The best hotels in New York City
New York has long been a mainstay at the top of many travellers' wish-lists for good reason, from winters ice-skating by the Rockefeller Centre to summers in Central Park or taking the lifts up to the city's best rooftop pools, you could visit hundreds of times and still never run out of things to do. Throw great design and architecture into the mix, plus superb bars and world-class restaurants, and you'll be planning your trip back before getting back to JFK. While the city that never sleeps buzzes outside, the best hotels in New York are a very welcome respite.
From grand dames that have stood the test of time to a wealth of new, exciting openings, travellers are spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a place to stay. We've scoured the city and hand-picked our favourites for design, location, and of course, amenities.
Which part of New York is the best to stay in?
It really depends on your itinerary. If it's your first time visiting and museums are top of mind then the Upper East Side is the place to be. There are plenty of grand dame hotels to pick from here, like The Carlyle or The Lowell. Midtown and Times Square has also gone through a renaissance as of late, from The Aman New York to Ian Schrager's Times Square Edition and look out for spring's hotly anticipated opening of The Fifth Avenue Hotel by Flatiron. Venturing outside of Manhattan means you'll get to see Manhattan's skyline staring back at you and there are an increasingly large amount of excellent options in the borough, from 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, to the Ace Hotel Brooklyn and the William Vale.
The best New York hotels in 2023
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Don Riddle Images1/21The Carlyle, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Best for: An iconic hotel bar
A Manhattan institution, The Carlyle sits proudly on Madison Avenue in New York’s ritzy Upper East Side. Part of the Rosewood group since 2001, The Carlyle is just as luxurious as you’d expect from that family of hotels, but maintains a strong sense of history. Since its opening in 1930 it has been an impeccably sophisticated destination for the well-heeled traveller; the fact that John F Kennedy kept an apartment there for the last ten years of his life gives you the general idea. The rooms are designed to feel like apartments, and you could quite conceivably never leave the building, given that there is an elegant restaurant, Dowling’s, Cafe Carlyle with its roster of live music, the Renzo Mongiardino-designed Gallery and the legendary Bemelman’s Bar with murals by Madeline illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans. It’s an iconic place to stay, and even if you don’t stay, you should certainly visit.
- Cross street: East 76th St & Madison Ave
- Address: 35 East 76th St., New York, NY 10002
- Rooms from $895
2/21Crosby Street Hotel, SoHo, Manhattan
Best for: lovers of that certain, lovely House & Garden decoration aesthetic
The Crosby Street Hotel is the stay of a design lover's dreams. Designed by Kit Kemp, the 86-room hotel is pristinely and boldly decorated, complete with brightly-painted walls, traditional furniture with modern upholstery and splendid accessories. Film buffs can catch a flick in the hotel’s lovely screening room; those who prefer to pass the hours sipping tea and nibbling scones can enjoy a luxurious afternoon tea (complete with a champagne pour, for those interested…). In the heart of SoHo, one of Manhattan’s chicest neighbourhoods, there is no better place to explore all the city has to offer.
- Cross street: Crosby Street between Prince & Spring Streets
- Address: 79 Crosby Street, New York 10012
- Rooms from $855
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Robert Rieger3/21Aman New York, Midtown, Manhattan
Best for: ultra-luxurious tranquility next to Central Park
The term ‘urban oasis’ gets thrown around quite willy nilly these days but trust luxury hotel brand Aman to really deliver. Aman New York is the brand's first east coast hotel and has a spa that clocks in at an impressive 25,000 square feet complete with a 20-metre swimming pool, with firepits. Ideally located just two blocks from Central Park, and within hopping distance to Bergdorf Goodman and MoMa, Aman New York can be found inside the iconic Crown Building – one of the city’s finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture. The building was designed by Grand Central Station architects Warren & Wetmore in 1921. Reimagined in 2022, it's one of New York's most impressive (and priciest) hotels with 83 sprawling suites that each come with a working fireplace. It's not all about tranquility though and there are plenty of excellent places for nightcaps here too including an underground Jazz Club, a speakeasy, and the 14th-floor Garden Terrace.
