New York City’s 10 Best New Hotels

The city that never sleeps has some exciting new places to slumber, from hip hotel options for the budget-conscious to stylish, sky-high suites for those able to splurge. Most of these New York City newcomers, all opened within the past 12 months, are located in Midtown West, while a few are generating buzz in Greenwich Village, Chelsea, the Upper West Side, and even Long Island City in Queens. Each offers visually innovative décor, while many have rooftop bars or outdoor spaces. Here are the 10 new hotels you should consider when planning your next New York City getaway.

by Donna Heiderstadt

Opened: April 2014

Vibe: Social hub for Gen Y travelers.

Newcomer citizenM (from $199/night) is short for “citizen mobile” and that’s the vibe of this vibrant Dutch transplant located on 50th St. in Midtown West. All 230 rooms are identical (except for handicap rooms) and resemble a sleek cruise ship cabin, measuring 170 square feet with a white duvet-covered, king-size bed that touches three walls, and a pod-like bathroom. Check-in is at six airport-like kiosks that pop out a room key guests use to charge incidentals (at the two bars and 24-hour grab-and-go eatery). The key doubles as a luggage tag that instantly checks you in when swiped during your next stay at any citizenM (also located in Amsterdam, London, Rotterdam, and Glasgow).

Standout Feature: An in-room “MoodPad” lets you alter lighting (both brightness and color), music, and even digital artwork—but the lobby, with its soaring bookshelves, Vitra furnishings, Julian Opie wall mural, communal work spaces, and outdoor areas is the real stunner here.

Opened: December 2013

Vibe: Creative with an edge.

Though Brooklyn reigns as hipster central, Long Island City in neighboring Queens has its own artsy appeal. Enter The Paper Factory Hotel (from $179/night), a creative repurposing of a former paper factory that is both a salute to the early 20th-century industrial age and also a contemporary oasis of hospitality that’s a few subway stops away from Manhattan. The 122 large and light-filled rooms feature floors of either highly varnished wooden boards or cement topped by modern platform beds, plus a mix of vintage and reproduction pieces with metal accents.

Standout Feature: The metal walls in the lobby are repurposed from old freight elevators, the coffee tables are old skids, and there’s even an antique paper machine awaiting restoration as part of a lower level bar/restaurant.

Opened: January 2014

Vibe: Minimalist high-rise antidote to Times Square’s tumult.

Despite being located just steps from the “crossroads of the world,” the 487-room, 54-floor Hyatt Times Square (from $239/night) offers an ambience more likely to soothe than stimulate. The sleek lobby connects to the T45 Midtown Diner (serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner), while speedy elevators whisk guests to spacious and light-filled high-rise accommodations (standard rooms are 325 square feet) decorated in muted neutrals and grainy woods. There’s a 47-inch LCD TV backed by one of four NYC–themed wall murals, and the bathroom has a rain shower. The property is also home to Timeless – Marilyn Monroe Spa, which offers a full array of treatments.

Standout Feature: Bar 54, now the highest bar in the city, is a stylish oasis featuring living-room-inspired seating, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, fine wine and beer, and artisan cocktails invented by top mixologist Julie Reiner (with lofty prices, given the river-to-river view).

Opened: November 2013

Vibe: Modern with artsy flair.

No street is hotter right now than 57th St., soon to be home to three new luxury hotels. Already open is The Quin (from $399/night), a 208-room transformation of the former Buckingham Hotel that channels elegance and artistic heritage at every turn. Rooms and suites—ranging from 300 square feet to the 1,200-square-foot, three-floor Penthouse—have a classic-meets-contemporary palette of cream and pale gray, accented by mid-tone wood. Each has a Duxiana bed topped by Sferra Venetian linens. The Quin also has a high-tech fitness center, partnerships with Bergdorf Goodman and Net-a-Porter, and artisanal seafood restaurant The Wayfarer.

Standout Feature: The soaring video art wall in the lobby is hypnotic, letting “artists in residence” (it’s Eric Zener for spring 2014) work across 14 LED screens as they also create traditional art for the rooms and public spaces via the Quin Arts program.

Opened: October 2013

Vibe: Revival of old New York glamour.

The striking glass-and-brick façade of the Viceroy New York (from $379/night) perfectly replicates prewar NYC architecture. Inside, interiors by Roman and Williams range from neo-retro residential (the sleekly paneled, marbled, and gilded lobby) to 1930s nautical-chic (the striking wood, leather, and brass built-ins) in the 240 rooms and suites, sized from 250 square feet for a Superior to 1,200 square feet for Suite 57. Totally 2014, however, are the Illy espresso machines, bedside Beats by Dr. Dre Beatbox, and free WiFi. There’s also a Technogym Fitness Center (with a relaxation pool) and chef Marc Murphy’s Kingside for creative New American cuisine and classic cocktails.  

