16 of the best New York hotels to splurge on

If you’ve ever wondered what it felt like to have your own Upper East Side pied-à-terre, The Surrey on Madison and 76th is there to fulfil all your glamorous, lady-who-lunches fantasies. A short stroll from Central Park, this historic New York hotel has relaunched with a fresh facelift that would rival those sported by many of the residents of the neighbourhood.

The decor in the 70 rooms and 30 suites, designed by Martin Brudnizki, is all about hushed luxury, with layered tones of crème caramel, duck egg blue and dove grey. Frette linen sheets and Antica Farmacista amenities are the icing on the Uptown cake. Plus, it’s the first New York outpost of Italian-style restaurant Casa Tua, following in the footsteps of Aspen, Miami and Paris.

02

The Twenty Two

Flat Iron

The New York outpost of The Twenty Two brand opened in December 2024 and sits moments away from Union Square. Like its London counterpart, the swanky boutique hotel and members’ club drips in old-school glamour, offering 78 rooms and 19 suites complete with butler service, Italian marble bathrooms and Rivolta Carmignani bedding. On-site art deco bars and a Levantine restaurant frequented by celebrities seal the deal.

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If your version of New York is less about low-lit glamour and more about fresh spring flowers and maximalist colour bursts, then The Fifth Avenue Hotel — located on the corner of its namesake and 28th in the heart of Manhattan — is where you’ll want to drop your rainbow-coloured Missoni luggage. Need help getting it to your room? Your private butler, available to each room and suite, is on hand to help. Head out to MOMA in the morning or stay in and wander the hotel’s extensive collection of modern works, from Alanna Airitam to Pae White. Famished? Café Carmellini serves a beguiling mix of French and Italian cuisine accented with classic New York savoir-faire.

Widely copied but rarely matched, Kit Kemp creates whole worlds within hotel rooms, pairing travel necessities with gleeful vignettes. As founder and creative director of Firmdale hospitality group, Kemp dishes up big helpings of whimsy in all her projects. At Warren Street, she has crafted yet another exuberant, detail-driven wonderland — this time in New York’s Tribeca. 

The group’s third New York property (they also have nine in the UK) opened in February 2024 with its 69 individually designed rooms, suites and residences. One-of-a-kind artworks are layered with upholstery, pin-tucked bed skirts and drapery galore. Take note of the buttercup-yellow lobby or the piping on the velvet roll-back dining chairs at the hotel’s all-day brasserie.

Artistic and youthful SoHo sensibility is everywhere at this colour-splashed beauty, which opened in September 2024 as part of the Standard International Group. Milanese designer Hannes Peer keeps the look sleek and textural, with a strong emphasis on warm, sunset tones (or rich raspberry in the duplex penthouse). In the rooms, you’ll find shelves lined with books and magazines on art and music instead of your regular plasma screens — à la SoHo locals. In the dining rooms, you’ll find acclaimed chef Alex Stupak leading a seafood-driven menu.

There’s a reason New Yorkers lover the Lowest East Side. Teeming with historicity and edginess, it’s a unique blend of exceptional hospitality haunts, trendsetting art institutions and museums alike. Opened in June 2022 in a century-old bank site, the landmark hotel brings original Neo-Renaissance details to life in a modern and sophisticated manner. Each of the 113 residential-inspired guest rooms are fitted with large windows, original moldings and artworks commissioned by local artists. Unique accents and furniture include custom-made speakers programmed with four New-York inspired stations curated by Devon Turnbull and DJ Stretch Armstrong.

The Financial District isn’t somewhere you’d expect to find many glamorous hotels, which is one of the reasons The Wall Street Hotel is such a delicious surprise. Just as enticing are the lush furnishings and other design details when you step inside, including tasteful pearl and oyster flourishes reflective of its owners the Paspaleys, the legendary Australian pearling family. The restaurant, La Marchande, stocks its ice chests full of fresh oysters daily, and has a menu of refined, French-leaning classics. On clear evenings, grab a cocktail on the rooftop bar and see if you can spot the Beaver Building, which had a starring role in the Keanu Reeves hit John Wick.