Read our full Aman New York review
- Cross-street: West 57th St and 5th Ave
- Address: The Crown Building, 730 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
- Rooms from $2,600
4/21Nine Orchard, Dimes Square, Manhattan
Best for: a younger (but still ritzy!) crowd looking for a true avant-garde New York experience
New York is a fast-paced city, its neighbourhoods ever-changing. Over the past few years, a new micro-neighbourhood has emerged: Dimes Square. Located in a small triangle between the Chinatown and Lower East Side neighbourhoods, Dimes Square is the place to see and be seen in New York. Nine Orchard, Dimes Square’s first – and only – hotel, lets you do just that. With 116 residential-inspired, Neo-Renaissance-style guest rooms and amenities to boot, the hotel instantly feels like a home away from home. Nine Orchard’s food programme, too, is marvellous. Helmed by Michelin star chef Ignacio Mattos, Corner Bar is fast becoming one of Manhattan’s hottest bars restaurants – rumour has it they launched the espresso martini craze. (Room service, too, is, yes, still of Michelin-star calibre and 24-hours).
- Cross street: Orchard Street & Canal Street
- Address: 9 Orchard Street, New York 10002
- Rooms from $525
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5/21Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s New York, Tribeca, Manhattan
Best for: French flair in Art Deco digs
Swedish designer Martin Brudnizki (of Annabel's Mayfair reincarnation fame) is behind Tribeca's much-anticipated new Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s New York, the first US property of the beloved French hospitality group. The new outpost exudes the same spirit and sophistication as the original Fouquet’s, on the Champs-Élysées, first opened in 1899. The stunning new luxury hotel pairs French flair with Art Deco touches. The 97 guest rooms (including six with terraces and one two-story suite) feature a lavender palette with subtle notes of cream and green—a nod to the Tuileries Garden—as well as quilted headboards and four-fixture marble baths. The hotel’s crown jewel is Le Grand Appartement Terrasse, an expansive two-story suite located on the 7th and 8th floors of the hotel.
- Cross-street: Greenwich Street & Desbrosses Street
- Address: 456 Greenwich St. New York, NY 10013
- Rooms from $850
MAY WE SUGGEST: Hotel Barrière Les Neiges: cocoon-like luxury in Courchevel
6/211 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Conveniently located right beside the Dumbo waterside, with easy access to both Brooklyn and Manhattan, the lofty 1 Hotel wears its eco credentials with pride. You'll find handy iPads for ordering room service (no paper menus here), recycling boxes in your room, reusable bottles of vetiver-scented soap and a timer to help you to avoid wasting water in the shower. The 194-room hotel is also perfectly placed for exploring the playgrounds and urban activities of the excellent Brooklyn Bridge Park - on foot or by bike. In truth, there is only so far any luxury hotel can be truly environmentally friendly, but there are plenty of other plus points here, too. Rooms reference the area's industrial warehouse history - wire bed frames, corrugated-leather headboards and carpets designed to look like concrete - but it is the mesmerising views of the East River and its constant flow of trade boats and ferries that are really show-stopping. The (hemp) beds are as comfortable as any in the city and the service, as with many US hotels, is brilliant. The 10th floor rooftop bar, with a view all the way to the Statue of Liberty, is a Brooklyn hotspot and, downstairs, a Bamford Spa. All of which adds up to an original identity, straddling that much needed middle ground between edgy hipster vibe and snooty upscale comfort.
