New York City Hotels

You can find an abundance of splendid New York City hotels in great neighbourhoods. To help you decide on where is the best place for you to stay, here is an overview of the trendiest neighbourhoods of New York.

New York City is comprised of the five boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island but Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated.

The neighbourhoods have evolved over time and acquired nicknames which may be confusing for some visitors. Here is a list of the abbreviated names to help you with your planning:

• Alphabet City (has street named with Avenues A, B, C and D)
• DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass)
• Hellsea (Midtown between Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea)
• NoLIta (North of Little Italy)
• NoMad (North of Madison Square Park")
• NoHo (North of Houston)
• SoHo (South of Houston)
• TriBeCa (for "Triangle Below Canal Street")

New York City Hotels in Battery Park City
Lower Manhattan and the Financial District

Encompassing Ground Zero which was home to the Twin Towers, and located at the lowest point in Manhattan, Battery Park City is a great waterfront strip of upscale condos, green grass, trees and a park that at times feels dwarfed by the surrounding office buildings and NYC hotels.

The southernmost tip of the island, Lower Manhattan, includes the Financial District and the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, one of the world’s great financial markets.

Battery Park is where you catch the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Nearby is the former site of the World Trade Center.

To the east is the popular South Street Seaport historic area packed with restaurants, markets, New York attractions and shopping venues.

Lower Manhattan is a great place to visit but most of the restaurants, sight-seeing and theater life takes place to the north of the downtown core, such as Midtown, Time Square, the Theatre District, Upper East Side and Upper West Side.

If you plan to be spending more time visiting the South Street Seaport Historic District & Port 17, clubbing in the Meatpacking District or taking the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Staten Island, then this may be a good central location for hotels in NYC.

New York City Hotels in Lower Manhattan:

• Andaz Wall Street - a Hyatt Hotel
• Club Quarters, Wall Street
• Club Quarters World Trade Center
• DoubleTree by Hilton New York City - Financial District
• Eurostars Wall Street
• Holiday Inn Express New York City - Wall Street
• New York Marriott Downtown
• The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park
• The Wall Street Inn
• W New York – Downtown

New York City Hotels for
South Seaport District and Port 17

This is an historic district with some of the oldest architecture in Lower Manhattan New York. Located on the East River, the venue is filled with great New York attractions including a fish market, shopping malls, great restaurants and activities for the whole family.

It offers exhibitions, galleries, museums, a maritime library, a craft center, and the largest privately owned fleet of famous historic ships the US.

• Andaz Wall Street
• Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park
• The Wall Street Inn
• Eurostars Wall Street Hotel
• Gild Hall
• Seaport Inn
• Club Quarters Downtown

Charming Hotels in Greenwich Village and West Village

West of Lower Manhattan is a wonderful residential area considered to be an artists haven and the bohemian capital. Off-Off-Broadway began in Greenwich Village in 1958.

Greenwich Village is bordered by Broadway, the Hudson River, the East Village and NoHo to the East, SoHo to the south, and Chelsea to the North.

Further to the west of Greenwich Village is the desirable residential district of West Village, a picturesque area with cobble-stoned, tree-lined streets and unlimited unique cafes, restaurants, bars and shops.

New York City Hotels in Greenwich Village:

• The Cooper Square Hotel
• Greenwich Village Hotel
• Washington Square Hotel
• Hotel Gansevoort
• The Jane
• The Gem Hotel-Soho, an Ascend Collection
• The Larchmont Hotel

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in East Village

In Lower Manhattan, the East Village is an artsy neighbourhood, with musicians, artists and lots of excellent bars and restaurants and free music at some of the spots.

This village ambiance contrasts with that of Chelsea being less refined and a bit more relaxed and down to earth, perfect for those who prefer that type of atmosphere.

• The Bowery Hotel
• Cooper Square Hotel
• The Lafayette House
• Marrakech East

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in Alphabet City

East of the East Village, from Avenues A, B, C, and D and located between Houston and 23rd in NYC, this area has experienced gentrification with apartments being renovated and storefronts bustling with new retail stores, great restaurants and nightclubs.

