So, you're looking for a New York hotel but where on earth are you going to stay? Well, let's do the simple bit, 99% of you are looking to stay in Manhattan whether you know it or not. That's where all the most famous action is packed all into a few square miles: the Empire State building, the Rockerfella Centre, Times Square, Greenwich Village, Central Park, the list just goes on and on.

The thing is though there's a huge choice of hotels in New York and an awful lot of them will well and truly break the bank. Here's a quick guide to where to look for your type of hotel.

Budget hotels and hostels: the Upper West Side is chokka full of, we hesitate to say cheap because no hotel in New York is cheap, but budget hotels. The area not far from Central Park and is vibrant but not glamourous, it's popular with students and travellers on a budget

Top end traditional hotels: New York's Fifth Avenue Midtown area close to the south end of Central Park has some of the most exclusive and expensive hotels in town. Very special but wallet beware.

Boutique and chic: It has to be the Soho and Greenwich area south of midtown, home to boutique hotels like the Tribeca Grand and 60 Thompson, and the famous Soho Grand. Needless to say, not cheap, but if you're treating yourself this is the real deal.

Affordable five star hotels: New York doesn't have many of these but try checking out the financial district on the southern tip of Manhattan, not too far from the action and the chance of some good hotel deals.

Getting to New York
New York is a fantastic year-round destination from the sweltering hot summer days when you can lie in the shade in Central Park to the mid-winter freezes when you can skate in Central Park. It also offers an amazing selection of shows, exhibitions and events so whenever you go there will be something happening. Airlines like to compete for flights from the UK to New York so there are very competitive flight deals to New York, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are two of the biggest operators.

You may be surprised to find that there are also New York package holiday deals (they are not just restricted to island resorts) and you may find this is the cheapest way to visit New York. Having a car in New York will cause too much stress and it will stop you from enjoying the typical New York experience ? a ride in a yellow cab. However there are plenty of car hire companies in New York for everyone who wants to travel out of the city for a day trip or to start a road trip.