If you're more of an independent traveler, try our FAVORITE hotel that is the #1 hotel in NYC on TripAdvisor--The Casablanca Hotel. It is a fabulous boutique hotel on 43rd street just around the corner from 7th Ave/Broadway which is the corner with the Hard Rock Cafe (about two blocks south of the Marquis), still an unbeatable location and less noisy and crowded than the big hotels. It's a short cab ride to the pier. We were just there for three nights last week and love it!
The rooms are a bit small but the service is the best in NYC--e.g., on the blistering hot days last week, the doorman was handing everyone cold bottles of water (free) on the way out and telling them to take care.
The cost (varies by season & room size) INCLUDES a nice big breakfast--cereal, pastries & bagels, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, juice, fruit, yogurt) AND a 5-8 pm wine and cheese time AND coffee/tea/cookies at all other times. We would eat a big breakfast, return to the hotel for wine/cheese and then have dinner after our Broadway shows--saved us a ton of money.
The hotel/rooms are decorated in Moroccan style and the lounge is called Rick's Cafe. The room ammenties are really nice, including slippers. I love hotels that give you slippers--why don't more American hotels give you slippers?!?
Anyway, I highly recommend it but please don't let the secret out; I don't want to have to go back to staying at the big chain hotels!