• Blue Moon Hotel
• The Bowery Hotel
• Comfort Inn Lower East Side
• Hotel East Houston
• Thompson LES

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in SoHo

SoHo is one of New York’s trendiest neighbourhoods where manufacturing and warehouse buildings have been transformed into dreamy lofts, high end boutiques, hundreds of art galleries and museums, cool restaurants, bars, night clubs and creative designer shops.

While in SoHo, make sure to visit the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, the Museum of African Art, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art and the New York City Fire Museum.

Soho Hotels:

• Crosby Street Hotel
• The Mercer
• Trump SoHo
• Hampton Inn Manhattan-SoHo
• Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan SoHo Village
• The James New York
• 60 Thompson
• Soho Grand Hotel
• Courtyard New York Manhattan-Soho

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in Tribeca

South of the West Village (Greenwich Village) is Tribeca. People come to live in Tribeca because the apartments have very high ceilings and the neighbourhood has great schools.

This wonderful neighbourhood with cobblestones streets, historic warehouse buildings, multi-million dollar lofts is located in a quiet district with many great bars and restaurants and a number of architectural wonders to admire. Tribeca is also home to Robert De Niro’s annual film festival.

• Duane Street Hotel Tribeca
• The Cosmopolitan Hotel
• Tribeca Grand Hotel
• The Greenwich Hotel
• Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca
• Sheraton Tribeca
• W New York Downtown
• Smyth Tribeca Hotel - A Thompson Hotel

New York City Hotels near Little Italy

Although it has been shrinking with Chinatown growing, Little Italy is a fun place to visit and one of the best of New York attractions. The section of Mulberry Street between Canal and Broome Streets is lined with wonderful Italian Restaurants and street-side patios with colourful umbrellas.

There is a party atmosphere here and the stretch is mostly a pedestrian friendly walking street.

You have to come here and enjoy a little taste of warm Italian hospitality. This is one of the highlights of my trips to New York.

• Sheraton Tribeca Hotel
• Holiday Inn SoHo New York
• Crosby Street Hotel
• The Solita Soho Hotel, an Ascend Collection hotel
• The James New York
• Trump Soho
• The Bowery House
• Off Soho Suites Hotel
• Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca
• Hotel Azure
• Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan SoHo Village

Top Picks of New York City Hotels
in NoLita and NoHo

Filmmakers and the fashion conscious live in the beautiful gentrified buildings and loft apartments slightly north of Little Italy and Houston Street. Charming little shops and great local restaurants and cafes give NoLita its cool version of SoHo but less touristy.

Until recently, NoHo was merely a quiet part of the East Village but now with the renovations of loft apartments, this area too has become a robust retail scene.

• Nolitan Hotel
• 60 Thompson Hotel
• Off-Soho Suites Hotel
• The Bowery Hotel
• Cooper Square Hotel
• The Lafayette House
• Bowery's Whitehouse Hotel

New York Attractions in Chinatown

If you are into knock-off purses and jewellery, head over to the crowded New York attractions of Canal Street. In addition to Louis Vuitton and Coach purses, you can also find the traditional Chinese herbal-medicine shops, fruit and fish markets, pagoda-style buildings, unique galleries, hundreds of Chinese restaurants and many dim sum joints.

This neighbourhood is best suited for bargain shopping and restaurants and not so much for NYC hotels.

New York City Hotels in the Flatiron District
NoMad and Union Square

Flatiron District - Named after one of New York City’s first skyscrapers, the triangular block of the Flatiron Building, this district is great for shopping along lower Fifth Avenue. The abundance of good food is also one of the main New York attractions.

Nomad - The other classic New York skyscrapers in the Flatiron district are the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building and the International Toy Center which can be seen from the lovely Madison Square Park close to the nearby NoMad. This area has recently seen the development of new, imaginative, boutique hotels.

Union Square - The Historic intersection in New York City, where Broadway and the Bowery meet is Union Square with its magnificent equestrian statue of George Washington and the nearby huge Greenmarket Farmer’s Market. Flatiron District Hotels:

• W New York - Union Square
• Affinia Manhattan Boutique Hotel
• Hotel Giraffe
• The Gershwin Hotel New York City
• The MAve Hotel
• Hotel Roger Williams

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in Gramercy

Designated as an historic district, Gramercy is east of the Flatiron District, northeast of Union Square and north of the East Village

Within Gramercy is the private Gramercy Park, open only to guests at hotels on the perimeter and area residents, all of whom have been given access to keys to the gate.