- Cross-street: Furman Street & Doughty Street
- Address: 60 Furman Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
- Rooms from $454
7/21The Beekman, Financial District, Manhattan
Best for: Old-world glamour near One World Trade Center and Brooklyn Bridge
The Beekman opened in September 2016 to much fanfare from the design crowd, and rightly so. Not only is the building architecturally fascinating, but the team behind the development is the cream of the crop when it comes to smart spaces. The hotel is housed in one of downtown New York's first skyscrapers and its remarkable history is in evidence all around, the highlight being the breathtaking nine-storey central atrium. The chic dining options also make it hard to leave, including newly opened Le Gratin by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud and Temple Court by James Beard Award–winning chef Tom Colicchio,
- Cross-street: West 57th Street and 5th Ave
- Address: The Crown Building, 730 5th Ave, New York 10019
- Rooms from $360
8/21The Lowell, Upper East Side, Manhattan
On a quiet street on the Upper East Side between Madison and Park Avenue, you’ll find this discreetly luxurious hotel, a place of old world style and charm. The rooms were decorated by renowned interior designer Michael S Smith, who also worked on the White House for the Obamas. The general tone is neutral but highly comfortable - a bit like a Nancy Meyers movie brought to life; in the winter you can have a proper fire in your room, and the bathrooms are spacious visions in marble and chrome. It’s a relatively small hotel, with 47 suites (some of them two bedroom), and 27 rooms. There’s no spa or pool, but there is a beautiful restaurant, La Majorelle, which serves a menu of French classics; the stylish Jacques cocktail bar; and a couple of very elegant rooms for breakfast and afternoon tea. If you come to New York but still want to feel that you have one foot in Europe, The Lowell is the place to be.
- Cross street: East 63rd St & Madison Ave
- Address: 28 East 63rd Street, New York 10065
- Rooms from $908
9/2111 Howard, Chinatown, Manhattan
Best for: People watching
At 11 Howard, people want to see and (perhaps more importantly) be seen. The hotel is chic, sumptuous and well-appointed – a place where “Danish minimalism meets New York realism”. Rooms are Scandinavian-inspired and fitted with high-end products; suites (The Howard Suites and the Terrace Suite) are luxurious, private oases. The hotel’s restaurant, Le Coucou, and club, The Blonde, are both destinations in their own right. Enjoy fresh French cuisine in beautiful, minimalist surroundings at Le Coucou (it was deemed one of the best restaurants in the city); add yourself to the exclusive guest list at The Blonde and dance the night away with the cool kids of New York under the club’s famous glimmering disco balls. Whatever you do, you’re guaranteed a fabulous stay.
- Cross street: Howard Street & Lafayette Street
- Address: 11 Howard Street, New York 10013
- Rooms from $239
10/21The William Vale, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Best for: Skyline views and a rooftop swim
This one block in north Brooklyn is a boutique hotel hotspot – walk a few minutes and you've got your pick of Hoxton New York, Wythe Hotel and The Williamsburg – all with glorious skyline views across the river. But The William Vale stands tallest, and if you're staying in this pocket of Brooklyn, why not go for the most impressive views possible? Plus it has one of the city's best outdoor hotel pools around. Even if you don't want to join the masses on the 22nd floor rooftop bar, Westlight, all 183 rooms boast floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies – so why not take a dip in the deep soaking tub that comes with floor to ceiling private skyline views. Outside the hotel, you have the East River Park on your doorstep as well as McCarren Park, Brooklyn’s famous Smorgasburg, and some of the best restaurants (and pizzas) in town just a stroll away.
- Cross-street: N 12th St & Wythe Ave
- Address: 111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
- Rooms from $298
11/21The Mark Hotel, Upper East Side, Manhattan
“The Jacques Grange designed hotel, on a shady residential block a stone's throw from The Met is the perfect stage for a cast of American characters so familiar it's hard to shake the filmic quality the place emits,” writes Emily Senior in her review of The Mark, a five-star property in the Upper East Side. Renowned French designer Jacques Grange's scheme is a tale of two halves. His public areas are tailored as places to see and be seen, exuding just the right amount of subtle bling; the lobby floor with its sweeping stripes of monochrome marble, the glittering cave of a bar whose low lighting makes everyone look a bit famous. The rooms however are a different story. Cool and creamy with bespoke dark wood furniture commissioned by Grange for the project and bathrooms with acres of marble. Grange has collaborated with the Parisian design gallerist Pierre Passebon to commission objets d'art and furniture for the hotel by a host of design talent, including Ron Arad, Mattia Bonetti, Paul Mathieu, Eric Schmitt, Rachel Howard, Todd Eberle and Karl Lagerfeld, among others.
