OMG!
My wife and I have been staying in NYC a half dozen times a year for the last few years. We have visited several budget hotels and enjoyed all of them for different reasons. We like the East Village and we like the Upper West Side. Problem is, once the weather gets nicer, many hotels only accept multiple night bookings, and the prices also go up. So what's a couple on a budget to do?
I took advantage of a special online, and sight unseen, booked a night at the Marrakech Hotel on 103rd Street and Broadway. In the heart of the Jazz district, where The Upper West Side dances with Harlem. What was probably a scary area years ago, is now one of the hip places to be in NYC. With Columbia University nearby, there is a student influence, and the Hotel itself was once a shelter back in the scary days. You would not know that by looking at the place today. It looks like a college dorm with a spectacular makeover. Once you get past the lovely lobby, the hotel looks more and more like a college dorm, which had me flashing back to my days of staying out late, partying, and having loud fun. 
We are fairly fit people, and we walk all over the city, but we saw some out of shape folks carrying big suitcases and having a little trouble getting up the stairs. We had no problem, as we travel light, but others who need an elevator will be saddened. The lobby is on the second floor. There appeared a gentleman who could help others, but the hotel gets busy on check in. The staff was friendly.
The rooms are small and sparse, but pretty and efficient. We had two windows and not much of a view from either, but we were in the back of the building, so that meant less street noise. Other noises could be heard, however (more on that later). The bathroom was decent and the shower was great. Takes a little bit to get the hot water going but it had great pressure and I had no complaints. The room was reasonably clean, but you could tell they did a quick job of it, and missed things around the edges. The carpets are getting a little old, but nothing unacceptable. The bed was very comfortable. Could have used more than just the two bath towels left for us. Can't recall the last time a hotel had no face cloths, but we decided to let it slide. 
The 103rd Street station is right on the corner, and you can take the #1 train to get anywhere in minutes. The immediate area around the hotel was very nice, with dozens of restaurants and delis to choose from. Also a few Jazz clubs and bars for entertainment. Central Park is all of three blocks away. Best accessed on 105th or 96th street. 
Older people staying here might find certain things off-putting, like the amorous couple that woke us up at 5:45AM with their loud and passionate lovemaking. I'm actually surprised this has not happened before, since we have stayed in so many hotels in NYC. But with the young lady yelling "oh gawd oh gawd oh gawd!" So many times, we started laughing. Lucky for us, we have a good sense of humor.
We enjoyed our stay at the Marrakech, although it was a leap of faith. Next time, I will probably try another place on Broadway a little closer to downtown, like the Hotel Newton, just to see the difference, and add to my NYC experience, but for one night, if the price is right, I would certainly recommend it to a younger couple, or even a small group of friends.