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HomeUnited StatesNew York CityGreenwich Village, West Village & MeatpackingWashington Square Hotel
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FILE
UB-NYC-055
SUBJECT
WASHINGTON SQUARE HOTEL
REGION
NEW YORK CITY
OPENED
1902
UPDATED
2026.07.19
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CASE FILE · SUBJECT PROFILE

Washington Square
Hotel.

MODERATE · CONFIRMED
KEYS
150 rooms
PRICE
$$$$
OPENED
1902
DISTRICT
Greenwich Village, West Village & Meatpacking
RESTAURANT
Casual
AIRPORT
JFK · 45 min
FEATURED IN 5 MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
Washington Square Hotel
EXHIBIT A · NYC · NORTH AMERICA
SAVE
● LIVE · 3K
Opened 1902 as the Hotel Earle on Washington Square Park, 150 rooms still held by Rita Paul's family and still serving jazz brunch at North Square.EXHIBIT A
FEATURED IN 5 MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
ASSESSMENT
37
RANK#81of 85
UNBOOKABILITY · / 100
DEMAND
20
SCARCITY
60
CRITIC
40
SOCIAL
40
SEARCH
40
GUEST
20
DESK NOTE
The Washington Square Hotel is a living artifact rather than a design statement. You book it because the Paul family never sold, because the location is the Village, and because Dylan slept upstairs.
Filed by UB DESK · MENA
5 critic reviews
QUESTIONS ON FILE12 ANSWERED · 6 PENDING
§ 01 · PHOTO ARCHIVE
The evidence.
FEED-NYC055 · @wshotelnyc
§ 02 · CRITIC DOSSIER
What they
filed.
5 REVIEWS
F1
Fodor's
TIER-2 · AUTH.
2024
"Since 1902, this low-key hotel has hosted famous people (Ernest Hemingway, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan all stayed here), and today it is popular with visiting New York…"
TIER-2 SOURCE
F2
Oyster
TIER-2 · AUTH.
2024
"More than a century old, the once-bohemian, mid-range Washington Square Hotel now mostly attracts NYU parents and tourists with its prime Greenwich Village location and stunning…"
TIER-2 SOURCE
F3
Lonely Planet
TIER-2 · AUTH.
2024
"At the corner of Washington Square Park, this jazzy, nine-floor lodge has 160 Art Deco-themed rooms offering some comfort and elbow space in the heart of the village."
TIER-2 SOURCE
F4
The Hotel Guru
TIER-2 · AUTH.
"Walking into the lobby of the Washington Square Hotel is like time travelling to the left bank of 1930s Paris. Just off the corner of Manhattan's other park and in the middle of…"
TIER-2 SOURCE
F5
Time Out New York
TIER-3 · SPEC.
2024
"A haven for writers and artists for decades, the Washington Square Hotel is suited to those seeking a quiet refuge in this storied neighborhood. After a recent hotel-wide…"
TIER-3 SOURCE
§ 03 · THE TAKES
THE READ.
THE OFFICIAL READ

Worth it if you value history and location over hotel-brand hardware. It is the rare Manhattan address where paying less buys you a better story than paying more would.

THE OFF-BOOK READ

North Square's Sunday jazz brunch is open to non-guests and rarely makes the bigger brunch guides because the hotel does not push it on social. Book a table for 11am and ask to be seated near the back of the room for the best sightlines to the trio.

§ 04 · WHY UNBOOKABLE
Three
angles.
ANGLE · 01

Folk History You Can Actually Sleep In

Dylan's 1961 stay cost $19 a week, and Joan Baez wrote about the 1964 room 305 stay in her song Diamonds and Rust. Ramblin' Jack Elliott met Dylan here. The Rolling Stones used it as a base for their first US tour. The hotel does not trade on this history loudly; it just quietly still exists.

