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FILE
UB-NYC-055
SUBJECT
WASHINGTON SQUARE HOTEL
REGION
NEW YORK CITY
OPENED
1902
UPDATED
2026.06.03
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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
● 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
41
RANK#74of 88
UNBOOKABILITY · / 100
DEMAND
20
SCARCITY
60
CRITIC
50
SOCIAL
40
SEARCH
20
GUEST
60
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
§ 01 · PHOTO ARCHIVE · EXHIBIT A
The evidence.
@WSHOTELNYC · IG EVIDENCE
EX · A
FEED-NYC055 · @wshotelnyc
§ 02 · CRITIC DOSSIER · 5 INDEXED
What they
filed.
4 / 5 · CONSENSUS TIER-2
EXHIBIT · 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…"
EX · F1READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · 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…"
EX · F2READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · 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."
EX · F3READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · 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…"
EX · F4READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · 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…"
EX · F5READ SOURCE →
TIER-3 SOURCE
§ 03 · THE READ · ON & OFF BOOK
THE READ.
DESK ASSESSMENT · TWO ANGLES
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 · ANGLES OF APPROACH · THREE
Three
angles.
REDACTIONS · 0
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 · CAVEATS · FILED UNCLASSIFIED
Real
talk.
UNEDITED · DESK COMMENTARY
△ CAUTION · UNCLASSIFIED
△ CAUTION · UNCLASSIFIED
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 · WHERE IT SITS · PROXIMITY
The ground,
mapped.
3 ANCHORS · ON FOOT
COORDINATES
40.7326° N · 73.9987° W
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
§ 07 · SUBJECT BRIEF · FIELD NOTE N°055
On the
record.
1 MIN BRIEFING · LAST AMENDED 2026.05.17
FOUNDED
1902
KEYS
150 ROOMS
TIER
MODERATE
AIRPORT
JFK · 45M
INSTAGRAM
3K
DISTRICT
GREENWICH VILLAGE, WEST VILLAGE & MEATPACKING
◉ FILED · UB-NYC-055
DOSSIER-OPEN
SUBJECT · WASHINGTON SQUARE HOTEL
GREENWICH VILLAGE, WEST VILLAGE & MEATPACKING · NEW YORK CITY
CLEARANCE · PUBLIC
¶ SUBJECT BRIEF · OPEN FILE

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.

EOF · SUBJECT BRIEF— THE EDITORS, UB DESK
§ 09 · TRANSMISSION LOG · CHATTER
What came
across the wire.
6 ENTRIES · ROLLING 90-DAY
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 · CONDITIONS REPORT · CLIMATE & DEMAND
On the
ground.
12-MO WEATHER RECORD · DEMAND CYCLE
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.

§ 11 · LEAD-TIME INTEL · ENTRY WINDOW
Plan the
approach.
DEMAND CYCLE · BOOKING-LEAD INDEX
MODERATEWASHINGTON SQUARE HOTEL

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

DESTINATION DEMAND · 12-MONTH
PROPERTY PRESSURE · AWAITING DATA
PEAKHIGHSHOULDERLOWOFF
NOW
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
PEAKHIGHSHOULDERLOWOFF
CHECK AVAILABILITY
§ 12 · KNOWN OPERATIVES · 3 FIELD NOTES
Tradecraft
briefing.
3 OF 3 · DESK-VERIFIED
OPERATIVE · 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
OPERATIVE · 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
OPERATIVE · 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 INTELLIGENCE · THE SIGNALS
What the
signals say.
4 OF 9 SIGNALS · LIVE · REFRESHED 1D AGO
FIRM ON BOOKING · FIRM ON GUESTS · FIRM ON CRITICS
INSTAGRAM DEMAND
3K
QUIET
followers on file
CRITIC CITATIONS
5
FIRM
reviews on file
BOOKING DIFFICULTY
55/100
FIRM
availability pressure
GUEST SCORE
6.0/10
FIRM
from guest reviews
§ 15 · COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT · 6 DIMENSIONS
How it
stacks up.
#77 OF 88 · NEW YORK CITY
#77IN NEW YORK CITY · OF 88
#301GLOBALLY · OF 405
Room Demand
2/10
TOP 86%
Booking Difficulty
6/10
TOP 57%
Search Demand
2/10
TOP 92%
Critic Score
5/10
TOP 69%
Guest Score
6/10
TOP 38%
Viral Reach
4/10
TOP 61%
PERCENTILE COMPUTED LIVE · 405 ACTIVE PROPERTIESMETHODOLOGY · /HOW-WE-RANK
§ 19.7 · SIGNAL MONITORING · PAST MONTH
Signals
holding.
18 SNAPSHOTS · DAY 18
Composite Unbookable Score · 17-day trace
41 0from 41
Room Demand
2 0
Booking Difficulty
6 0
Search Demand
2 0
Critic Score
5 0
Guest Score
6 0
Viral Reach
4 0

Signal stable — composite holding within ±2 points over 17 days (currently 41). No single dimension moved more than the rest.

§ 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
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§ 19 · ALSO ON FILE — NEW YORK CITY
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