The Cheapest Option

By far and away the cheapest option for housing in New York City is to use the blind-booking Web sites. Priceline and Hotwire are terrific sources for discounted rooms in Manhattan. These sites won't name the hotel you're working with until your bid has been accepted and your credit card has been charged. But rest assured, these sites work with respected hotels, so you should receive a quality room in Manhattan if you bid on three- and four-star hotels. For help with your bidding, check out biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com, which are user's guides to Priceline and Hotwire.

Affordable Recommendations

ABINGDON GUEST HOUSE
21 Eighth Ave., 212/243-5384, abingdonguesthouse.com, doubles from $189. Credit cards accepted: AmEx, MC, Visa.

Location: The West Village, a downtown area with tree-lined streets and no skyscrapers, south of the tournament venue. Landmarks include the Village Vanguard jazz club and chef Mario Batali's Babbo.

THE CHELSEA LODGE

318 W. 20th St., 800/373-1116, chelsealodge.com, doubles from $129. Credit cards accepted: AmEx, MC, Visa.

Location: In chelsea, not too far from the location of the Indoor Classic Tournament.

THE COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL

95 W. Broadway, 888/895-9400, cosmohotel.com, doubles from $175. Credit cards accepted: AmEx, MC, Visa.

Location: Tribeca, the Triangle Below Canal Street, is an area defined by residential lofts. It lures fewer tourists than nearby, better-known SoHo.

HOTEL 17

225 E. 17th St., 212/475-2845, hotel17ny.com, doubles from about $120. Credit cards accepted: MC, Visa.

Location: Gramercy, whose leafy and quiet streets are bounded by 14th Street, Third Avenue, 23rd Street, and Park Avenue South. This location is on the east side of Manhattan, whereas the tournament is on the west side.

THE LARCHMONT HOTEL

27 W. 11th St., 212/989-9333, larchmonthotel.com, doubles from $109. Credit cards accepted: AmEx, MC, Visa.

Location: Greenwich Village, but five blocks away from Union Square, a busy shopping district that's home to artisans, street performers, and the Greenmarket, a famous farmer's market.

THE POD HOTEL

230 E. 51st St., 800/742-5945, thepodhotel.com, singles with shared baths from $89. Credit cards accepted: AmEx, MC, Visa.

Location: This part of Midtown is brimming with restaurants and bars and is not far from Bloomingdale's, Central Park, and the Museum of Modern Art. This hotel is northeast of the tournament venue.