The gardens behind the iron gates include a statue of Edwin Booth, a great Shakespearean actor of 19th Century and also the brother of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.

Other famous residents have included Oscar Wilde and Humphrey Bogart. The neighbourhood is lined with lovely brownstones and nearby is the National Arts Club.

• The Gramercy Park Hotel
• The Marcel at Gramercy
• Gramercy Park Hotel
• Park South Hotel New York City

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in Murray Hill

Just north of Gramercy is this Midtown Manhattan neighbourhood with art deco architecture and a lively weekend restaurant-and-bar scene along Third Avenue. Here you will find many Indian restaurants, and plenty of watering holes, including an all Irish whiskey pub.

New York City Hotels in Murray Hill:

• Murray Hill Inn New York City
• Library Hotel New York City
• The St. Giles the Tuscany
• Jolly Hotel Madison Towers
• Courtyard New York Manhattan
• Chandler Hotel New York
• Wolcott Hotel New York

Top Picks of New York City Hotels in Chelsea

This is a fun neighbourhood on the West Side of Manhattan south of Hell's Kitchen and the Garment District and to the north of the Meatpacking District.

It is excellent for shopping, and has great restaurants and nightlife with lots of trendy dance clubs, European style discotheques and jazz clubs.

Chelsea is also known for its cultural scene with New York attractions such as art galleries, off-Broadway theatres and the Chelsea Art Museum and offers lovely hotels in NYC.

New York City Hotels in the Chelsea District:

• Chelsea Pines Inn (border of Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District)
• Comfort Inn Chelsea
• Eventi Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel
• Hampton Inn Manhattan Chelsea
• Hilton New York Fashion District
• Hilton Garden Inn New York/Chelsea
• Hotel Indigo NYC Chelsea
• Wyndham Garden - Manhattan Chelsea West
• Holiday Inn Manhattan Sixth Avenue

New York City Hotels in Hell’s Kitchen - Clinton

Near the Theater district between Midtown and Chelsea, this is one of Manhattan's most up and coming neighbourhoods.

The location is great and walking distance to many New York attractions like Broadway theatres, the Rockefeller Center, Central Park and Carnegie Hall.

Hell's Kitchen is also home to many Italian cafes and markets, trendy bars and restaurants.

New York City Hotels in the Clinton District:

• Distrikt Hotel
• The French Quarters Guest Apartments
• Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square North
• Hilton Garden Inn Times Square
• Ink48 - a Kimpton Hotel
• InterContinental Hotel New York Times Square
• Staybridge Suites Times Square

New York City Hotels for the Meatpacking District

The Meatpacking district was originally home to slaughterhouses, and as the name suggests, it was also home to meatpacking facilities.

After going through a major transformation, this district has become a very fashionable neighbourhood with cool restaurants, trendy bars, night clubs and haute couture boutiques such as ADAM by Adam Lippes, Alexander McQueen, Diane von Furstenberg, Jeffrey New York, the Apple Store and many others.

New York City Hotels in the Meatpacking District:

• Dream Downtown
• Hotel 309
• The Jane
• The Maritime
• Hotel Hotel Gansevoort
• The Standard

New York City Hotels for Midtown Manhattan

Midtown Manhattan, Time Square and Broadway can feel like an illuminated concrete jungle.

This is where a variety of New York attractions and tallest skyscrapers can be found including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the United Nations building and also Grand Central Station, Broadway, Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the television studios.

Some of the best shopping is found in Manhattan’s Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue with many fantastic upscale department stores such as Saks, Bloomingdales, Bergdorfs, and also haute couture boutiques such as Gucci, Prada and Fendi.

Midtown Times Square and the Plaza Hotel - Times Square is a very touristy area with a lot of New York attractions and souvenir shops but it is still a great place to visit being centrally located to Broadway and walking distance to the Rockefeller Center, Central Park and the Plaza Hotel.

The huge LCD advertisements add to the energy and drama of this famous crossroad in New York and it’s a great spot for people watching.

For dinner or drinks, check out one of the fabulous hotels in NYC, the Marriot Marquis at Broadway & 45th Street, which has a revolving bar on the 50th floor.

Other good relaxing spots are the Hotel Metro on 5th Avenue & 35th Street, which has a rooftop bar with fantastic views of the Empire State Building and the Peninsula Hotel at 5th Avenue & 55th Street, which has probably the classiest rooftop bar in New York.

