Hotels Near

Manhattan

Book Cheap Last-Minute Hotels in Manhattan, New York

If New York City is the capital of the world, then Manhattan is the unofficial capital of the capital. This borough is home to Central Park, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square—90 percent of NYC’s most sought-after attractions are in Manhattan.

What does that mean for your last-New-York-minute Manhattan getaway? You could be here all day and not see everything. All week. Literally. So, peruse those hotels in Midtown Manhattan, book the best for less scratch with a Hotwire Hot Rate, and map out your course of action. Because missing the best that Manhattan has to offer on your trip? Bor-ough no you won’t.

The Core of the Big Apple

Who’s Got the Dough: You’ll never be able to eat your way through the top tier of Manhattan food, so focus your efforts on some of the most highly contested nosh rivalries: Who has the best pizza in New York City? Where can you get the best bagel in New York? Strap in, because there’s a lot of carbo loading to get through. For the best slice in the borough, you have to experience love at first bite at Bleecker Street or Joe’s Pizza, then Artichoke Pizza for something a little unusual. (Surprise, it’s pureed artichokes mixed with the cheese.) Next, you gotta get into the bagel game. Top spots for the heavenly rings include: Absolute Bagels, Tompkins Square Bagels, Ess-a-Bagel, and newer addition BO’s Bagels in Harlem. Sightseeing fuel for the rest of your stay? Check.

Island Hoppin’: Don’t forget—Manhattan is an island. And there are a lot of phenomenal ways to see it. Start with a walk on the High Line, the elevated, urban park created on abandoned freight railway tracks. Or sip at sea on the Grand Banks, an old fishing schooner that’s now a cruising oyster bar (and actual bar). A view from the top can be found at One World Trade Observatory, and Central Park is a must to see if the grass is greener on the park side of the borough. (It is.) All tuckered out? Hop back to your Manhattan hotel near Central Park for some sleep ‘til Brooklyn.

MoMA Money, Mo’ Problems: Real talk, Manhattan has a ton of museums. You probably won’t be able to see them all the first go-round, so make sure to hit up the must-sees. The Met has been around since 1872 and contains over 26,000 pieces of Egyptian art. The Guggenheim is set on Fifth Avenue in a Frank Lloyd Wright building and brimming with incredible works in paint, sculpture, and photography. Finally, the Museum of Modern Art was the first institution devoted to the era and is one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. Museums? Wait till you’ve seen ‘em.

Drink History: The best way to learn about historical Manhattan is by grabbing cocktails at some of the borough’s oldest watering holes. The best starting point is The Campbell Bar, a stunning spot in Grand Central Station. Dante in Greenwich Village is over a century old and has been named “Best Bar in the World” twice in recent years. In East Village, you’ll find the 166-year-old McSorley’s Old Ale House (emphasis on the old), where the only sipping options are “light” or “dark” beer. End of drink menu. And the Financial District boasts Fraunces Tavern, which is so old that George Washington once toasted at the bar. If toasting was around way back then. When the sips are all sipped, stroll back to your hotel in Lower Manhattan, well-rested in all of your vast historical knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions About Manhattan, New York