Hotels
The 9 best hotels in New York
New York is on almost everyone's bucket list. The city that never sleeps has something for everyone, and here are our nine best tips for where to spend the night.
Gita Simonsen
We often think of New York as one big city, but it is really a collection of neighbourhoods. According to the Department of City Planning, the city has no fewer than 339 of them, ranging from a couple of blocks to larger districts. Each has its own character, charm and atmosphere.
Picolo earns a small commission if you book through our links. It costs you nothing extra, and we only recommend hotels we like ourselves.
Here are our best hotel tips in nine of New York's most popular neighbourhoods
The William Vale
The William Vale is the only luxury hotel in Williamsburg.
Brooklyn: the most populous borough in NYC
Brooklyn is one of New York's oldest boroughs and is made up of many neighbourhoods. In recent years it has grown into one of the coolest places in the city, and it is well worth a stay if you want to be outside Manhattan and sleep well for a better price. In Brooklyn you can walk the Brooklyn Bridge, visit Coney Island and the Botanic Garden, eat plenty of excellent pizza and hunt for treasure in the vintage shops.
Where to stay
The William Vale: luxury with a rooftop
The William Vale is in Williamsburg in Brooklyn and is the neighbourhood's only luxury hotel. The five-star hotel opened in 2016 and has a rooftop bar with film screenings, a gym, a pool, balconies in every room and a restaurant run by an award-winning chef. The hotel also runs its own activities, such as an ice rink on the roof when winter comes.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at The William Vale
The Pierre has a central location
The Pierre is one of the most iconic hotels in New York.
Upper East Side: the Gossip Girl neighbourhood
The Upper East Side became world famous through the hit series Gossip Girl. It is Manhattan's wealthiest and most exclusive neighbourhood and home to some of the most expensive property in the world. With Central Park on the doorstep, you are close to both green space and the city's most exclusive restaurants and shops.
Where to stay
The Pierre: an icon in the Big Apple
The Pierre has been open since 1930 and is one of the most iconic hotels in the city. The five-star hotel is known for hosting the stars and has staged Broadway premieres, fashion shows and galas. Guests have included Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Hubert de Givenchy, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Yves Saint Laurent and Barbra Streisand.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at The Pierre
The boutique Casablanca Hotel
Manhattan: the heart of NYC
Manhattan is a large borough made up of many neighbourhoods and is the financial and administrative centre of New York City. Most visitors spend time here. Manhattan connects to the other boroughs and New Jersey through an extensive network of bridges and tunnels, including the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and the Midtown Tunnel.
Where to stay
Casablanca Hotel: on Times Square
Casablanca Hotel is inspired by the film Casablanca and its romantic spirit. It is an intimate boutique hotel that aims to be a home away from home, in the Times Square Broadway Theatre District in Midtown Manhattan.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at Casablanca Hotel
Pendry Manhattan West
Pendry has a much admired cocktail bar.
Greenwich Village: bohemian and laid back
Greenwich Village is the bohemian neighbourhood that helped shape history. The counterculture of the 1960s and the LGBTQ movement both took off here. Expect jazz and comedy clubs, fashionable restaurants and lively streets. Washington Square Park is one of the best places in the city for people watching.
Where to stay
Pendry Manhattan West: shopping and fine dining
Pendry Manhattan West is well placed for shopping and fine restaurants. The five-star hotel has a striking facade and interiors by the renowned Gachot Studios. There are several restaurants, a cocktail lounge, a bar, a garden and a 150 square metre gym.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at Pendry Manhattan West
Public Hotel
The hotel has a lovely rooftop.
Chelsea: art and culture
Chelsea is Manhattan's art district, where you can spend days wandering between galleries showing everyone from unknown names to established artists. Do walk The High Line, a park built on an abandoned railway line and a work of art in itself. Chelsea Market has plenty of good places to eat and try something new, and the neighbourhood has a wide choice of bars and clubs.
Where to stay
Public Hotel: modern minimalism
Public Hotel is modern and minimalist, yet full of life and warmth. It is centrally located and has a very popular restaurant, fittingly called Popular.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at PUBLIC
Margaritaville Resort wants to give you a holiday feeling.
