in New York," and allegedly built near the spot where George Washington took control of the city during the Revolution, the hotel’s previous incarnations hosted names including William Waldorf Astor and John L. Sullivan. However, these days, the hotel is less suited for New York luminaries than for students, foreign travelers and others looking for a reasonably safe place to crash in a hip neighborhood. — Ben Mathis-Lilley

Location right on the Bowery is perfect for access to restaurants (Italian and Chinese in particular) as well as nightlife and entertainment.

Cons
Rooms are small and luxuries are few. Not for families or business travelers.

Claim to Fame
Claims to be the oldest hotel in NYC.