- Cross street: East 77th Street between 5th Ave and Madison Ave
- Address: 25 East 77th Street, New York 10075
- Rooms from $876
12/21The Bowery Hotel, East Village, Manhattan
Best for: people seeking a bit of Britain in downtown Manhattan
A stay at The Bowery Hotel is a flashy entrée into the world of glamour and celebrity. A long-time favourite of A-listers, the hotel is a veritable New York hotspot. The Bowery’s furnishings are velvety, comfortable and high-end, designed with a specific British sensibility in mind. There are boundless amenities: laptops (both PC and Mac) and iPads can be borrowed; private masseurs, wellness instructors and private trainers can meet guests in their rooms; a bar with fabulous views across downtown Manhattan. For the peckish among them, guests can enjoy laid-back Italian meals at the hotel’s restaurant Gemma, as well as 24-hour room service, for those late-nite (early morning?) cravings.
- Cross street: Bowery & East 3rd Street
- Address: 335 Bowery, New York 10003
- Rooms from $465
13/21The Ludlow, Lower East Side, Manhattan
Hotelier Sean MacPherson (he is also behind The Bowery) was ahead of the curve when he opened this hotel five years ago round the corner from the legendary Katz’s Delicatessen on the then gritty Lower East Side. For the best views of the city skyline, book a room above the tenth floor. All have the same design touches: Portuguese-style wooden beds, brass pendant lamps made in Morocco, flat-weave rugs, and in the bathroom, white tiles and marble. Guests hang out on the vintage Milo Baughman shearling sofas in front of the fire or at the zinc-topped bar in the lounge (there’s also a popular summer courtyard garden decorated with pretty coloured glass lights for cocktails) while they wait for a table at Dirty French, the hotel’s hip brasserie-style restaurant which serves up French food with a twist. Look out for the clusters of hand-painted hot pink porcelain chickens resting on ledges above the doors.
- Cross street: Ludlow Street between Stanton and East Houston Streets
- Address: 180 Ludlow Street, New York 10002
- Rooms from $295
14/21The Whitby, Upper Midtown, Manhattan
Three blocks south of Central Park, The Whitby brought a much-needed burst of colour to the Midtown hotel scene when it opened in 2017. This is the second New York venture from Firmdale Hotels and it has Kit Kemp’s renowned design stamp throughout, with all the pattern and vibrancy that you’d expect. There are 86 individually decorated rooms (one might have a monochrome check sofa; another, a floral print fabric bed head), plus the Whitby Suite which is spread across the entire 16th floor. Downstairs, there’s a light-filled orangery with a series of porcelain vessels by artist Martha Freud featuring local landmarks inset along one wall; a drawing room with an 18th-century style Greek fireplace and an honesty bar; and The Whitby Bar and Restaurant where a collection of woven baskets (made in association with The New Craftsmen) hangs over the pewter bar. For a taste of home, don’t miss the traditional English afternoon tea, complete with cucumber sandwiches and scones.
- Cross street: West 56th Street between 6th and 5th Avenues
- Address: 18 West 56th Street, New York 10019
- Rooms from $855
15/21Freehand Hotel, Flatiron
Best for: affordability
Once home to storied writers, actors and poets in the former George Washington Hotel, Roman and Williams–designed hotel Freehand New York pays homage to its past with art commissioned from students and alumni of Bard College. Throughout the hotel’s 395 guest rooms, ten artists painted custom murals using mixed media—most used paint, but a handful chose sealed charcoal, while a playful bunch worked in waterproof crayon. The real pull, apart from its relatively affordable price point, are the restaurants and bars on site, from the popular rooftop bar Broken Shaker to upscale dining at Simon & the Whale.
- Cross street: Lexington Avenue between East 24th and 23rd Streets
- Address: 23 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010
- Rooms from $157
16/21The Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The first thing you notice when checking into The Williamsburg is the eye-catching oval bar in the middle of the open-plan ground floor created from old picture frames arranged in a chevron pattern. Above is an installation of vertical yarns in a rainbow-coloured spectrum by Minneapolis-based artist Eric Reiger. It shares the space with bistro-style restaurant Harvey, which has exposed brick walls, red banquette seating and marble tables where you can tuck into dishes such as Wagyu beef burgers and roasted monkfish for dinner. Upstairs, the colour palette of the rooms differs slightly but they typically feature reclaimed oak floors, custom-designed furniture by Michaelis Boyd Studio (which was behind the design of the entire hotel) and floor-to-ceiling windows. The place to be though is on the rooftop, relaxing by the pool on the black and white striped loungers, admiring the Manhattan views.
