With inflation driving the cost of travel to NYC ever higher — and so many Big Apple hotels being repurposed as temporary social housing — it’s a wonder the average traveler can afford a trip to the city nowadays.
But a new national survey reveals that one of the country’s top budget stays is right here in greedy Gotham — and can be snagged for a relative song.
To help thrifty travelers with itchy feet continue exploring in spite of the increased challenges, CashNetUSA analyzed the TripAdvisor ratings for thousands of lower-cost hotels, reviewing data on pricing and guest ratings to compile their own list of the best budget hotels in the United States.
The ranking was released as interest in budget hotels is up 20% globally, according to a report from Expedia, which found that “nearly a quarter of global travelers plan to be more frugal in 2023.”
Hotel Hive in Washington, D.C., was found to be the country’s highest-rated affordable inn, with 9 out of 10 of its TripAdvisor reviews at five stars. The spot opened in 2017 as the city’s first micro-hotel and recently advertised a one-night, two-person stay for $122.
In second place came Manhattan’s Mint House at 70 Pine.
The high-tech FiDi property also achieved a high percentage of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor. But at $217 a night for two people, the spot was also the second-most expensive budget stay in the country.
“Mint House at 70 Pine offers Instagram-ready designer interiors, a third-wave coffee shop, a fast-casual scratch kitchen and a Michelin-starred restaurant in an art-deco era skyscraper in Lower Manhattan. A separate store in the basement offers a cheaper but no less convenient way to grab a bite on your budget stay,” a list author wrote.
The 165-room hotel also offers a screening room, golf simulators, and a bowling alley.
Guests seemed to particularly appreciate the “Art Deco building” and its close proximity to the Brooklyn Bridge. Once they unlocked their rooms, the guests were happy with the “huge rooms” and the “walk-in closets”.
The tech-focused hotel company boasts apartment-style accommodations, mobile contactless check-in, keyless suite entry in many locations, a 24-hour digital concierge, pre-stocked grocery delivery and pre-set smart thermostats.
The 67-story skyscraper began welcoming guests at the end of 2020 as the flagship Mint House location.
“From the onset, we sought to create an entirely new category of accommodations that was purpose-built for the business traveler — a unique experience that offers the feel of a high-end hotel with the comforts and conveniences of your own home – all packaged and delivered via technology,” Will Lucas, founder and CEO of Mint House, said in a press release announcing the opening.
Despite opening during one of 2020’s deadliest months, “during the pandemic, Mint House’s occupancy was 2-3 times higher than that of hotels in the same markets based on the nature of our apartment-style accommodations,” Paul Sacco, Chief Development Officer at Mint House told The Post at the time.
Since its opening the FiDi fixture has received lots of praise, including being ranked the No. 1 hotel in the country on TripAdvisor’s 2021 list of the top hotels in the country.
To compile their own survey, researchers for CashNetUSA made a list of hotels ranking in the bottom 10 percent for the price of a one-night, two-person stay. They needed to have at least 50 TripAdvisor reviews. The ranking was decided from that curated list, sorted by the percentage of guest reviews that had five stars.
