The best hotels in New York City
New York is brimming with places to bed down, so deciding where to stay can be overwhelming. Whether your vibe is Scandi simplicity, old world charm or loft living, we’ve done the hard yards for you and curated our pick of the best for every type of traveller. Consider your next trip across the Atlantic sorted.
Best for the detail-obsessed: Nine Orchard
Where? Lower East Side
When Nine Orchard opened in 2022, it set a new bar for cool design hotels in downtown Manhattan. Sure, this neighbourhood has a few much-loved spots to bed down at (and don’t get us wrong, we love them) but this brilliantly crafted and carefully preserved Beaux-Arts crash pad is one you’ll want to return to time after time. In the former Jarmulowsky Bank, historic features have been left to shine. The marble-carved ceiling in The Swan Bar nods to Grand Central Station, a Neoclassical domed tempietto on the roof (be sure to check out the views), the teal tiled mantlepiece and abstract Gucci wallpaper. Instead of working with a designer, the owners decided to collaborate with fellow New York creatives. The rooms have relatively simple decor and feature a custom Ojas sound system with four New York-style stations to blast all day. The mini bar — often an overlooked detail, but not here — was put together by food shop Dimes Market just down the road, while books and cookies left on the pillows at turndown come from local shops too. Downstairs, regulars flock to Corner Bar for towers of pancakes and club sandwiches on the weekend. On a Thursday night, you’ll be remiss to leave it too late to get a table at the marble bar in the former banking hall.
Rooms from £370, nineorchard.com
Best for splashing out: The Aman
Where? Midtown
This is the first city opening in the US from Aman, the lifestyle brand associated with super smart spas, exceptional service and no detail spared in design or craft. Now, it has managed to take the crown for the most expensive hotel in Manhattan, a bold move, but it has been pulled off with charm. There’s no sweeping lobby here, rather, an atmospherically lit entrance with two elevators that take you high up to the 14th floor. Staff seem to slip out from every hallway, there to help point you to your room, the inanely slick spa or high-tech gym (helpful as the signage is slightly lack and it can be hard to know where to go). But, once you get to where you’re going, you won’t want to leave. Rooms are enormous, with beds that melt and tubs that call your name. Where to eat? Two excellent spots that keep up with the pace of New York’s food scene. We loved Nama, a Washoku-focussed restaurant where adventurous folk come to nab one of the few seats at the hinoki wood bar for omakase. Sushi, sashimi and more intricate plates of savoury mochi are must-tries, as is the matcha tiramisu. In a neighborhood that can feel pretty dead after 5pm (don’t skip on shopping down 5th Avenue though), this is a big, zen-like exhale from the chaos, especially when you can while away hours in the oh-so cool jazz club.
Suites from £3,000, aman.com
Best for Parissiene style: Hotel Fouquet's New York
Where? Tribeca
France’s famed Groupe Barriere has brought its pretty pastels and bistro kitchen to New York. And while this happens to be its first stateside spot, it fits in seamlessly with the swing of the city, especially with a strong look and feel from UK-based interior designer Martin Brudnizki. The 101 rooms and suites are filled with Art Deco style furniture, gold bathrooms, two-tone marble and patterned sofas. Hospitality is as friendly and quick-paced as you might expect from a smart hotel in New York. Spot supremely elegant Francophiles, creative locals and designers in the brasserie or on the terrace, à la Le Marais, sipping pale wines and feasting on shrimp cocktail or escargot, serving as proof of the brand’s ability to blend the spirit of two cities.
Rooms from £885, hotelsbarriere.com
Best for city views: The Ludlow
Where? Lower East Side
Towering above the top restaurants and boutiques that have infiltrated the former tenement district, The Ludlow is a hip hotel in New York’s Lower East Side. Just around the corner from Katz Deli (of When Harry Met Sally fame) and a 10-minute walk from Chinatown, the location is ideal for exploring. Yet, the Dirty French bistro and the garden bar on the ground floor may just entice you to stay — as will the rooms with insanely good views across the city. Be sure to head to the rooftop to watch the sunset as the city turns on its twinkling lights.
Rooms from £256, ludlowhotel.com
Best for art lovers: The Whitby
Where? Midtown
The second New York City outpost for London-based Firmdale Hotels (Crosby Street Hotel was the first), The Whitby is a 10-minute walk from Central Park and just steps away from Fifth Avenue. Location aside, Kit Kemp’s knack for creating vibrant and warm hotels is instantly apparent here, with artworks and sculptures lining the reception and rooms filled with eclectic pieces. If your budget allows, opt for the penthouse for killer views and a large terrace surrounded by the city’s tallest skyscrapers.
