A bigger bite of the Apple: where to stay for less

Aussie travellers can't get enough of the buzzy bliss of New York. The major challenge? In a city where everything is magnified, including the cost of accommodation, it can feel like the impossible dream to find an affordable place to rest your head. We've done the legwork and found some bargains you'll love.

Live local

Subletting furnished apartments or rooms — for a night, a week, a month or longer — is popular in New York and it's often a much cheaper option than pricy hotel nights. New Yorkers pay sky-high rents and welcome the opportunity to recoup some bucks.

Pros and cons abound: some travellers love the experience of living like a local, while others miss daily maid service and luxe hotel bedding. For oodles of listings check Craigslist, but be on high alert for scammers. A good rule of thumb: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Nope, sorry, West Village glam penthouses tend to cost considerably more than $50 a night.

Bigger is not always better

If the cost of big-name hotels in New York is giving you the shudders, consider a B&B or smaller boutique hotel. With fewer rooms and more modest advertising and marketing budgets, they normally offer much lower rates for what is essentially the same thing: a roof over your head and a comfy night's sleep.

East Village Bed & Coffee is an arty nine-room hotel, with rates from around US$100 ($102) per night, inclusive of taxes. The proprietors of Union Square Inn liken it to a European-style pensione, the sort of well-located base from which to explore the city. Its 46 rooms are clean and simple, and a relative bargain with rates starting from about US$125 ($127) per night.

At Colonial House Inn, the complimentary continental breakfast of muffins, fruit, cereal and bagels is a hit with guests. Located in the Chelsea gallery district on West 22nd Street, the inn has 20 guestrooms and two suites. Rates start at US$130 ($134) per room per night.

Online savings

Hotel rack rates? Pah, only suckers pay retail. Use your online smarts to sniff out good, better, best deals on well-known Manhattan hotels. At Hotwire.com, the Hot Rate search facility reveals discounted rates at 'mystery' hotels, identified only by star rating and neighbourhood, for example, three-star Midtown hotel, $189 ($193) per night.

The hotel name is revealed after you provide credit card details, snaffling a bargain in the process. On Priceline.com you bid what you wish to pay on hotels in specified neighbourhoods; if your offer is accepted, your credit card is charged. Expect to save 50 percent or more on the published rates. On a recent stay, I paid US$150 ($153) a night at the Tribeca Grand hotel using this facility; a big saving on the US$400 ($408) regular published rate.

Go surfing

What's even better than cheap accom? Free accom, natch. The worldwide craze for Couchsurfing — travellers stay for free on the couches of local hosts — has been a hit with New Yorkers who want to promote world peace and global understanding (or maybe they just want to meet hot Aussie backpackers).

Best case scenario is you meet new friends, see the city through the eyes of a generous host and save big bucks on lodging. Worst case scenario … Meh, let's not go there. Check out their site for lists of hosts dotted around all five boroughs. The site provides links to referees and profiles of couchsurfing hosts.

Hostel v hotel

Unless you've recently come into an inheritance or you're travelling on a very generous expense account, you probably won't be staying at the St Regis or the Pierre Hotel, where rooms run to the many, many hundreds of dollars per night. Hostels can be a good alternative, especially if you stay at one that has been recently renovated and you don't mind sharing a bathroom.

Broadway Hotel & Hostel bills itself as New York's first boutique hostel, with semi-private, dorm-style and private ensuite rooms. Depending on the room type booked, you might be sharing a room with a fellow traveller. Free wi-fi, a cosy media room and modern kitchen facilities make the place feel homely and welcoming. It's located on the Upper West Side at 101st St, a stone's throw from Central Park. Beds book out quickly, and with rates starting from US$25 ($27) per person, per night, it's no surprise.

Get off the island

For many first-time visitors, the island of Manhattan is New York City. Some people don't realise NYC is actually made up of five boroughs, of which Manhattan is just one (albeit the most famous, with many of the iconic sights including Central Park, the Empire State Building, Wall Street and Museum Mile).

You pay a premium for that Manhattan hotel address, and big bucks can be saved by checking out accommodation in the other boroughs or nearby New Jersey. Those places may be a lot closer to the big smoke than you think; for example, around-the-clock subway services link parts of Hoboken to Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District in just 10 minutes. When I lived in Brooklyn's hipster heaven, Williamsburg, it was just three subway stops to the cool bars and restaurants of the Lower East Side.

Service, please

Serviced apartments combine some of the best features of hotels — 24-hour reception and daily room servicing, for a start — with the convenience of larger floor plans, kitchenettes and more. If you're travelling with a few friends and want to split the cost of accommodation, serviced apartments can also work out a lot cheaper than standard hotel rooms (they're usually not such a budget-friendly choice for solo travellers).

Woogo Apartments is one option, with serviced studios and larger apartments that tend to be lower in price and sleep more people than hotel rooms of similar size. Choose from their prime locations at Times Square, Midtown and Upper West Side.

Got any ideas on saving money on accommodation in New York? Enter your comments below.