NYC Guide: Five great hotels

My darlings, people always ask us where they should stay when visiting New York. So, here are five great places...

1. The rooms at the Larchmont Hotel aren't super charming (think: Best Western), but they're clean, comfortable and cheap. (You can get a double room for less than $150, even on a weekend!) You also have to share a bathroom with the people staying on your hall. But the real plus is the location: a beautiful street right in the middle of Greenwich Village. (Personal note: My whole family stayed here during our wedding weekend and gave it a thumbs up.) A great bare-bones budget hotel.
2. Abingdon Guest House is smack in the middle of the West Village, an adorable neighborhood with cobblestone streets, playgrounds, bakeries, romantic restaurants, bookstores and boutiques, and it's central so you can get around town easily. The cozy rooms have four-poster beds, skylights and fireplaces; all are less than $250 a night.
3. The Ace Hotel in Manhattan--like those in Portland and Palm Springs--is super hip, playful and fun. The enormous lobby is filled with comfy sofas; you can work on your computer (they have wireless), meet friends for a drink (they have a bar) or just relax (they have a DJ). The rooms feel like cool apartments, with French doors, vintage furniture and record players, and you can get one with bunk beds if you're staying with a friend. The catch: The location isn't perfect--it's near Broadway in midtown, which is kind of dreary, so you'll have to take a subway to most other neighborhoods to hang out and have dinner; however the Ace is so fun, it could be worth it.
4. The Standard Hotel looks like an opened book, don't you think? I love its modern design and too-cool-for-school vibe; and because of the architecture, every single room has an amazing view: either the sunset over the river or the twinkling lights of the city. Some rooms have clawfoot bathtubs right in the middle. We stayed here on our wedding night and adored the swanky, sexy ambiance. The location is also awesome: downtown in the Meatpacking District, steps from the Highline (which we'll talk about later!); they also have a rad beer garden (with German sausages, pretzels and ping-pong tables) and a romantic restaurant.
5. You might also consider renting an apartment. That way, you'll instantly feel like a local, you'll have a kitchen and living room if you want to cook or watch movies, you'll have extra space if you have a baby (or other friends and relatives traveling with you), and you'll probably spend much less than if you stayed in a hotel. There are many amazing apartment rentals in Manhattan and Brooklyn on the websites airbnb, homeaway or vrbo. If you want to narrow down your search, you could look for places on the Upper West Side, Chelsea, Greenwich Village or the West Village, since those neighborhoods are all lovely and central. (For example, here are lovely places in Greenwich Village, the West Village, Chelsea, and the Upper West Side. We also stayed at this one-bedroom gem in the West Village when our own apartment was undergoing construction, and it was fantastic.) FYI, we always rent our two-bedroom apartment in the West Village when we go on vacation, and I always post the dates on the blog in case you're interested!

Spill the beans: Where do you guys stay when visiting New York? If you live here, which hotels do you suggest to friends? I'd LOVE to hear your recommendations!

(Top image layout by HipHipGinGin for Cup of Jo. Abingdon Guest House photo by Laura Ratliff for Cup of Jo)