Rooms from £573 per night, firmdalehotels.com
Best for ultimate luxury: The Mark
Where? Upper East Side
Self-described as New York’s most ‘boldly lavish’ hotel, The Mark is famously where the Meghan Markle held her baby shower. It’s a royal favourite for a reason: the rooms are grand and the views of the Upper East Side rooftops are plentiful. Expect opulence and old-world glamour as soon as you step in the lobby and The Mark — Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s French-American restaurant of the same name — is great for dinner but shines at breakfast with its riff on the American classics. You can even opt for a ‘lunch to go’ created by the famed chef and take it to Central Park on one of The Mark’s signature bicycles.
Rooms from $1295, themarkhotel.com
Best for design: 1 Brooklyn Bridge
Where? Brooklyn
You can’t get much more ‘‘New York’ than walking across Brooklyn Bridge, but now you can add a stay a stone’s throw from the iconic bridge to your Big Apple hit list too. Offering scenes of the Manhattan skyline, 1 Brooklyn Bridge is in Dumbo, that teeny tiny pocket of sleek apartments and done-up warehouses near Brooklyn Bridge Park — making it a prime spot for exploring. Inside, you’ll find floor-to-ceiling windows and décor with a distinct Scandi vibe — a Bamford Haybarn Spa is hidden downstairs as well. If you can, try to book the Corner Suite with the hammock overlooking the city — it’s an ideal place to pause and watch the candy colours skies come evening time.
Read our full review of 1 Brooklyn Bridge here.
Rooms from £315, 1hotels.com
Best icon: The Plaza
Where? Midtown
A New York City institution, The Plaza rises above the corner of Central Park and Fifth Avenue — with Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman and the Pulitzer Fountain right on your doorstep. The marble-laden lobby is the first hint of something spectacular, as all of the 282 rooms offer crisp linen, spa-like baths and room for sprawling — you can even opt to stay in the Betsey Johnson-designed Eloise Suite with its vibrant pink walls and neon lights. Downstairs, slip into the Palm Court for a pastrami hash and eggs for breakfast.
Rooms from £699, theplazany.com
Best rooftop restaurant: The Hoxton
Where? Williamsburg
The first stateside outpost for Hoxton hotels (it was closely followed by Portland, Oregon and Chicago), The Hoxton in Williamsburg is neatly positioned on busy Wythe Avenue. The pastel-hued lobby was designed by Ennismore Design Studio in collaboration with Soho House and serves up seriously strong looks. There are three restaurants, with the open-air Laser Wolf restaurant on the rooftop offering views across the Manhattan and Brooklyn horizon — expect it to be busy in summer with guests sipping cocktails and munching on lamb kofte. Rooms come in matchbox-sized to nice and lofty, all with king-size beds and big landscape windows.
Read our full review of The Hoxton, Williamsburg here.
Rooms from £118, thehoxton.com
Best for Scandi-lovers: MADE Hotel
Where? NoMad
Tucked away behind the Empire State Building, you’ll find MADE — the hotel of minimalist’s dreams. The Scandi design of the 108-room hotel comes from LA-based Studio Mai, and the result is muted tones, sharp edges and fixtures draped in handmade fabrics. Debajo, MADE’s in-house restaurant serves up flavourful tapas, while locals will flock to the Lobby Bar, coffee shop Paper and upstairs to rooftop bar Good Behaviour to quench their thirst.
Read our full review of MADE hotel here.
Rooms from £173, madehotels.com
Best for minimalism: New York Edition
Where? Midtown
Spread over a cool corner on the east side of Madison Square Park, the New York Edition is really right in the thick of it. Housed in one of Manhattan’s original skyscrapers, a 41-storey clock tower, this is the fourth of Ian Schrager’s Edition hotels. Here, the Studio 54 founder has designed a hotel with a minimalist palette, except for the occasional royal blue accents and inclusion of rooms that feel more like oppulent residences. The Michelin-star restaurant The Clocktower is often filled with regulars who come back for the wonderfully rich plates that nod to British contemporary cooking.
Read our full review of The New York Edition hotel here.
Rooms from £339, editionhotels.com
Best for sustainable eating: 1 Hotel Central Park
Where? Midtown
As the name suggests, 1 Hotel Central Park is located a two-minute walk away from the famed Manhattan landmark, on the corner of Sixth Avenue and W 58th Street. Designed using reclaimed materials, the hotel draws on the park for exterior influences with its foliage-covered walls and interiors filled with natural furnishings. The rooms follow the nature-inspired design theme as well, with some offering sweet window nooks and others views over the leafy park. The farm-to-fork ethos is upheld at Jams, with seasonal menus curated by Chef Jonathan Waxman. The hotel also has a Lobby Farmstand that allows guests and locals to forage for seasonal ingredients.
