New York Hotels and the Best Places to Visit in New York

Where do we begin to take our bite out of the Big Apple? New York City is the pinnacle of urban culture for many people from around the world, and searching for New York hotels for your visit to the City That Never Sleeps can be overwhelming.

That said, there are plenty of ways to squeeze some juice out the Big Apple. Just stay at one of the best hotels in New York and you’ll know! From the Plaza Hotel to modest inns, New York offers hotels for every budget and interest.

Speaking of the Plaza Hotel, this hostelry situated across 59th Street from Central Park has been setting the standard of excellence for more than a century among New York City hotels. Recently transformed in a $400 million renovation, the Plaza has a new, contemporary spirit that makes it the ultimate luxury destination in New York. Its Beaux Arts décor remains, but its 282 guestrooms now boast high-definition television, wireless high-speed Internet access and a touch panel screen that allows guests to customize their room environments. Hence it stands amongst the most sort-after hotels in New York.

Of course New York can boast of some of the greatest hotels in the world. The Algonquin, a historic landmark at Times Square & Midtown West, remains an icon for America's literati. The 1902 landmark building simply breathes the lore of writers, from the great Algonquin Round Table to the New Yorker magazine provided in guest rooms. Nearby is the romantically named Casablanca Hotel, deemed an oasis in the midst of Times Square's frenzy. Naturally there's Rick's Café, where guests can sit and read, sipping cappuccino from the self-serve machine. The Casablanca is a moderately priced option in a good location for sightseeing, so its 48 rooms frequently are booked up, so plan ahead. These New York hotels attract the elite, rich and famous personalities.

Another hotel recommended for its charm is The Inn at Irving Place, a 170-year-old town house that offers spacious rooms with a literary bent, recognizing such 19th century authors as Washington Irving, O. Henry and Edith Wharton. The Inn offers breakfast in bed, tea in the room and even in-room massages by arrangement.

While Manhattan hotels offer plenty of urban appeal, there are also excellent accommodations across the bridge in Brooklyn. For instance, The New York Times praised the Nu Hotel as a "spiffy … sleek boutique hotel" in downtown Brooklyn, boasting 93 rooms and some "green" amenities such as cork floors, organic cotton sheets, recycled teak furniture and biodegradable key cards. Located near a dozen or more subway lines, the Nu Hotel makes an excellent site from which to explore the city.

So what should you see when you go exploring New York City? The choices are nearly endless, depending upon the visitors' interests. Naturally many people come to New York for the theater, where shows on and off Broadway challenge and delight. Others come for the cultural attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the American Museum of Natural History.

Others want to marvel at New York's architectural wonders from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building. There's Harlem, with its distinctive African American cultural scene such as Abyssinian Baptist Church and the Apollo Theater. Stately and stunning St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Riverside Church all speak to the city's spiritual heritage. And then there are the restaurants, from traditional Jewish delis to Italian pizza parlors to cuisines from every country on earth.

Truthfully, there are so many things to see and do in New York City, it's no surprise that the city never sleeps.