NYC: Seton Hotel – Nice budget hotel in Midtown

I often get emails from readers asking about cheap hotels in New York, so I found this blog post from my old blog about Seton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan that I thought I would share with you. Especially the rooms with shared bathroom are really good value for money. Sorry about the mess in the room, but my stay (and the photos) was before I learned to snap those hotel room photos before I settle in and make a mess:)

During my recent, short stopover in New York, I stayed at Seton Hotel, which is also in Midtown East, right next to Grand Central. Seton Hotel doesn’t have the same super-sleek hipster atmosphere as Pod39, and it actually looks a bit rundown in the lobby area, but the rooms are charming and once you’ve closed the door, it’s easy to believe that you’re in an upscale boutique hotel. The room I stayed in was bigger that at Pod 39, and it had a big, slightly annoying clock on the wall, tick-tocking away all night. There’s complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby area and there’s also a vending machine with chilled drinks. You get your own room with a basin and towels, but you share a bathroom with other guests. Isn’t it just a hostel then? Well yes, and no. The room standard is generally much higher than ordinary 3-star accommodation in New York and includes all sorts of amenities such as toiletries, bathrobes and slippers and the shared bathrooms are nice and clean. Oh, and the price? If you book well in advance, it’s usually as low as around $100 per room.

Of course, there are nicer places to stay in New York (my friend AC stayed at Mondrian Soho last time she was in the city, and she loved it!) However, in the $100-200/night-range, Seton Hotel and Pod 39 are both very good options.

Seton Hotel, 144E 40th Street (between Lexington & 3rd Avenue), Midtown, New York