NYC or somewhere else?

I have some PTO coming up and I was planning on going to NYC since it's my absolute favorite place, I've been twice now and just love it. However, my family thinks its dumb for me to go just for a few days (I'm on the west coast and it's a long travel day) and that it's a waste of money. I was planning by trip but hotels are incredibly expensive for some reason so I was wondering....

a) What is a "good" price to pay for a decent/safe hotel in NYC? I've only gone in early January when it's pretty cheap so I'm not sure what the range is otherwise.

b) Is it dumb to go to NYC for just a few days?

c) Any similar destinations where I won't have to rent a car?