Cost per head, not cost per room
New York room rates look punishing until you divide them. A compact room at a central hotel split two ways often beats a cheaper hotel forty minutes out once you add taxis home. Compare the all-in nightly total per person.
Large hotels are easier for groups
Booking six rooms at a 70-room boutique is difficult and expensive. The larger hotels here have the inventory to take a group on the same floor, which matters more than design.
Stay where the night is
The Lower East Side and Williamsburg have the bars and stay open late. Midtown empties after the theatres. If the plan is a proper night out, book downtown or across the river and save the taxi fares.
The shortlist
Hotels that fit, and why.
Pod Times Square
665 rooms including bunk pods, a block from Port Authority. The cheapest realistic way to put a group in central Manhattan.
- Subway
- 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal
YOTEL New York Times Square
713 compact cabins on the far west side, with self-service check-in and a large terrace. Plenty of inventory for a group.
- Subway
- 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, about a ten-minute walk
Moxy NYC Times Square
612 rooms with Magic Hour upstairs, so the first night needs no planning and the theatres are minutes away.
- Subway
- 34 St-Herald Sq / Times Square area
PUBLIC Hotel
Design-led rooms at a sensible rate on the Bowery, with the Lower East Side's bars immediately outside.
- Subway
- Second Av, Bowery and Delancey St-Essex St
Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg
216 rooms and four venues in the building, in the middle of Williamsburg's nightlife.
- Subway
- Marcy Av on the J, M and Z, and Bedford Av on the L
SIXTY LES
A rooftop pool and Blue Ribbon sushi downstairs on the Lower East Side. Note the compulsory facility fee of around $40 a night.
- Subway
- Second Av on the F, and Delancey St-Essex St
The Local NY
The budget end: private rooms and dorms in Long Island City, fifteen minutes from Midtown, for groups watching every pound.
- Subway
- Court Sq on the 7, E, M and G
Fast answers
Questions UK travellers ask.
What is the cheapest way to put a group in New York?
Compact-room hotels like Pod and YOTEL in Manhattan, or a hostel-hotel hybrid such as The Local in Long Island City. Work out the cost per head including taxis home before deciding.
Which area is best for a stag weekend in New York?
The Lower East Side or Williamsburg if the weekend is about bars, since both stay busy late and you can walk home. Midtown suits a trip built around a game or a show.
Will hotels take a large group booking?
Larger hotels will, and are far easier than boutiques for six or more rooms. Contact the hotel directly for group rates rather than booking room by room, and check the deposit terms.
Sources and update notes
Last updated: 17 August 2026. Hotel rates, fees, rules and transport details can change.