FIELD · 001EX · A
ANGLE · 02

North Square Jazz Brunch

Judy Paul opened North Square in 1992 as the hotel restaurant, and it has since become one of the Village's durable Sunday jazz brunch spots. Complimentary continental breakfast is included for hotel guests every morning. The restaurant is the quiet reason locals know the address.

FIELD · 002EX · B
ANGLE · 03

The Park View Value

A front-facing room at Washington Square Hotel gives you direct Washington Square Park views at under half what you would pay at a luxury hotel a few blocks north. The park is the real amenity; the window is how you get it without the room rate that hotels on Fifth use to justify the same line of sight.

FIELD · 003EX · C
§ 05 · THE CAVEATS
Real
talk.
01POINT · SCALE

150 rooms in 1902 Hotel Earle at 103 Waverly Place facing Washington Square Park. Paul family-run for 50+ years. Rooms small, furniture honest. Dylan lived here for $19/week 1961, room 305 with Joan Baez 1964.

02POINT · AUDIENCE

No published Instagram signal. Paul-family-50-year-tenure plus Bob Dylan/Joan Baez literary lineage plus Greenwich Village park-front address pull history-priority continuity-loyalists. Less marble-bath than living-artifact demographic.

03POINT · VARIANCE

150 rooms: front-facing King high floor with Washington Square Park in window. Only category that justifies price gap over standard Village budget hotel; back rooms lose entire argument.

04POINT · COMPETITION

At $$$$ in Greenwich Village, Washington Square competes with Marlton ($$$$ MacPherson Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Ritz) and Standard High Line. Wins on 1902 Earle continuity plus Paul-family ownership plus Dylan room 305 lineage, not on Margaux or Le Bain rooftop.

§ 06 · PROXIMITY
The ground,
mapped.
3 ANCHORS
DISTRICT
Greenwich Village, West Village & Meatpacking
REGION
New York City
NEAREST AIRPORT
JFK · 45 min
FIELD BRIEF · PROXIMITY
AnchorOn footDistance
Washington Square Park· Park3 min221m
Strand Book Store· Book Store8 min657m
Union Square Holiday Market by Urbanspace· Tourist Attraction10 min783m
PROXIMITY PLAN · ON FOOT
CULTURAL ANCHORS · WALKING DISTANCE

At the corner of Washington Square Park, this jazzy, nine-floor lodge has 160 Art Deco-themed rooms offering some comfort and elbow space in the heart of the village.

Lonely Planet, on Washington Square Hotel · from the case file
§ 07 · FIELD NOTES
On the
record.
1 MIN READ · UPDATED 2026.05.17
FOUNDED
1902
KEYS
150 ROOMS
TIER
MODERATE
AIRPORT
JFK · 45M
INSTAGRAM
3K
DISTRICT
GREENWICH VILLAGE, WEST VILLAGE & MEATPACKING
SUBJECT · WASHINGTON SQUARE HOTEL
GREENWICH VILLAGE, WEST VILLAGE & MEATPACKING · NEW YORK CITY
THE BRIEFING
The Washington Square Hotel opened in 1902 as the Hotel Earle at 103 Waverly Place, facing Washington Square Park.

Bob Dylan lived here for $19 a week in 1961 and shared room 305 with Joan Baez in 1964.

The Paul family has owned it for more than 50 years. It is one of the last genuinely family-run hotels in Manhattan, with an Art Deco lobby, North Square restaurant downstairs, and rates that make sense for a 150-room Greenwich Village property rather than a luxury opening.

