8 Best New Hotels in New York City

NoMad’s culinary scene will only get hotter when The James New York-NoMad officially opens this fall, inside a historic Beaux-Arts building on Madison and 29th Street. The luxury 344-room hotel will be the site of award-winning restaurant Scarpetta—which is known for inventive, seasonally-driven fare and unmatched service— along with a soon-to-be-announced cocktail bar concept. Upstairs, guestrooms feel like urban sanctuaries, thanks to expansive glass windows, contemporary art by local artists, spacious bathrooms, and thoughtful details like yoga mats and in-room pantry filled with local snacks.

Never in Brooklyn has a hotel had as much buzz as the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge (and yes, it might be bigger than The Wythe). Here, you’ll find a certain tranquility often lost in urban hotels, thanks to its waterfront address by Brooklyn Bridge Park. Rooms are luxuriously spacious and bring in the borough’s eco-conscious sensibility with moss gardens, hemp-blend mattresses, a color palette defined by textures and materials rather than paint or wallpaper, and hour-glasses that time your showers. Living walls in the lobby create the ideal retreat from city life, a rooftop bar with fire pits and a lounge pool is the neighborhood’s hottest summer hangout, and floor-to-ceiling window views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the city, and Lady Liberty mean you’ll never have a bad view.

PUBLIC is the latest hospitality venture from hotelier Ian Schrager, founder of mythical 1970s nightclub Studio 54 and the man credited with creating boutique hotels. Given Schrager’s reputation as an industry disrupter, the hotel’s luxury-for-less concept—which does away with traditional amenities and services (think: doormen, bellhops, room service) —should come as no surprise. What to expect instead: sleek, sexed-up interiors, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, a basement nightclub, three bars, and 367 minimalist rooms.

The first stateside outpost from witty British brand Firmdale, the Crosby Street Hotel has made many a top 10 list—but The Whitby, its much-awaited follow-up in upper Midtown, does it one better. Expect the same Firmdale flourishes, from the colorful mash-up of intricate Kit Kemp patterns and paisleys on headboards, walls, armchairs, and rugs (a refreshingly bold departure from the city’s overuse of neutrals) to oh-so-English corners including a drawing room for afternoon tea and a library. There are plenty of indulgent extras, too, including a 130-seat theater and an orangery attached to the restaurant.

This hipper-than-thou Brooklyn neighborhood has been booming lately thanks to a crop of new hotels, including The Williamsburg. The industrial-chic bolt hole is all steel, brick, and glass on the outside, while on the inside, 150 loft-like guest rooms have white-washed timber walls and brass fixtures, not to mention floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto balconies overlooking the city skyline. But the real jaw-dropper here is the over-the-top amenities: a chauffeured tuk-tuk, a veggie-centric restaurant, a rooftop pool, and three watering holes, including a subterranean lounge and a secret cocktail bar hidden in its water tower.

This new 229-room boutique hotel from San Francisco chain Joie de Vivre takes its cues from its address in vibrant Chinatown. Interiors have a gritty-industrial look, with distressed fabrics and stripped-back plaster walls, plus artwork from Beijing-based graffiti artist Dake Wong and the Museum of Chinese in America. At the hotel’s 220-seat restaurant, Rice & Gold, tuck into Pan-Asian dishes like crispy papaya salad, hand-pulled noodles, and Thai fried chicken, then keep the party going by sipping cocktails and listening to live music at the Green Lady, an “opium den-themed parlor lounge.” The hotel’s address on Canal street means you’re steps from Chinatown’s top attractions, but if you want to stay closer to home, there’s a 1,500-square-foot gallery on-site that explores the area’s rich history.

Sleep where Norman Rockwell worked and lived at the newly opened Life Hotel, set inside LIFE Magazine’s former Herald Square HQ. The 98-room boutique hotel channels the glamor of a bygone era, with 20-foot-high ceilings, wood floors, white walls, cast-iron columns, and original moldings. Several New York-based artists were also commissioned to create close to 200 pieces of work for the guestrooms. Grab a bite to eat in the restaurant, where there are small plates and classic cocktails, then mosey on down to the intimate basement bar, which functioned as a speakeasy during Prohibition.