Times Square: the liveliest part of New York City
Times Square is known for its colourful billboards, yellow cabs, shops, crowds and food stalls. After the Statue of Liberty, it is the symbol of New York, and you have to come here to feel the pulse of the city.
Where to stay
Margaritaville Resort: a tropical oasis
Margaritaville Resort Times Square calls itself a tropical oasis on world famous Times Square. Relax by the pool with a frozen margarita or enjoy a proper meal with a taste of the Caribbean. It is within walking distance of some of the city's biggest sights, such as Broadway, Central Park, the Empire State Building and, of course, Times Square.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at Margaritaville Resort Times Square
The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza became world famous in the film Home Alone 2.
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is home to iconic sights such as Times Square and the Museum of Modern Art, and to landmarks including the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, the Flatiron Building and the Empire State Building. Concerts are held at Radio City Music Hall in the Rockefeller Center and at Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. This is the place for you if you want to stay right in the middle of it all.
Where to stay
The Plaza: home alone in style
The Plaza New York, made world famous by Home Alone 2, is an iconic New York hotel. It has the feel of the French Renaissance and sits on famous Fifth Avenue. The five-star hotel opened in 1907 and has almost become a landmark in its own right.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at The Plaza
Hotel breakfast
The hotel has a pretty garden where you can enjoy your meals.
West Village: charming townhouses and cobbled streets
The charm of the West Village, part of Greenwich Village, lies in its handsome townhouses and cobbled streets. They look much as they did when the neighbourhood was at the centre of some of history's most influential social and countercultural movements. This is also where you will find Carrie Bradshaw's house from Sex and the City, at 66 Perry Street.
Where to stay
The Standard: fashionable by the Hudson River
The Standard, High Line is a fashionable hotel with fantastic views. Every room has floor to ceiling windows looking out over either the Hudson River or the city. The streets around it are full of interesting shops, restaurants and galleries. The gym looks out over the Hudson, and if you take the lift to the top floor you arrive at the hotel's nightclub. In winter you can even skate outside the hotel.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at The Standard High Line
Smyth Tribeca is a cosy boutique hotel in Manhattan.
Tribeca: industrial and hip
Tribeca is industrial and sophisticated. In the 1970s it became a haven for artists. Today the artists' lofts have been renovated and luxury buildings have gone up. Tribeca is a favourite with celebrities, yet it is not stuck up, and you can easily kick back here. Settle into a cafe or browse one of the markets.
Where to stay
Smyth Tribeca: charming and intimate
Smyth Tribeca sits in the heart of popular Tribeca. Smyth has 100 rooms and offers everything a big hotel does, with the charm of a boutique hotel. The rooms are modern and spacious, and floor to ceiling windows give great views over Lower Manhattan. Chambers Street subway station is a few steps away, along with plenty of shops, galleries, restaurants and parks.
Book the hotel: See available rooms at Smyth Tribeca
Hotels
Two more hotels close to the sights
Want to be near the big sights? These two are worth a look.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in New York
Which neighbourhood should you stay in in New York?
It depends on what you want to experience. New York has 339 neighbourhoods, each with its own character. Picolo picks hotels in nine of the most popular, including Brooklyn for a cooler and better value base and the Upper East Side for something exclusive near Central Park.
Is it a good idea to stay in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn is one of New York's oldest boroughs and has become one of the coolest places in the city. You sleep well for a better price than on Manhattan, close to the Brooklyn Bridge, vintage shops and great pizza.
What is The William Vale?
The William Vale is the only luxury hotel in Williamsburg, a five-star hotel that opened in 2016. It has a rooftop bar, a pool, a gym, balconies in every room and a restaurant with an award-winning chef.
Which hotels in New York are near Times Square?
Casablanca Hotel and Margaritaville Resort Times Square are both a couple of minutes' walk from Times Square and the Broadway theatres. Handy if you are seeing a musical or want to be close to Midtown.
Which New York hotel is famous from the films?
The Plaza by Central Park is famous from Home Alone 2 and a long list of other films. It is on Fifth Avenue, close to the shops and Central Park.