Traveling to New York means picking from one of the hundreds (if not thousands) of hotels in the city. Here, you’ll find plenty of options, from small budget hostels to beautifully designed outposts of luxury empires.
After spending the entire day roaming the streets of the city, walking up and down its avenues, and exploring restaurants and shops, a pleasant and comfortable hotel is essential for a good night of rest—so you can repeat it all the following day!
Boutique hotels are perfect for that. They are usually small and independent, with a distinctive design and unique amenities and services. Located in some of the best neighborhoods in the city, these small accommodations are perfect for those looking for comfort, exceptional decor and room layout, and an opportunity to experience New York—all at an affordable price.
In this list, we’ll introduce you to 15 of the best boutique hotels in NYC.
Crosby Street Hotel (Soho)
Crosby Street Hotel was designed to express all that lower Manhattan has to offer. The rooms have factory windows that invite sunlight, brightening the walls and furniture, and the warehouse-style exterior surrounds an open courtyard perfect for coffee and tea in the afternoon. The common areas of Crosby Street Hotel are impressive, with a colorful bar and lobby and impeccable amenities.
The praise for art and interior design is evident. Every room is different, decorated with unique pieces of furniture, complementing the experience of any guest who decides to stay for a while. They have a bar and terrace offering international cuisine and a fitness studio with wellness treatments.
Greenwich Hotel (Tribeca)
Greenwich Hotel comes with a price. It’s owned by the actor Robert De Niro and offers outstanding fine dining options, a full-service spa, a courtyard exclusive for guests, a drawing room, and private, luxurious rooms.
Its industrial-style design, with bricks covering the façade, protects the hotel’s value for discretion and its tropical-bohemian interior design. The hotel is located in Tribeca, the neighborhood where hip fashion meets the upscale way of life, creating a culture seen nowhere else.
The rooms have Bluetooth speakers and high-definition TVs. You can also use the hotel’s rental car or rely on their grocery shopping services.
The Ludlow (Lower East Side)
The Ludlow Hotel (180 Ludlow St.) is ideal for those who love relaxation inside a beautiful and well-decorated environment.
Here the dark furniture contrasts with the light colors on the walls, the bathtub pairs well with a glass of wine, and the Dirty French restaurant offers dishes that cannot be missed. Although it’s larger than most boutique hotels, you can still find personalized service and a unique experience here.
There’s also a secret garden bar where you can taste exceptional house cocktails. Private dining rooms are available for special events, and open the large windows inside your room for a nice view of the Lower East Side.
High Line Hotel (Chelsea)
The High Line Hotel was initially built as student housing in 1895. Today, it’s a mixture of New York’s urban style with some European design, noticeable in its Parisian-style courtyard and bright rooms.
Located in the hip Chelsea neighborhood and overlooking the High Line park, this hotel is close to the young life of Manhattan, and you’ll never run out of things to do close by.
The Remote View bar in the hotel, a best-kept-secret of New York, is worth the visit, as is the Intelligentsia cafeteria, where you can order your drink in advance and pick it up once you’re heading out to explore the city.
The Bowery Hotel (East Village)
Entering the Bowery makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. The place is covered with antique, red-toned furniture, a dark wooden roof, and a fireplace in the lobby.
In contrast, the rooms are bright and have a more modern decor. Large windows cover entire walls, letting the light in. Here you might even spot a celebrity or two enjoying a cocktail at the bar, cozying up in this timeless space.
Hotel amenities follow suit with the hotel decor and design. The results: a fully equipped fitness center with a Persian carpet, marble bathrooms with antique brass fixtures, and a rustic Italian trattoria as the main restaurant on the ground floor.
The Whitby Hotel (Midtown)
At the Whitby Hotel, all rooms are individually designed. Inspired by traditional British style, the hotel clashes patterns with one another, creating something unconventional but highly pleasing to the eye.
The design uses hundreds of fabrics and colors to ensure that each experience is exceptional. Staying here is like having a wholly sensory experience, where color and art take over the walls, furniture, and decor.
They have an extensive library in the basement, two restaurants offering high-end cuisine, two screening rooms, and spacious guest rooms for ultimate comfort.
Made Hotel (NoMad)
Made Hotel offers practical and straightforward decor and amenities. It still holds elegance and creates a zen environment, which you can feel from the moment you walk in.
The earthy tones of decor compliment the energy of the place. They have a tiki rooftop lounge, Good Behavior, serving tropical-style cocktails with panoramic views of Manhattan. There are also drinks in the lobby and the restaurant bar.