Between Midtown and Lennox Hill and on the south eastern edge of Central Park is the famous Plaza Hotel.

The Plaza Hotel faces the Grand Army Plaza, a commemoration of the Union Army in the Civil War. It was built in 1907 in a French Renaissance chateau-style.

The Plaza Hotel features world famous Baccarat chandeliers in the lobby and bars, designed and hand-crafted in France.

You will want to visit this hotel to relax in the luxurious atmosphere and admire the stunning crystal art glittering in the glorious Plaza Hotel New York.

Other Great Hotels:

• Library Hotel Midtown Manhattan
• Hotel Elysee
• Casablanca Hotel Times Square
• Distrikt Hotel New York City, an Ascend Collection Hotel
• The Chatwal New York
• Setai Fifth Avenue
• Michelangelo Hotel
• The Pearl Hotel
• The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria

Top Picks of New York City Hotels
in the Upper West Side

Central Park West (CPW) is an avenue that runs north-south along the western edge of Central Park. It is also the eastern boundary of the Upper West Side.

This is a family friendly neighbourhood with many activities for children and adults, with many excellent restaurants, bars and movie theatres.

Central Park West is the address of many famous residences, including the following:

• The Beresford - 211 Central Park West home to Diana Ross & Jerry Seinfeld
• The Dakota - 1 West 72nd Street and home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono (who still resides there). John Lennon was murdered outside of The Dakota in 1980
• The El Dorado - 300 Central Park West
• 15 Central Park West - home to Sting
• Harperly Hall - 41 Central Park West and home to Madonna
• The infamous "Spook Central" from the movie Ghostbusters - 55 Central Park West
• 455 Central Park West
• The Ansonia - 2109 Broadway at the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue
• The Century - 25 Central Park West
• The Langham - 135 Central Park West
• The Majestic - 115 Central Park West was home to some of the former heads of the Genovese crime family
• The Kenilworth building - 151 Central Park West
• The Oliver Cromwell - 12 West 72nd Street
• The St. Urban - 285 Central Park West
• The San Remo - 145-146 Central Park West home to U2's Bono, Demi Moore, Diane Keaton, & Steve Martin

Famous Residences in the Upper West Side

Some of these stunning buildings can be seen from Central Park, which adds to the beautiful views from inside the park.

Upper West Side is the neighbourhood located between the CPW and the Hudson River and is home to New York attractions like the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Historical Society and the Lincoln Center.

On the border between Midtown and the Upper West Side is Columbus Circle and the Time Warner Center next to the Trump International Hotel.

The Chrome Globe at Columbus Circle and the Time Warner Center in NYC

Here at Columbus Circle you can find a collection of activities with upscale shopping, market and grocery store, theatre for Jazz, CNN studios, and special events.

New York City Hotels in the Upper West Side:

• Belleclaire Hotel
• Belnord Hotel
• Comfort Inn Central Park Hotel
• Days Hotel Broadway
• Excelsior Hotel
• Hayden Hall Hotel
• Jumeirah Essex House
• Lucerne Hotel
• Mandarin Oriental, New York
• Morningside Inn Hotel
• Newton Hotel
• On the Ave Hotel
• Trump International Hotel

Top Picks of New York City Hotels
in the Upper East Side

Nestled between the East River and Central Park, this beautiful neighbourhood is home to many New York attractions with some of the world’s finest museums and art institutions.

Here on 5th Avenue, a stretch also called the Museum Mile, you will find the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), the Guggenheim, the Fricke and many other important museums

The Upper East Side has beautiful tree-lined streets with rows of gorgeous town homes.

If you take the Hop-On Hop-Off Double Decker Bus Tour in New York City, you can easily visit all these places including Central Park, all in one day. Some of the most beautiful hotels in NYC are located here.

New York City Hotels in the Upper East Side:

• The Sherry Netherland
• The Mark
• The Surrey
• Affinia Gardens Hotel
• Embassy Suites New York
• Lowell Hotel
• Marmara Manhattan Hotel
• The Pierre Hotel
• The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel
• Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan / Upper East
• 254 East Vacation
• The Bentley Hotel
• The Helmsley Carlton House
• The Melrose Hotel

Visit Brooklyn New York

Brooklyn - If you cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, you will end up in Brooklyn, home to the famous the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York’s second largest art museum, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), one of the best places to see new musical and dance performances.

