How I Actually Afforded Times Square: My Guide to Snagging Deals Near AC Hotel New York Times Square

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Look, I’m just going to say it—when I first started planning a New York trip back in 2019, I laughed out loud at Times Square hotel prices. Like, actually laughed. Then I closed my laptop and considered just visiting literally anywhere else. The AC Hotel New York Times Square was going for something like $450 a night, and I was thinking, “Cool, so I’ll just sleep on a park bench and call it authenticity.”

But here’s the thing about budget travel that I’ve learned after visiting 47 countries on less than $30,000 total: there’s always a way. You just have to be willing to get creative, patient, and maybe a little bit ridiculous. And honestly? New York taught me some of my best accommodation hacking tricks that I still use today.

Let me walk you through how I’ve managed to stay near Times Square multiple times without selling a kidney, and how you can score deals in that area too—even around those nice properties like the AC Hotel.

The Times Square Hotel Pricing Reality Check

First, let’s be real about what we’re dealing with. Times Square hotels are expensive for a reason. You’re literally in the center of everything—Broadway shows, incredible restaurants, Central Park within walking distance, and that weird overwhelming energy that somehow feels both exhausting and exciting at 11 PM on a Tuesday.

The AC Hotel New York Times Square sits right in that prime location on West 40th Street, and it’s got that modern Marriott vibe that honestly makes you feel like you have your life together. Clean lines, European-inspired breakfast, a rooftop bar—it’s nice. Really nice. And normally, really expensive.

During peak season, we’re talking $400-600 per night. Even in the “slower” months (and honestly, does New York even have slow months?), you’re looking at $250-350. For someone who once spent an entire month in Vietnam for $600, those numbers made my eye twitch.

But I’ve stayed in that neighborhood four times now, and I’ve never paid more than $180 a night. Let me tell you how.

My Biggest Secret: The Marriott Points Game

Okay, so the AC Hotel is part of Marriott Bonvoy, and this is where things get interesting. I’m not naturally a credit card person—trust me, coming from a background where I had $3,000 to my name when I started traveling, the idea of points and rewards felt like rich people stuff. But then I did the math, and honestly, I felt kind of dumb for waiting so long.

Here’s what I did: I got the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card during a promotion where they were offering 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in three months. Now, I was already spending money on normal stuff—groceries, gas, my blog hosting fees—so I just ran everything through that card and paid it off immediately. Three months later, I had enough points for multiple free nights.

The AC Hotel typically runs about 35,000-50,000 points per night depending on the season. With that signup bonus alone, I covered two nights completely free. And the thing is, Marriott has something called PointSavers where certain dates drop to even lower point rates—I’ve seen the AC Hotel as low as 30,000 points on random weeknights in January or February.

I won’t lie, the points game takes a bit of planning and organization. You’ve got to pay attention to promotions, track your spending, and actually remember to use the points before they expire. But for Times Square? Totally worth the effort.

When I Learned the Hard Way About Booking Windows

Let me tell you about my first attempt at booking Times Square on a budget. It was 2019, I wanted to see some Broadway shows in December, and I figured I’d just book a month in advance. Seems reasonable, right?

Wrong. So wrong.

December in New York is basically peak season on steroids. Everyone wants that Rockefeller Center tree experience, and hotels know it. I ended up paying $380 a night for a place that was fine but definitely not worth that price. The room was so small I had to close the bathroom door to open my suitcase. I learned my lesson.

Now I book either super early (like six months out for peak times) or super late (within two weeks when hotels start dropping prices to fill rooms). The sweet spot I’ve found for the AC Hotel area is actually booking about 4-6 months ahead for specific dates, then checking back obsessively to see if prices drop.

Marriott’s policy lets you cancel up to 24-48 hours before check-in for most rates, so I’ll literally book at a decent price, then keep checking. If I see it drop, I cancel and rebook. Is this a bit neurotic? Maybe. Has it saved me hundreds of dollars? Absolutely.

The Neighborhood Alternative Strategy That Changed Everything

Here’s something that took me way too long to figure out: you don’t actually have to stay in Times Square to be near Times Square. I know, groundbreaking insight from a travel blogger, right?

But seriously, the subway system means you can stay in neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen (basically where the AC Hotel is anyway), Chelsea, or even the Upper West Side and be in Times Square in 10-15 minutes. Once I loosened up my search radius just slightly, I found so many more options.