The rooms offer a cozy and private environment for you to rest after a long day among the noise of the city. The bed linens are top-notch, and the simplistic decor gives you the impression that you’re an explorer of the world.
Ace Hotel (Flatiron)
The Ace Hotel is perfect for those who need to get some work done in New York. The lobby is filled with long tables and plug sockets ideal for concentration during the day.
At night, the common areas get lively with drinks from the bar, pop-up shopping options, and even an old-school photo booth. Later on, DJs play their sets, and the site becomes a hip spot for dancing and mingling.
The rooms are decorated for the young crowd, with colorful, graffiti-style walls, tapestries hanging behind the bed, and plenty of space around the furniture. They host many events at the hotel’s bar, so make sure to check them out!
Beekman Hotel (Financial District)
The Beekman is beautifully designed, with a glass pyramid ceiling over gold and brown balconies and vintage decor in the rooms. It is an architectural gem in the middle of Manhattan’s Financial District, offering experiences that make visitors feel like they’re true New Yorkers. The rooms here are spacious with large windows that let plenty of light in, shining over the retro-modern decor.
The hotel’s restaurant is run by renowned chef Tom Colicchio, where food is treated as art. The cocktails at the Bar Room are majestic, and so is the decor around them. Award-winning five-course meals are available at the Temple Court restaurant as well.
The Mark (Upper East Side)
The Mark is where you’ll find luxury in every aspect of your stay. The rooms were built with panels that control temperature, lighting, and shades. Sycamore and nickel furniture decorates the environment, and a black marbled bathtub is a perfect end to a long day.
Located one block away from Central Park, this hotel also grants you access to personal shoppers. Although it’s a bit far from other boutique hotels in NYC, which are mainly concentrated downtown, this establishment mixes the old-money classicism from Upper New York with modern and hip culture.
The Library Hotel (Midtown)
The Library Hotel is extremely close to the New York Public Library, and it’s drawn inspiration from its namesake’s architecture and decor to build rooms that are small yet inviting. It’s also the perfect stay for book lovers as they can browse the extensive reading collection at the lobby and lounges. They even have books inside the rooms for you to indulge in a late afternoon reading session!
The Bookmarks Lounge offers city views from the rooftop, with cocktails named after some of the world’s most influential writers and books.
The Lowell Hotel (Upper East Side)
The Lowell Hotel has been around since 1927 and has never lost its initial charm. It provides a calm and quiet escape from the noises of the city, located close to Central Park, where nature expresses itself in the middle of metropolitan New York. On the second floor, you can enjoy some tea and coffee at the Pembroke Room, followed by scones and sandwiches.
Most rooms are equipped with small kitchens, private terraces, and wood-burning fireplaces, perfect for winter nights.
Archer Hotel (Midtown)
Archer Hotel is perfect for getting that incomparable view of the Empire State Building while sipping on a Negroni at the Spyglass rooftop bar. The luxury and intimate rooms are decorated with different color palettes and art objects gathered from around the world. It’s a true boutique hotel gem with new-industrial elegance and an impeccable location next to Times Square and Bryant Park.
The Ava Social restaurant offers snacks for sharing and large plates like burgers and briskets. Large windows in the rooms give you a bright and clear view of the city, and once you pair that with some coffee on a cold winter morning, you’ve found urban paradise.
Baccarat Hotel and Residences (Midtown West)
Bacarrat Hotel feels like a piece of Paris in the middle of Manhattan, close to some of the most famous tourist attractions in the city. This luxurious spot has a spa and wellness center you can enjoy and small apartment-like spaces with beautiful furniture and exceptional amenities.
Local’s Tip: Afternoon tea here is not to be missed. Taste canapés and pastries while sipping on high-quality teas and coffee brews.
The William Vale (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
The William Vale Hotel offers an excellent view of the New York skyline. They have bright rooms, and the suites come with hot tubs on a fully furnished deck! The rooms have windows covering the entire wall, with a balcony and modern design.
When the city gets unbearably hot, chill by the outdoor pool, complete with daybeds and cabanas in the summer. And be sure to try the wood-fired pizza at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Leuca.
Camila has lived in New York for over six years. Writing about food, drinks, and travel, she has moved around the city gathering tales, flavors, and restaurant recommendations for her fellow explorers. A lover of bars and baos, Camila can introduce you to the most famous and best-kept secrets of New York!