NYC Hotel suggestions for Union Square?

[HejiraNYC]

You may wrinkle your nose at it, but I heard that the La Quinta @ 32nd/Broadway is not too bad; I know someone who stays there all the time when he's in town. It's not the most glamorous location (on the edge of Koreatown), but it is relatively cheap ($180/night) and it has a popular rooftop bar/lounge. Easy access to Webster Hall via the N and R lines. Given the nightmares you may hear about hotels in NY, at least you can rest assured that La Quinta is a national chain with a certain minimum standard of quality.

You know who has the best knowledge of New York hotels (or hotels in any city, for that matter)? Flight attendants! There are tons of smaller hotels tucked away on side streets that are decent and cheap, but off the radar of most travel sites.