FIELD NOTES— THE EDITORS, UB DESK
§ 09 · UPDATES
What
changed.
6 ENTRIES
TIMESTAMPCHANNELENTRY
2026.04.14 · 11:54ZPRESSThe Hotel Guru review filed
2026.04.14 · 07:13ZSYSTEMAdded to Unbookable index
2024.01.01 · 00:00ZPRESSFodor's review filed
2024.01.01 · 00:00ZPRESSOyster review filed
2024.01.01 · 00:00ZPRESSLonely Planet review filed
2024.01.01 · 00:00ZPRESSTime Out New York review filed
ROLLING LOG · LATEST 5-8 SHOWN · RETAINED 90 DAYS
§ 10 · WEATHER & DEMAND
CONDITIONS.
TOURIST DEMAND · WEATHER · WHEN TO BOOK12-MO RECORD
NEW YORK CITY · SEASON CYCLE

Late April–early May beats Met Gala. First two weeks of September beat UNGA. Anything SepDec needs 60–90 days of lead time.

TOURIST DEMAND BY MONTH
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
LowShoulderPeak
WEATHER IN NEW YORK CITY
101010121111131110109114°5°9°15°21°26°29°28°25°19°12°7°JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC
RAIN · DAYS/MOAVG HIGH · °C
JAN-FEBLowCold value window

Demand drops to 45-50 across January and February as overnight lows fall to -4°C and Manhattan visitors thin out for the post-NYE stretch. NYC Restaurant Week in January and NY Fashion Week (Fall/Winter) in February provide cultural anchors, but the broader calendar runs unusually soft for a major destination. Hotel rates fall noticeably below peak across most categories, and properties that rarely discount run winter promotions during NYC Hotel Week in mid-January. For travelers tolerant of single-digit cold and willing to layer, this is when New York runs as a working city without the visitor compression of every other month.

MAR-APRShoulderSpring transition

Demand climbs from 60 in March to 75 in April as temperatures rise from 9°C to 15°C and outdoor New York becomes physically possible again. The St. Patrick''s Day Parade (March 17) compresses Midtown for a day; Easter weekend and MLB Opening Day drive booking pressure across Manhattan and Brooklyn in April. Lead times for Very High-tier properties (Baccarat, The Bowery Hotel, Wythe Hotel) sit at 3-4 weeks outside the parade and Easter compression dates. April second half is where temperature, daylight and pricing align before the Met Gala / Memorial Day events trigger May''s peak structure.

MAY-JUNPeakEvent-driven spring peak

Demand jumps to 90 in May and 85 in June, driven by an event calendar that compresses inventory across distinct one-week windows rather than spreading evenly. May compresses around Met Gala, Frieze NY and Memorial Day weekend; June stacks NYC Pride, Tribeca Festival and Tony Awards in the back half. Temperatures climb from 21°C in May to 26°C in June, before the July humidity locks in across Manhattan and the East Coast. Lead times for Very High-tier properties (Baccarat, The Twenty Two, Gansevoort) tighten to 6-8 weeks during event compression weeks and 3-4 weeks otherwise.

JULShoulderSummer heat dip

July demand drops to 65 as Manhattan residents flee the city for the Hamptons, Hudson Valley and the Jersey Shore, opening inventory across central neighborhoods. Highs hit 29°C with 20°C overnight lows, with humidity and 13 rain days producing reliable afternoon thunderstorms across Manhattan. Independence Day week pulls one short demand spike (fireworks over the East River, July 4 weekend), but the broader month runs as a value window for non-residents. Wildflower Farms (Auberge, Hudson Valley) and Wythe Hotel (Williamsburg) absorb spillover travelers seeking summer atmosphere with lower August-style booking pressure.

AUGLowSummer slump

August demand bottoms at 55, the softest reading for any month outside February, as the city empties of residents and business travel pauses. Highs hold at 28°C, similar to July, but the absence of resident and business demand opens the cleanest direct-channel inventory window since February. US Open Tennis begins in the last 10 days of the month and pulls demand into Queens (Flushing Meadows) and Midtown hotels with USTA partnerships. Outside the US Open weeks, August reads as a value window for travelers willing to work around the heat-and-humidity combination.