Also in Prospect Park are the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and if you want to taste a great bagel, head over to the Bagel Hole.

Another great museum for a family outing with children is the Transit Museum with old subway cars in an abandoned subway station.

Bay Ridge – In the southwest part of Brooklyn, has one of the highest concentrations of international restaurants and bars in the city. Here you can find streets that are composed entirely of steep steps and reminiscent of Montmartre in Paris. Bay Ridge also has a key seaside recreation spot and Sports fishing is a popular activity.

DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) – For unforgettable views of the Manhattan skyline and of the architecturally stunning Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, take a walk along the riverfront park.

• Holiday Inn Express Hotel Brooklyn
• N U Hotel
• New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge

Consider New York City Hotels in Queens

Queens is a borough across the East River from Midtown Manhattan. Here is where two of the three major New York City area airports, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia are located.

Queens also hosts a number of New York attractions and cultural venues including:

• Flushing Meadows Corona Park
• Queens Museum of Art
• P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
• Museum of the Moving Image
• New York Hall of Science
• Socrates Sculpture Park

Astoria is an up and coming neighbourhood in the north-western corner of Queens along the East River and is near the Astoria Boulevard subway stop and 25 minutes from Times Square and midtown Manhattan on the N/Q trains.

Astoria also features pedestrian-friendly streets, great shopping at local markets and big-box retailers and an abundant mix of fabulous restaurants.

If you want to enjoy great Czech and German beer, visit the Bohemian Hall Beer Garden, which is popular in the summer and covers an entire city block. New York’s oldest Beer Garden is walled and filled with trees, and has plenty of indoor and outdoor tables where you can sample of variety of refreshing beer.

Long Island City in Queens is becoming an alternative location for hotels in New York City and the costs are quite reasonable. This is a convenient location as the subway operates all night, making it easy to get to midtown Manhattan and back 24 hours a day. However, be aware that getting to Lower Manhattan is more cumbersome and time consuming.

Long Island City offers a number of recreational parks with great views of Manhattan such as Gantry Plaza State Park, Queensbridge Park, Long Island City Community Boat House, Socrates Sculpture Park and Water Taxi Beach.

• Ravel Hotel - Long Island City
• Best Western City View Motor Inn - Long Island City
• Ramada Long Island City
• Z New York Hotel Queens
• Country Inn & Suites NYC in Queens, Long Island City
• Howard Johnson Inn, Long Island City
• Super 8 Long Island City

Great New York City Hotels on Staten Island

There are many New York attractions on Staten Island including the Staten Island Zoo and the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art which holds the largest collection of Tibetan art outside Tibet itself.

Take the free Staten Island Ferry over to Staten Island and enjoy the six-mile beautiful boat ride, which features views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the New York port. The ferry terminal is located in the southern tip of Manhattan, near Battery Park.

Alternatively, you can go to Staten Island by way of Brooklyn, using the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Many visitors take the free ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island without realizing that they could also get off at Staten Island.

If you decide to get off at Staten Island, take a walk around to the left of the ferry terminal and relax at one of the local bars on Bay Street with phenomenal views of the Verrazano Bridge.

Staten Island offers hotel accommodations and depending on your needs, this may be a good alternative to NYC hotels for you if you prefer a quieter setting rather than the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, and you have a rental vehicle and don’t want to pay the high parking fees in Manhattan.

Some of the hotels share a shuttle to the Staten Island Ferry port which you must reserve in advance, and parking at Staten Island Ferry is around $8 per day. The ferry travels to Manhattan frequently making it easy to spend the day in NYC.

• Hampton Inn & Suites Staten Island
• Hilton Garden Inn New York/Staten Island
• Ramada Staten Island
• Comfort Inn Staten Island

The distinctive neighbourhoods each have their own flavour and to really enjoy their personalities, New York attractions and venues, they are best experienced on foot.

A convenient way of getting around to these wonderful neighbourhoods and to your New York City hotels is by purchasing a travel pass for the hop-on hop-off Double Decker buses. You can purchase a 24 hour, 48 hour or 72 hour pass for New York City tours covering various locations of Manhattan.

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