New York has many, many hotel options. I recommend:
On my recent trip I stayed at the Moxy NYC Times Square. This is a Marriott brand that has several other locations in the city and boroughs. At 485 7th Ave. at 36th St., this is a contemporary boutique hotel that is a short walk from Penn Station, the theaters on Broadway and other mid-town locations. It is also close to several nearby subway stops and to Hudson Yards. I enjoyed my room and my stay. It has an excellent restaurant called Legasea, a large rooftop bar called Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge, Bar Moxy on the second floor and Café d’Avignon pop-up at Bar Moxy where you can get breakfast items. Just outside of the hotel to the right is Café d’Avignon where you can enjoy coffee and a larger breakfast menu.
Yotel New York Times Square, at 42nd St. and 10th Ave., opened in 2011 This is a sleek hotel, with a very contemporary vibe. with locations primarily in Europe and the US. Their aim is to provide a first class experience at an affordable price. Check-in is handled by computer, the rooms are called cabins since they are smaller than most hotel rooms but include all of the amenities including safe, flat screen TV and iPod/MP3 player, free WiFi, computers to check emails or print boarding passes and a gym. The staff was really friendly and helpful. There is a club lounge, free continental breakfast, a sleek restaurant with really good food and reasonable prices and a huge terrace which is the largest outdoor hotel terrace in NYC with two bars and cabanas. I had two great experiences there and it is an easy walk to all the Broadway theaters.
The Standard High Line is located near the southern end of the High Line, at 848 Washington Street. Its restaurant and bar are at street level. Even if you don’t stay there, at least visit the Top of the Standard for a drink which has spectacular views of Lower Manhattan.
I also checked out the new Dream Hotel Downtown, at 355 W. 16th, which is a newly opened upscale boutique hotel. It is sleek with a silver porthole façade that resembles a cheese grater. The pool is on the second floor and you can walk below the pool in the bar and look up through openings in the ceiling.
Tryp Hotel: This is a good, inexpensive option near Penn Station and Hell’s Kitchen. It is a Wyndham brand hotel, which now has properties in the US and around the world. It has a contemporary vibe with sleek lobby, bar, restaurant, and rooms. I did have a noise issue with an adjoining room the both times I stayed there, so make sure to ask for a quiet room. The breakfast buffet was good. It is a perfect place from which to explore NYC, go to a Broadway show or attend a convention at the Javits Center. 345 W. 35th. I took the train from Newark Airport to Penn Station and walked to the hotel. It was so simple.
Citizen M Hotel, 218 W, 50th St. between Broadway and 8th. Having stayed in their hotel in Glasgow Scotland, I was thrilled to see they opened a new hotel in Mid-town near the theater district. The design is spectacular and very contemporary. The lobby is one of the best I have seen.
Ink48: The boutique is at 653 11th Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen at 48th. The 222 room, boutique hotel has a contemporary design. The Press Lounge, the hotel’s popular rooftop bar, has great views of Midtown. The area is more of an emerging area but is an easy walk to nearby restaurants and the Theater District.
Standard Hotel East Village: At 25 Cooper Square, this is a 21 story contemporary hotel that has 145 rooms and suites most with floor-to-ceiling windows and great views.
Refinery Hotel, 63 W. 38th St.: Getting good reviews and press is this boutique hotel in the Fashion District. It is near Times Square, The Empire State Building and Bryant Park. It has 197 rooms and has the Parker & Quinn restaurant, Winnie’s Jazz Bar and a rooftop bar, Refinery Rooftop, with wonderful views of the city and The Empire State Building. The building was the former Colony Arcade Building, built in 1912, and the center of the millinery business in the city.
Near the Refinery Hotel is the new, hip Archer Hotel that has an AKB restaurant plus the Spyglass Rooftop Bar. It is 22 stories with 180 unique rooms. It has great design and should be high on your list to stay. 45 W. 38th.
The Ludlow Hotel: 180 Ludlow St.in the lower east side. This is a newer boutique hotel with eclectic rooms and a great atmosphere. It is a perfect spot from which to explore the area.
The New York EDITION: This is the new, sleek boutique hotel that is a joint venture between Marriott and Ian Schrager. It is in the perfect location across from Madison Square Park in the Flatiron District. It was the former headquarters building of New York Life Insurance Company, opened in 1909. It is a stunning property. 5 Madison Ave.
Gansevoort Hotel: With 186 guest rooms and 23 suites, this contemporary boutique hotel in Chelsea, is in a great location from which to explore the shops, restaurants and galleries in the area. The Whitney Museum is a block away.
Nearby is the Soho House, 29-35 Ninth Avenue in Chelsea. This is the NYC branch of the London based membership hotel that now has multiple locations around the world.
The Paul Hotel: This is a boutique hotel located at 32 W. 29th in NoMad. It has 122 rooms on 21 floors.
The Baccarat is a luxury hotel in Manhattan located near the new Park Hyatt and the Museum of Modern Art. It was included on Wallpaper* Magazine’s ‘Best Urban Hotels’ list. The lobby, bar and restaurant are really stunning. With luxury comes luxury rates as well, but you can always enjoy a drink or an afternoon tea. 28 W. 53rd St.
I recently read about the 1 Hotel Central Park at It looks like a beautiful property in a great location at 1414 Sixth Ave.
Classic, luxury hotels include the St. Regis New York at Two E 55th St., The Plaza at 768 5th Ave, and The Carlyle at 35 E. 76 St.
