Backpacker to 5 Star , boutique to pod, there is a huge variety of accomodation available in New York City, the question is which of the five boroughs do you wish to stay in. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island. They are all so different with advantages and disadvantages, it depends on what you are looking for.

Manhattan Island is possibly the best known shopping and theatre area in the world, the most heavily populated area of New York State, situated at the mouth of the Hudson River and split in two East and West by Fifth Avenue. Home to Wall Street, the Empire State Building, the Radio City Music Hall, St Patricks Cathedral and Broadway, stores like Macy’s "the worlds largest department store", FAO Schwartz "the worlds ultimate toy store" and Bloomingdale’s for "a unique shopping experience".

Brooklyn, just across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan Island, you find the Brooklyn Naval Yards, the waterfront, and many ethnic neighbourhoods reflecting the long list of immigrants to settle in the New Land.

Queens is across the water from Manhattan on the western side of Long Island. If you fly into JFK International Airport or LaGuardia Airport you will be arriving and departing from Queens.

The Bronx today is home to Yankee Stadium, once upon a time it was home to gangsters and bootleggers.

Staten Island is a popular destination for tourists who take the Staten Island Ferry across the bay from Manhattan getting great views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on the way. If you wish to visit the Statue of Liberty you will need to book tickets. With a limited number of tickets available it makes sense to book excursion tickets before you travel.

What hotels are available in New York City, well The Metro, Hudson, Roosevelt, Edison, Skyline, Salisbury, Plaza, Thirty Thirty, Warwick, Paramount, Manhattan, Pennsylvania, Belvedere, Pod, Bentley, Bedford, Beacon, Central Park, Central, Casablanca, Carter, Carlton, Broadway, Boutique, and thats just to name a few, unless you wish to spend hours making phone calls the best way to book a Hotel in New York is via one of the big travel agencies who get special rates because of their size and they pass these rates on to you.

If any of the big hotels are low on bookings they offer the big online players discounts of up to 80% (strings attached) to get some bookings. By passing most of this discount on to the consumer the big hotel booking agencies offer great deals while they make a profit for themselves. If you phoned the Hotel you would not be offered this discount.

If it is a smaller Bed and Breakfast hotel or apartment complex it can be best to look around for yourself because some of these establishments are not big enough to offer multi room discounts to the agencies so they book direct and can offer discounts if they are under booked or if you are booking in advance for a special occasion.

Hostels are often cheap alternative places to stay in New York. Always best to book direct in advance, if you have enough people to fully book a hostel room discounts are often available.