The Liberty Inn, an Iconic Hourly Hotel in New York, Is Up For Sale The unique building, which is seeking over $20 million, has been around for almost 50 years and features rooms with lip-shaped headboards, fancy sex toys, and rates for two and six-hour stays.

By Gabrielle Bienasz

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

The Liberty Inn, which advertises itself as having the "sexiest" rooms in New York City, is for sale, The New York Times reported.

The unique building has been around for almost 50 years and features rooms with lip-shaped headboards, fancy sex chairs, and rates for two and six-hour stays ($95 and $155).

You can also stay overnight for $200-$250, depending on the room. "You won't find any resemblance here to the traditional image of by-the-hour hotels," the hotel's website says. "You'll find modern, lively, colorful rooms filled with lots of features that are tailor-made for romance."

But now, the hotel is for sale and looking to get more than $20 million, reportedly. The owner told the NYT it was harder to keep a place like an hourly hotel in a neighborhood that has become more and more expensive. The meatpacking district, like other formerly industrial urban neighborhoods, has seen housing prices increase dramatically.

In particular, average rent in Manhattan reached a record high of $5,113, according to Curbed.

"So much has changed since the 1970s, back when I called this area the 'Wild West Side,'" Edward Raboy, owner of the inn — who sometimes went by the cover name Robert Boyd—told the NYT.

"It's now turned into an almost sedate kind of place. What was then appropriate for a hotel like this doesn't make sense quite the same way anymore. Above all, the building is now more valuable to other people financially, because it's so unique," he added to the outlet.

Raboy told the NYT his father had owned the hotel before him. Even though it was fun running the hotel, he added, "Hourly hotels are like that Rodney Dangerfield quote, 'You don't get no respect,'" he told the outlet. "But it's been a fabulous run."

BIZ Experiences wasn't immediately able to reach Raboy for additional comment.

Gabrielle Bienasz is a staff writer at BIZ Experiences. She previously worked at Insider and Inc. Magazine. 

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.