This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Bookended by Central Park to the north and The Battery historic park to the south, the districts of Midtown and Lower Manhattan contain much of the city that visitors want to experience. There are the New York icons — the Empire State Building, Broadway, Grand Central — made familiar through their appearances on screen over the decades. And there are the smaller details that take up just as much space in the memory: the hot dog sellers on street corners, the blaring horns of yellow taxis and the buskers stopping passersby in their tracks. The hotels reflect this diversity, too, from grand dames to quirky boutiques, each with its own signature style.
Image caption pair override Photograph by William Abranowicz
Despite its relatively recent opening in 2023, The Fifth Avenue hotel taps into the decadence of the golden age of New York City in the 1920s. Photograph by William Abranowicz
Best for: joyful opulence
Playful glamour is the name of the game at the Fifth, a hotel that recalls the days of the Gilded Age. Since opening in 2023, it’s become firmly rooted in its NoMad neighbourhood, drawing dressed-up locals from across town for the Italian dishes in its upmarket Café Carmellini restaurant and the inventive cocktails in its low-lit Portrait Bar. There’s something to draw the eye in every space of the hotel, from whimsical, custom-made wallpaper and Murano glass lighting to bold artwork and photographic prints featuring New York scenes. The bedrooms are splashed in colour, too, from the grass-green walls to the patterned rugs, and are so comfortable you’ll want to stay put — made all the easier by the round-the-clock personal butler, who’ll deliver everything from a perfectly made Martini to a dainty afternoon tea to your door. Rooms from $1099 (£816).
The 1970s-style Apartment lounge at The Manner is guest-only space for socialising. Photograph by Chris Mottalini
Best for: in-crowd cool
Stylish, discreet and intimate — a stay at SoHo’s The Manner is like taking up residence in a private members’ club for a little while. Opened in late 2024, the hotel takes its decor inspiration from the 1970s, with textured tiles, glossy marble floors and deep-pile rugs in the social spaces, and ochre walls and velvet furniture in the bedrooms. The Apartment is a guests-only social space, where residents take breakfast and evening aperitivos around a central fireplace while pretending they’re relaxing in their own Manhattan flat. The Rooftop at The Manner is also reserved for guests, and is a fine al fresco spot for a sundowner with views over the city. If the weather turns, head to Sloane’s, a jewel box of a bar on the second floor, with booth seating, moody lighting and handcrafted cocktails. Rooms from $772 (£573).
At Gemma, The Bowery Hotel’s own Italian restaurant, fresh pasta and pizza are served in a buzzy atmosphere. Photograph by Annie Schlechter
Best for: Victoriana
Imagine a dimly lit Victorian parlour transported to the East Village and filled with New York’s fashionable people, and you’re some way to picturing The Bowery. Conjured out of the ground in 2007, the hotel has a cinematic feel, with bowler-hatted doormen welcoming you into a lobby lounge complete with dark wood, antique furniture and a stone hearth that blazes year-round. Guests enjoy cocktails here before moving to Italian restaurant Gemma — a lively place where cheerful staff serve homemade pasta and pizza in a space that’s all terracotta floors and wood-panelled walls. There’s a less whimsical feel in the 135 bedrooms, which are lighter and brighter, with floor-to-ceiling windows and bathrooms clad in marble.
Rooms from $571 (£424).
Best for: style on a budget
The 249 capsule-style rooms here are ultra-minimalist, with little more than Japanese queen beds, crisp white bedding and walnut panelling. Guests’ attention is instead drawn to the skyscraper-filled cityscape beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Free Citi Bike use is a nice touch, as are the stylish coworking spaces. Recharge at the Diner, which offers US classics with a twist (lobster can be added to the gouda-heavy mac and cheese, for example). There’s a rooftop bar, too, with fine views of the Empire State Building. Rooms from $232 (£172), B&B.
From the higher rooms at The Walker Hotel, guests can wake up to outstanding views of Manhattan. Photograph by Walker Hotel Greenwich Village
Best for: art deco style
From the moment you step inside The Walker Hotel in Greenwich Village, you’ll feel more like you’re in a neighbourhood hangout than a hotel. Guests mingle over free hot cider in the lobby each evening, serenaded by local jazz musicians. The nightly soundtrack is in keeping with the nostalgic interiors. Embossed metal ceilings, exposed brick walls and thick velvet curtains in the downstairs Parlour bar set the tone for the art deco-inspired wallpaper, retro lamps and phones that decorate the guest rooms above. Opt for one on the higher floors for killer Manhattan views, and don’t miss the ‘market-to-table’ dining at the hotel’s Society Cafe. Rooms from $395 (£292).