SEPPeakAnnual maximum

September is the year's annual peak at demand 100, driven by the simultaneous arrival of UN General Assembly and NY Fashion Week into the same compressed two-week window. Midtown specifically locks down as UN diplomatic delegations, security shutdowns and Fashion Week buyers converge; Baccarat, The St. Regis and The Twenty Two require 8-12 weeks of lead time. Highs hit 25°C with 10 rain days, physically agreeable for outdoor Manhattan activity, but the booking pressure cancels the comfort entirely. First two weeks of September (before UNGA) are the only soft window: late August into early September captures fall weather without the diplomatic-event compression.

OCTPeakFoliage and Comic Con

October demand stays at 90 as Hudson Valley foliage pulls weekend trips upstate and NY Comic Con (mid-month) compresses Midtown across a four-day stretch. Highs drop to 19°C and rain holds at 10 days, the autumn weather window that foliage-trip operators and Hudson Valley packages plan around. Booking discipline matches September''s: 60-90 days lead time at Very High-tier, longer for Comic Con weekend specifically (Wythe Hotel and Brooklyn properties absorb adjacent demand). Wildflower Farms in Hudson Valley peaks here as the foliage destination of choice for travelers blending NYC and upstate; book by August.

NOV-DECPeakHoliday corridor

November holds demand at 80 with NYC Marathon and Thanksgiving Day Parade, and December climbs to 95 on Rockefeller Tree, holiday markets and NYE pressure. The corridor compresses inventory across all sub-regions, but Midtown specifically locks down for Rockefeller Tree visitors, Times Square holiday-window shoppers and NYE pressure. Lead times extend to 60-90 days minimum at Very High-tier; The Bowery Hotel and Ace Hotel see 4-month leads on the week between Christmas and NYE specifically. Overnight lows hit 0°C in December with single-digit daytime, but the festive infrastructure (markets, lights, store windows) is the explicit draw.

September is the single hardest month to book in New York City, and nothing else comes close. Fashion Week and the United Nations General Assembly collide in the same two-week window, pulling designers, buyers, diplomats, journalists, and their combined entourages into a city already running near capacity. Rates during UNGA week routinely blow past the rest of the year by wide margins.

October runs a close second, and for entirely different reasons. Hudson Valley foliage trips drain weekend supply, while NY Comic Con and a dense events calendar keep midweek pressure high. If September is out of reach, expect October to feel almost identical at the top of the market.

The holiday corridor from November through December is the other sustained peak. NYC Marathon weekend in early November compresses supply across all five boroughs before Thanksgiving arrives with the Macy's parade and family travel. December then stacks Rockefeller Center, holiday markets, Broadway's busiest stretch, and New Year's Eve on top of one another.

"

Booking lead times for November and December should extend to 60 to 90 days minimum at High and Very High tier properties.

May and June bring sharp, event-driven spikes rather than a broad surge. Met Gala week in early May and Frieze New York concentrate pressure in Midtown and downtown Manhattan respectively. June adds NYC Pride, the Tribeca Festival, and the Tony Awards, keeping demand high but with more day-to-day variability than the fall corridor.

The value window runs January through February. NYC Restaurant Week in January and February's Fashion Week supply the cultural programming, but overall demand hits its yearly floor, with rates falling 40 to 50 percent below peak and normally rigid properties running promotions during NYC Hotel Week. August is the other soft spot: residents flee for the summer, and while the US Open opens late in the month, the first three weeks sit well below their neighbors.

The practical read: chase the shoulders. Target late April, early May before the Met Gala, or the first two weeks of September before UNGA arrives, and you'll get peak-season energy with meaningfully better availability. July is warm and less programmed but also cheaper, a fair trade if theater and outdoor dining are the priority.

§ 11 · LEAD TIME
Plan the
approach.
MODERATEWASHINGTON SQUARE HOTEL

Book 2-3 weeks ahead for Sep-Dec weekends and NYU graduation; weekday and January stays available within the same week.