- Cross street: Wythe Avenue between North 10th and 11th Streets
- Address: 96 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn 11249
- Rooms from $295
17/21The Chatwal, Times Square, Manhattan
Best for: family-friendly Broadway weekends
Midtown’s Theatre District is a five-minute walk but feels worlds away in the old-New-York-glam five-star stay by Times Square. It's a new kind of old New York though as the historic Lamb's Club recently went a big top to bottom refresh.
- Cross-street: West 44th Street & 5th Ave
- Address: 130 West 44th St, New York 10036
- Rooms from $685
18/21Wythe Hotel, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The social spaces of this former factory turned hotel have been designed by Brooklyn studio Workstead. These include the lobby which features a pop-up boutique selling clothes by rotating local fashion labels and the rooftop bar The Ides with its lovely wrap-around terrace. There’s also Reynard, the sophisticated ground floor restaurant with tiled floors and a marble-topped, mirror-backed bar running along its length where the focus is on wood-fired cooking and the freshest produce (think white bean soup and roast beef sandwiches for lunch). A stand-out feature of the rooms is the specially-created series of toile wallpaper by artist Dan Funderburgh for Flavor Paper, which depicts Williamsburg landmarks and pays tribute to the history of the building. The industrial heritage is also evidenced in the poured concrete floors, reclaimed wood bed frames made nearby in Greenpoint, leather armchairs and antique bathroom mirrors.
- Cross street: Wythe Avenue at the corner of North 11th Street
- Address: 80 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn 11249
- Rooms from $200
19/21The Mercer, SoHo, Manhattan
Best for: edgy glamour at the centre of the downtown action
Before SoHo became synonymous with downtown glitz and glamour, it was New York’s arts district, its blocks lined by empty warehouses with soaring ceilings and inhabited by avant-garde creatives. The Mercer Hotel, opening in 1997, was the neighbourhood’s first hotel and, therefore, first destination that wasn’t some expansive artist’s loft. Today, the hotel’s atmosphere is still quite artsy – but with a minimalist, detailed panache. Guests have access to the Mercer’s ‘Black Book’: private access to the city’s most fabulous destinations, be they top restaurants or chic art galleries. Complimentary in-room breakfast is provided by the iconic Lure FishBar until the opening of the Mercer’s new restaurant Sartirano’s opening in spring 2023. For fitness fanatics, the Mercer provides 24-hour access to a private, well-appointed gym.
- Cross street: Mercer & Prince
- Address: 147 Mercer Street, New York 10012
- Rooms from $695
20/21The Times Square Edition, Mid-town
Best for: First time visitors and tranquility in Times Square
Times Square can be loud, busy and packed with traffic. But Ian Schrager shook up Times Square with the opening of the gigantic Times Square Edition hotel, bringing his famed minimalism and a big dose of tranquility and escapism to 47th Street. Rooms are all-white and look over neon signs and the public spaces, from the rooftop terrace dotted with plants and the theatrical basement club.
- Cross street: 47th Street & 7th Avenue
- Address: 701 7th Ave, New York, NY 10036
- Rooms from £691
21/21Equinox Hotel, Hudson Yards
Best for: fitness fans who like skyline views from swimming pools
Equinox's splashy five-star hotel opened in the futuristic Hudson Yards neighbourhood to much fanfare. It has views in spades, with the Hudson River on one side and the bustling New York midtown skyline on the other. The hotel’s focus on health and wellbeing is felt throughout, from the impressive spa facilities (there's everything from cryotherapy to an infrared sauna and NutriDrip IV) to the food and drink options and in-room facilities.
- Cross street: 33rd St & 11th Ave
- Address: 33 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001
- Rooms From £628