Standout Feature: The Roof, an indoor/outdoor lounge on the 29th floor run by Gerber Group, offers a place to unwind while enjoying craft beers, small-batch spirits, and nibbles from Kingside, not to mention a sweeping view of Central Park.

Opened: May 2013

Vibe: Chic, with design inspired by the Garment District's industrial heyday.

This 1912 building near Bryant Park once housed a hat factory, and sly nods to its history are everywhere in the Refinery Hotel (from $359/night), from the artsy arrangement of hat-making tools at check-in to the guestroom desks designed to resemble an early 1900s sewing machine. Twelve-foot ceilings and white walls make the 197 rooms and suites feel loft-like (even the smallest option, a 250-square-foot Studio Queen), with simple décor that feels both modern and retro. Each has a hand-sketched, millinery-inspired image on one wall.

Standout Feature: There’s a trio of inviting food-and-drink outlets: Prohibition-themed Winnie’s Lobby Bar, in the space that was once a “tea salon”;atmospheric Parker & Quinn, serving seasonal American dishes; and Refinery Rooftop, an indoor/outdoor space with the feel of a friend’s backyard deck and an incredible view of the Empire State Building).

Opened: May 2013

Vibe: Landmark building with a trendy new lease on life.

The details: The High Line Hotel (from $315/night), an imposing red-brick building in Chelsea, was once a dormitory of the General Theological Seminary. The hotel’s iconic, circa-1895, Collegiate Gothic architecture gives it plenty of character, as does the interior design by Roman and Williams, which preserved the historic fireplaces, moldings, and floors. The 60 rooms (measuring 250 to 500 square feet) are furnished with an appealing mix of antique furniture and rugs that celebrate “eclectic vintage Americana” without sacrificing comfort; particularly fun are the retro Western Electric 202 phones.

Cool feature: The hotel’s courtyard is home to a refurbished 1963 Citroën H Van that is now an Intelligentsia Coffee Bar.

Opened: August 2013

Vibe: The “it” hotel of the Upper West Side.

The details: The outside still looks the same, but anyone who steps inside NYLO (from $189/night) and expects to see remnants of On the Ave (as the hotel had been known for the past decade) is in for a shock. Cement floors, exposed brick, red-leather banquettes, a red piano, library-like bookcases, and a fireplace create a hip ambience, while a mix of guests and neighborhood residents congregate at LOCL, the lobby bar, for cocktails, live music (Tuesdays and Thursdays), and nibbles (courtesy of Serafina restaurant). The 285 rooms and suites (from 240 to 500 square feet) have a lighter, ecru/navy blue palette with blonde-wood furnishings and striking, beige high-back armchairs. Some have small terraces overlooking rooftops in the surrounding neighborhood.

Standout Feature: Even if you book a standard room, you have access to a shared outdoor terrace on the 16th floor, where you can sip a morning coffee as you enjoy views of the Hudson River.

Opened: August 2013

Vibe: Bohemian charm in Greenwich Village.

The details: Steeped in nostalgia, The Marlton (from $225/night) is located in a circa-1900 hotel that was once the haunt of beat writer Jack Kerouac and acerbic comic Lenny Bruce. The hotel makes no excuses for its compactness—it admits its 107 rooms are small right on its website (they measure just 100 to 150 square feet, with two Penthouses offering 425 square feet). The hallways are a tad tight, too, but if your desire is to sleep, not spread out, this hipster hotelier Sean MacPherson gets all the other details right by recreating the coziness of a bygone era.

Standout Feature: Popular with scene-seeking locals, the atmospheric lobby, with its paneled walls, area rugs, and beautiful turn-of-the-century gas fireplace, has both an espresso bar and a Parisian bistro–inspired cocktail bar leading to Margaux restaurant.

Opened: December 2013

Vibe: Art Deco–inspired luxury.

When you check into Westhouse (from $499/night), designed to replicate a luxury townhouse experience, you are not a guest but rather a “resident.” And only residents can enter the building, which allows for an ever-changing “club-level-style” array of lobby food and drink offerings in The Den—just help yourself to a glass of wine and canapés (a $30 per person per day fee is added to your bill). In the 172 rooms and suites (from 255 square feet to a 1,500-square-foot Presidential Suite), the Jeffrey Beers–designed décor channels a subtle 1920s Art Deco look in shades of gray with custom tufted headboards, harmoniously patterned fabrics, and Sferra linens.

Standout Feature: The Terrace, opening on the 23rd floor in June, will offer residents a “living room in the sky,” with indoor and outdoor space to enjoy the revolving culinary presentations and beverages throughout the day.