Rooms from £562, April to June, 1hotels.com
Best for Midtown exploring: Walker Hotel Greenwich Village
Where? Greenwich Village
An easy walk to both Union Square Park and Washington Square Park, and primed for getting under-the-skin of the much-loved Greenwich Village, Walker Hotel Greenwich Village is a pretty hotel that puts a big emphasis on design. Channeling old-school glamour, the Art Deco interiors see antique mirrored glass, walnut fixings and a chunky white marble splashed about the hotel. Downstairs, the Society Café sources its meat and fish from the Union Square Green Market and dishes up a great list of local wines from 5pm on. Rooms on the higher floors offer dreamy glimpses of the the village too, so ask for the highest floor you can get.
Read our full review of the Walker Hotel Greenwich Village here.
Rooms from £243, walkerhotel.com
Best for elegance: The Lowell
Where? Upper East Side
One of New York City’s grand dames, The Lowell’s tonal pink façade is just the beginning of what this uptown spot has to offer. It’s a short stroll from the wonders of Central Park and has been such a long-standing love for many Upper East Siders it’s come to define timeless elegance in the city since its opening in 1927. All 47 suites and 27 bedrooms feel homely and come complete with shiny white marble bathrooms. During your stay, be sure to check out Majorelle which was inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s Jardin Majorelle gardens in Marrakech.
Read our full review of The Lowell here.
Rooms from £880, lowellhotel.com
Best for Fifth Avenue shopping: The Peninsula
Where? Midtown
On the corner of Fifth Avenue and W 55th Street, The Peninsula towers above the crowds getting their steps in up and down one of the best shopping streets in the world. MoMa, Central Park and Times Square are all a few blocks away. Upstairs, rooms are quiet (those firetruck sirens a mere murmur down below), with TVs in the bathroom for when you need a break from the pace of the city. The spa is worth splashing about in — the hotel even has an indoor pool to soothe those pavement-pounding legs in. At the weekends, Clement Restaurant is packed with diners hungry for bold brunch plates — the truffle egg omelet and Catskills smoked salmon are top hits. Be sure to head to the roof to visit Salon De Ning if you’re there during the summer.
Read our full review of The Peninsula here.
Rooms from £717, newyork.peninsula.com
Best boutique hotel: The Bowery Hotel
Where? Bowery
Wedged between Nolita and NoHo, the Bowery district seamlessly blends Lower East Side cool with the madness of Midtown. The Bowery Hotel is one of the best boutique hotels in the city, with its art deco-esque bar, Moroccan-style rugs and colourful tiling. Light floods into the rooms thanks to the floor-to-ceiling, factory-style windows, and there are distinct Seventies influences in both colour and design, which have been stylishly modernised. Downstairs, you’ll find Gemma, the Italian Trattoria run by Chef Andrea Taormina which pairs seasonal cuisine with an extensive wine lest. This bolthole is one of the city’s hidden gems.
Rooms from £398 theboweryhotel.com
Best for escaping the Wall Street workers: The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel
Where? Financial District
You’ll find The Beekman downtown in trendy Tribeca, just a few blocks from Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and the 9/11 Memorial. Owned by New York-based Thompson Hotels, the building was built in 1883 but the hotel only opened in 2016, which means you’ll find modern and moody interiors, including fringed lamps, velvet ottomans and teal-hued bar stools. The buzzy Temple Court restaurant offers both a tasting menu and an a la carte menu based on classic American cuisine but if you prefer French food, head to Augustine for a Brasserie-style experience. The Alley Cat is an intimate bar hidden in the cellar and The Bar Room offers bespoke cocktails — it’s very popular with locals.
Read our full review of The Beekman here.
Rooms from £562 in high season, thebeekman.com
Best for Manhattan views: Wythe Hotel
Where? Williamsburg
Self-described as ‘the original Williamsburg hotel’, Wythe Hotel has been a Brooklyn institution since it opened in 2012 — just as hipsters started to infiltrate the now trendy borough. In a 117-year-old factory building, many of the hotel’s 70 rooms offer stunning views over Manhattan with their floor-to-ceiling windows. Rooms are deliciously minimal, with heated concrete floors, locally made furniture (including custom beds made from the building’s reclaimed ceiling pine) and boast lofty ceilings. On the roof, you’ll find Bar Blondeau — a French-style bar serving up some subtle seafood small plates alongside a zingy natural wine list.
Read our full review of The Wythe here.
Rooms from £276, wythehotel.com
Best for millennials: Public Hotel
Where? Lower East Side
Located in the vibey Lower East Side of Manhattan, the 367-room Public Hotel is a tech-loving millennial haven. Rooms have 10 USB points so you will never have to decide whose phone is in more desperate need of a charge and self check-in and keys for rooms are available on guests’ smartphones. Floor-to-ceiling windows are mainstays in the light-filled rooms which offer stunning views across the city. Nearby, you’ll find some of the best noodles in the city at Ivan Ramen on Clinton Street and pastrami delights at Katz Deli around the corner.
Read our full review of Public Hotel here.
Rooms from £150, publichotels.com