I stayed at a boutique hotel in Hell’s Kitchen on 9th Avenue last year—about a seven-minute walk from where the AC Hotel is—and paid $165 a night in September. The place had character (okay, it was a bit quirky, the elevator was vintage in a concerning way), but the location was perfect. I could walk to everything, the neighborhood had amazing cheap eats, and I wasn’t surrounded by tourist crowds the second I left the building.

The AC Hotel actually sits in a pretty good spot for this strategy because it’s on the western edge of Times Square, closer to the residential parts of Hell’s Kitchen. So even if you can’t afford the AC itself, staying in that general area gives you the same access without the Times Square price inflation.

My Travel Hacking Trifecta for NYC

After multiple trips, I’ve developed this system that combines three strategies, and honestly, it’s made New York feel so much more accessible. I call it the trifecta because when you use all three together, you’re basically unstoppable.

Strategy one: Marriott points for the big splurge nights. If I’m going to be out late at Broadway shows or fancy dinners, I’ll use points for those nights at the AC Hotel or similar properties. I want to come back to somewhere comfortable, and using points means I don’t feel guilty about the cost.

Strategy two: Airbnb for longer stays. If I’m in New York for more than three nights, I’ll mix in some Airbnb stays in nearby neighborhoods. I’ve found entire apartments in Hell’s Kitchen for $100-130 per night when booking monthly rates, even though I’m only staying a week. The monthly rate trick works because hosts would rather guarantee longer bookings.

Strategy three: Last-minute hotel app deals. This is risky and I only do it if my dates are flexible, but apps like HotelTonight (now part of Booking.com) sometimes have insane last-minute deals. I once got a room two blocks from Times Square for $140 on a Thursday night that was regularly $320. The catch? I booked it at 2 PM for that same night while I was already in the city visiting a friend in Brooklyn.

The Real Talk About What You’re Actually Paying For

I want to be honest about something: budget travel always involves trade-offs. When I stay at places like the AC Hotel using points, I’m getting a premium experience—modern rooms, good locations, reliable service. When I’m finding $140 deals on weird booking sites, sometimes I’m dealing with outdated decor, smaller rooms, or locations that are technically close but require a walk.

The question I always ask myself is: what am I actually using the hotel for? If I’m exploring New York from 8 AM to midnight every day, do I really need a rooftop bar and a fancy lobby? Probably not. A clean bed, a good shower, and a safe location are often enough.

But if I’m taking a more relaxed trip, working remotely from the hotel during the day, or treating myself after a long stretch of budget hostels in Southeast Asia (which, let me tell you, happened after my three-month backpacking trip through Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia), then splurging on the AC Hotel with points feels worth it.

There’s no wrong answer here. It’s just about being intentional with where your money goes.

My Current Go-To Booking Strategy

These days, my approach is pretty systematic, and it’s saved me so much money and stress. About six months before a New York trip, I’ll start monitoring prices for the AC Hotel and similar properties in that area. I use Google Flights price tracking (yes, it works for hotels too) and set alerts for my dates.

I’ll also check Marriott’s promotions page religiously because they run point bonuses all the time—sometimes you can earn 50% more points on stays, which makes using your credit card even more valuable. I’ve timed work expenses and blog equipment purchases around these promotions to maximize points.

Then, about three months out, I make my decision. If I’ve got the points and the redemption rate is reasonable, I’ll book the AC Hotel. If points are scarce or the cash price is surprisingly good, I’ll book with the flexible cancellation rate. And I always, always keep checking prices up until a few days before the trip.

The one time I didn’t follow my own system, I ended up in that overpriced tiny room in December 2019. Lesson learned, tattooed on my brain forever.

Making Times Square Work on Your Budget

Look, I’m not going to pretend that New York is ever going to be dirt cheap. It’s one of the most expensive cities in the world, and Times Square is the expensive part of an expensive city. But it’s also incredible, and I refuse to believe that only wealthy people get to experience it.

The AC Hotel New York Times Square represents a certain level of quality and location that’s aspirational for budget travelers like us. But with points, strategic booking, flexible dates, and a willingness to occasionally stay slightly outside the center, it’s absolutely achievable. I’ve done it multiple times while spending less than most people budget for a weekend.

Start building those points now if you haven’t already. Set your price alerts. Be flexible with your dates if you can—traveling on a Tuesday in February instead of a Saturday in December can literally save you 60% on accommodation costs. And remember that New York is so walkable and transit-friendly that being a few blocks away from the center doesn’t actually matter that much.

Your Times Square trip doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Trust me, if I can make it work on a budget travel blogger’s income while visiting 47 countries, you can definitely figure out a way to make it happen too. Now go book that trip—just maybe not for December, okay?

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