Although Manhattanites practically consider Brooklyn to be on another planet, it’s a planet you’ll be very glad to be on once you step inside the two-time recipient of a Michelin Key, Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. The former factory still retains a ton of its gritty charm, not least the views to a vintage exposed-brick Brooklyn sign visible from many of the rooms. Cocktails and snacks at Apero Time in Le Crocodile restaurant are a charmingly cool way to while away a few weekday hours at one of the best New York hotels around, before making your way through some of the hippest restaurants and bars in the Big Apple.

The red and white striped awning. The neon signage. The guest list of artists and visionaries — everyone from Patti Smith to Bob Dylan and Madonna. When it comes to a New York hotel that shimmers with glamorous grit and creative chaos (in the best possible way), nothing beats the Chelsea. The storied hotel dates from the late 19th century but reopened in 2022 after a long renovation, and has kept its maximalist-to-the-max energy in the form of Warhol prints and tons of velvet and cherub-flocked ceilings. Its three dining spaces are packed with character, including the French-American Café Chelsea and the Basque-inflected El Quijote. Not to mention, sipping a cocktail in the lobby bar is about as Manhattan as you can get.

The name ‘Four Seasons’ guarantees a base level of excellence, but this Four Seasons, at this iconic address (on East 57th between Park Ave and Madison Ave, and moments away from Central Park) is a level of excellence that exceeds almost all others. The IM Pei-designed art deco-style hotel reopened in 2024 after closing for renovations in 2020. Many of the suites in the hotel’s 52 storeys have been refreshed, and the Ty Warner Penthouse (yours for a mere $80,000 US per night) offers unparalleled 360-degree views of the metropolis.

Another turn of the century building artfully restored, The Ned on the corner of Broadway and 28th street in the historic NoMad neighbourhood is just steps from the Empire State Building, The Flatiron Building and Fifth Avenue shops. On site, a private members club, 167 art-deco guest rooms and Italian restaurant reside, with a bar influenced by the cabaret clubs of the 1930s.

Craftmanship and classic elegance are the hallmarks of this Upper East Side grand dame, which first opened her doors in 1927. The hotel’s 74 light-splashed rooms and suites are chic and discreet, and the service feels charmingly personalised without ever feeling overly familiar. The delight at this NYC hotel is in the details: many rooms have their own wood-burning fireplaces and fresh flowers are replaced daily. Plus, the hotel is famed for its elegant tea service, in collaboration with Dior Maison, served in the iconic Majorelle restaurant, and Central Park and the shops of Madison Avenue are only a short stroll away.

Opened in 1904 by John Jacob Astor IV, The St. Regis has led New York’s luxury hotel scene for longer than anyone can remember, with stays from the likes of Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon and Judy Garland. The style here is unapologetically classic: dripping chandeliers, a gilded lobby, fresco ceilings and marble shining from every surface. If you fancy spending the day at nearby Central Park, your personal butler can equip you with a picnic basket. Up for something more boozy? The Bloody Mary was invented here in 1934, so you know it’s good.

On the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, century-old the Crown Building (the original home of the Museum of Modern Art), Aman New York is giving Billionaire’s Row a quiet luxury makeover. The serene sanctuary — Aman’s first urban outpost in the USA — brings refined, zen-like polish to every corner. The spa climbs three floors, each of the 83 suites and 22 residences features 11-foot ceilings and views for days, and amenities scale the top end, with Frette robes and Dyson hair dryers keeping quality levels soaring. Uncommon for the area, rooms are beyond palatial for this part of the world, ranging from 67 square metres to 260 square metres.

No stay in New York is complete without a trip to The Plaza. Situated at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South in Midtown Manhattan, this world-class retreat is one of the most recognised and coveted New York hotels. From its architecture and grand lobby to the chandeliers and gilded accents, The Plaza epitomises timeless luxury in award-winning form. To dine in the palatial Palm Court is to rub shoulders with A-list celebrities and public figures, who you might spot later on in the Gerlain Spa.

The landmark Waldorf Astoria New York last year welcomed guests once more after closing for refurbishment in 2017. The new and improved beacon of luxury boasts bigger and better rooms than before, blending Art Deco timelessness with contemporary design. Each room in the historic hotel is bathed in a palette of neutrals with dark wood accents and marble finishes. A boutique spa and 5-star dining on the premises make this an easy stay for families, with main attractions like Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and MoMa nearby.