Without a doubt the defining feature of the Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC is their 45ft rooftop pool with views of Manhattan. Photograph by David Mitchell
Best for: rooftop lounging
It’s rare to find a 45ft rooftop pool in Manhattan, which makes the Gansevoort pretty special. While lounging in your swimmers, you’ll have a bird’s-eye view of Lower Manhattan, the Hudson and the grassy platforms of Little Island. Opened in 2004 and revamped in 2021, the hotel has grown up with the Meatpacking neighbourhood and feels effortlessly cool; its curated art collection includes a Banksy in the foyer and there’s a 1970s-themed speakeasy and a bowling alley in the basement. The rooms have mid-century-modern leanings, with mahogany headboards, and come with Marshall Bluetooth speakers. Rooms from $470 (£349).
Best for: socialising
Located in the Flatiron district, Freehand is a hotel that makes its own entertainment. Its restaurants and bars are permanently buzzing. Head to the 18th-floor Broken Shaker for rooftop aperitivos; the lauded Cómodo for Latin American-influenced dishes; and to Bar Calico and the Georgia Room for DJ sets. Every space, from the toilet walls clad with The New Yorker front covers to the plant-filled mezzanine, stays true to Freehand’s ethos: fun, low-key cool. The spacious guest rooms feature custom doodles on the walls. Rooms from $197 (£146).
The majestic exterior of the restored Peninsula New York date back to 1905. Photograph by Werner Straube Photo
Best for: shopping
There are 219 rooms and suites squirrelled away inside this discreet heritage hotel backing onto Fifth Avenue’s iconic designer shopping strip in Midtown. The landmark address had a top-to-toe renovation in 2024 and everything looks and feels fresh. Once past the smartly dressed doormen, through the vintage revolving doors and under the giant crystal chandelier, guests ascend a beautifully scrolled marble staircase to the reception. Tucked-away Clement Restaurant is also on this floor, and serves dishes as diverse as tuna poke bowls and steak and eggs. The guest rooms above have a simple elegance — all creams and mahogany with good soundproofing — plus there’s an indoor pool, spa and wellness centre and a low-key rooftop bar. The icing on the cake is The Peninsula’s Mini Cooper, which guests can book to whisk them around Manhattan, with a chauffeur to look after shopping bags. Rooms: From $1,600 (£1,188).
Best for: theatre buffs
You can’t get much closer to Broadway’s 41 theatres than at Civilian. Its pared-back, art deco style — which extends to the guest rooms’ rich navy or deep burgundy walls and velvet fabrics — creates a theatrical mood all of its own. The Rosevale Cocktail Room hosts live jazz Thursdays to Sundays, while the Blue Room displays Broadway memorabilia. Enjoy the pre-theatre menu at Rosevale Kitchen and, after a show, head to the rooftop Starchild Rooftop Bar & Lounge, where DJs play until the early hours. Rooms: From $175 (£130).
Formely the Jarmulowsky Bank, Nine Orchard revamped bank teller room in The Swan Room restaurant. Photograph by Nine Orchard
Best for: laid-back luxury
Exuding an air of comfortable elegance, Nine Orchard gives no hint of the painstaking, decade-long transformation it underwent to go from the Jarmulowsky Bank to one of New York’s finest hotels, opening in 2022. Its 1912 beaux arts features have been gloriously restored, with the Swan Room restaurant a highlight. It’s hard not to spend your meal gawping at the vaulted, corniced ceiling and pink marble walls of the former bank teller room. There’s the lively Corner Bar bistro, too, which serves the likes of shrimp cocktails and hanger steaks alongside fine Martinis. Guest rooms are perfect retreats, featuring bespoke, mid-century-style furniture and shades of soft pink and fern green. Given the buzz of the hotel’s Chinatown location, they’re also welcomingly quiet. There’s a guest lounge on the first floor, with the sofas by the blue-tiled fireplace the most coveted spots. A final highlight: the cookies that appear on the pillows after the nightly turn-down service. Rooms: From $576 (£427).
Published in the October 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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