Editorial take
Who should book Washington Square Hotel?
If this is your first New York trip, shortlist Washington Square Hotel for a practical reason: Music history, value in the Village, couples, walkers. The name, star rating and lobby photos matter, but the real test is whether the location helps your days feel easier.
It is less compelling if you want luxury, large rooms or midtown convenience. Before booking from the UK, compare the final price after taxes and property fees, check the exact room setup and make sure your airport arrival route is not needlessly awkward.
Location and map
Where is Washington Square Hotel?
Waverly Place sits directly on Washington Square Park, which is as central as Greenwich Village gets and a few minutes from the folk-era clubs on Bleecker and MacDougal.
Nearby
Washington Square Park, NYU, Bleecker Street, MacDougal Street and the West Village.
Closest subway
W 4 St-Washington Sq, and 8 St-NYU
Hotel facts
What to know before booking.
First-timer context
Why Washington Square Hotel might feel special.
What it is known for
- The building opened in 1902 as the Hotel Earle, named after its first owner Earle S. L'Amoureux, and took its current name in 1973.
- Bob Dylan rented a room here for $19 a week in 1961, just before his first performance at Gerde's Folk City, and returned in 1964 with Joan Baez.
- Baez wrote about the stay in Diamonds & Rust, describing it as that crummy hotel over Washington Square. They shared room 305.
New York moments
- The Mamas and the Papas wrote California Dreamin' at the hotel, and Roger McGuinn lived here before forming The Byrds.
- Ernest Hemingway stayed for three weeks in April 1918, before leaving for ambulance service in the First World War.
- The Rolling Stones used the hotel as their base on their first United States tour.
On screen
- The hotel's fame is musical rather than cinematic, and it sits at the centre of the Greenwich Village folk revival story.
Review questions
What travellers keep asking.
Did Bob Dylan really live here?
Yes. He took a $19-a-week room in 1961 before his first Gerde's Folk City show, and stayed again in 1964 with Joan Baez in room 305, which she later wrote about in Diamonds & Rust.
Has the hotel changed hands?
Yes. It sold in 2025 to the Library Hotel Collection, the group behind the Library Hotel and the Casablanca. Reviews from before then describe more than fifty years of family ownership.
Booking checklist
Check these before you reserve.
Total price
Look beyond the nightly rate. Check taxes, destination fees, breakfast and cancellation.
Room layout
For New York, room size, bathroom privacy, bed type and storage can matter more than star rating.
Arrival route
Match the hotel to your airport, luggage and arrival time, especially after an overnight UK flight.
Sources and update notes
Last updated: 17 August 2026. Hotel rates, fees, rules and transport details can change.