PLANNING THIS ONE? BUILD THE TRIP LEDGER →
DESTINATION DEMAND · 12-MONTH
PROPERTY PRESSURE · AWAITING DATA
PEAKHIGHSHOULDERLOWOFF
NOW
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
PEAKHIGHSHOULDERLOWOFF
§ 12 · INSIDER TIPS
Tradecraft
briefing.
TIP · 01UB-NYC-055
BEST ROOM.

A front-facing King on a higher floor with Washington Square Park in the window. It is the only room category that justifies the price gap over a standard Village budget hotel; everything in the back loses the whole argument.


  • FRONT-FACING KING HIGH FLOOR
  • WASHINGTON SQUARE WINDOW
  • ONLY ROOM WORTH BOOKING
TIP · 02UB-NYC-055
THE WORKAROUND.

Book direct at washingtonsquarehotel.com for a rate that includes continental breakfast at North Square. OTAs strip the breakfast from the booking to show a lower base rate, then you pay $28 a head at the restaurant anyway.


  • DIRECT INCLUDES BREAKFAST
  • OTAS STRIP IT OUT
  • SAVE $28 PER HEAD
TIP · 03UB-NYC-055
LOCAL TIP.

Cafe Reggio on MacDougal has not changed since 1927 and is three minutes walk. JFK transfer runs 40 to 55 minutes by taxi; the cheaper move is the A train from West 4th to Howard Beach plus the AirTrain, which clocks in at around 75 minutes for under $12.


  • 55 MIN FROM JFK
  • CAFE REGGIO THREE MIN
  • A TO HOWARD BEACH
§ 14 · DEMAND SIGNALS
Where it
stands.
#80 OF 85 · NEW YORK CITY
#80IN NEW YORK CITY · OF 85
#376GLOBALLY · OF 437
FIRM ON BOOKING · MODEST ON SEARCH · MODEST ON CRITICS
INSTAGRAM DEMAND
3K
QUIET
TOP 94% · followers on file
SEARCH DEMAND
260
MODEST
TOP 64% · monthly searches
CRITIC SCORE
5
MODEST
TOP 57% · reviews on file
BOOKING DIFFICULTY
55/100
FIRM
TOP 55% · availability pressure
GUEST SCORE
2/10
QUIET
TOP 100% · from guest reviews
VIRAL REACH
4/10
MODEST
TOP 82% · reach footprint
RANK + PERCENTILE COMPUTED LIVE · 437 ACTIVE PROPERTIESMETHODOLOGY · /HOW-WE-RANK
§ 19.7 · DEMAND TRAJECTORY
Where the
demand's going.
45 READINGS

The real Instagram following over time, plus where this hotel sits for demand in New York City. Pick a range, toggle the lines. Followers are reach and demand, not engagement.

Instagram following
2,528
@wshotelnyc
7-day
+1
+0.04%
28-day
+14
+0.56%
Read
Steady
UNBOOKABLE RANK#68#81Jun 22Jul 1Jul 10Jul 19
Followers are a reach and demand signal, not engagement. Rank and score move in steps, shifting only when the nightly re-score moves a property past another. Each line is drawn only where readings exist.
Standing#68 fastest-growing in New York City28#405 of 426 by followers
§ 18 · FILE CLOSED · UB-NYC-055
Final
assessment.
CONFIRMEDDESK SIGN-OFF

File closes at MODERATE. Book direct two to three weeks out for September through December weekends and NYU graduation. Skip the back-facing rooms entirely; they lose the whole argument.

FILED BY V. BRANSON · UB DESK · NEW YORK CITY · 2026-05-17
§18.9 · THE RAW FILE

The numbers behind the tiers

Washington Square Hotel · SOURCE READINGS · REDACTED
Availability density · sampled
 
Monthly search volume · raw
 
TikTok hashtag views · raw
 
YouTube total views · raw
 
Send a Tip
Add to the dataset
COMING SOON
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When availability opens
COMING SOON
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Against peer set
§ 19 · ALSO ON FILE — NEW YORK CITY
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