Fodor's Expert Review Graduate New York

Situated near the impressive Cornell Tech campus, the sustainably built and LEED-certified hotel caters to visiting family and faculty and nods to the school with and a lobby filled with 5,000 books, a giant Hebru Brantley "flyboy" sculpture holding a lightbulb over the front desk to suggest creative thinking, campus colors that continue into the lobby bar, and communal seating with a library feel to invite study and congregation. But you don't need to care about Cornell to stay here; this off-the-beaten-path gem has a lot to offer. Rooms offer floor-to-ceiling views of Manhattan and beyond, Roosevelt-Island-specific art, contemporary lighting, and cool wallpapered bathrooms. You'll also find vintage-like portraits of FDR and a copy of his famous "Four Freedoms Speech" in every guest room, good to read before you visit the nearby memorial to the late president, Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. The sexy rooftop bar and lounge is the main win here: it offers panoramic views that you would have to elbow and claw to get a spot in front of if this hotel was in Brooklyn as well as an art deco--inspired bar and mirrored DJ booth. The ground floor restaurant serves seasonal American food in a bright modern space lined with bookshelves or out on the patio.