From visiting with my family or friends when I was younger to HotelTonight staycations while I was living there, I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels in NYC. However, a lot changes in 6+ years and this trip was different. We really wanted to stay near West Village, our favorite neighborhood and a central location in the city. We wanted something with a reasonable amount of space since we were staying for 5 days. Last but certainly not least, we searched for a hotel with good reviews (bonus for personal recommendations). We landed on Soho Grand Hotel and ended up absolutely loving it. Truly, it was one of the best hotel experiences I’ve ever had.
Soho Grand Hotel
The Service
We had great interactions with the bellman, front desk, and concierge/housekeeping during our stay. Since we booked the room with AMEX Travel, we were offered extra perks, including Prosecco at check-in, room upgrade upon arrival when available, and $100 onsite credit (cannot be applied to your room night, fees, taxes or any gratuities).
The Room
Unfortunately, I ended up with a bit of a stomach bug while we were in the city. As a result, we ended up spending a lot of time in the room! More than…ever? It was actually quite nice. Fortunately, the Grand Deluxe King room (upgraded from the Soho King) was great – bright, spacious by NYC standards and comfortable. We loved our view, the bed that I did not want to leave, the bathroom/shower, desk with a big mirror for getting ready, closet, natural light, sunsets, and lack of noise. 10/10!
The Location
A big draw was the location and it’s proximity to both the subway, West Village (home to many of our favorite spots), and a what turned out to be quite a lively street. You walk out of the hotel and you feel that the city is ALIVE at all hours. I missed that feeling!
The Amenities
We didn’t end up going to Soho Diner or Gilligan’s in the hotel, but we did frequent the Grand Bar & Salon lounge, which we enjoyed.
Other Recommendations To Try Next Time
These are some of the other hotels we were considering staying at based on personal recommendations and reviews, and why we didn’t end up choosing them this trip.
- Ludlow (4-star) – This was my #2 choice but we weren’t sure about staying in the Lower East Side on this trip since it’s not as central or close to the subway.
- PUBLIC (4-star) – Similar to the above, this one is also located in the Lower East Side. It was also more expensive than the Soho Grand at the time of booking. It was personally recommended to me and we (tried) to visit their rooftop and loved the vibe of the hotel…and the smell – Le Labo Santal!
- 11 Howard (5-star) – Although this is a Marriott, I was worried about the service (per reviews) and location. It’s in a good neighborhood but the street itself was a little questionable. That said, a lot of people I follow online have stayed here and loved it. I’ll try it someday and report back.
- The Evelyn (4-star) – A little more uptown while remaining central, The Evelyn came highly recommended to us and tied for our #2. I could definitely see us staying here next time since we hardly made it uptown this trip!
- Freehand (4-star) – Okay, you get it, these were all recommended to us. This location appealed to me and seemed like a fun, lively hotel…less uptight than some of the others on this list.
These were some other hotels I looked at but eliminated. Some were out of our budget (including many listed below in the luxury section), fully booked, too small, had too many recent bad reviews, or we didn’t like the vibe or location. They could be worth checking in case you have a different hotel budget, can score a better deal depending on when you go, and how far in advance you book it.
More Recommended Boutique Hotel Chains in NYC
Charming Old NY Hotels
- Ace Hotel – The lobby bar is always a fun time! I stayed here for one night for a work event.
- The Bowery Hotel
- Hotel Chelsea
- The Marlton Hotel
- NOMO Soho – I had many work events here and loved the atmosphere of the restaurant, NOMO Kitchen.
- The Greenwich Hotel – Home to one of my favorite restaurants, Locanda Verde.
- The High Line Hotel – I went to a show during NYFW here, which was so fun!
- Hotel Giraffe
Luxury Modern NYC Hotels
- 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge – The rooftop is on my wishlist!
- The Beekman
- The Broome
- Crosby Street Hotel
- The Dominick
- Dream Downtown
- The Edition – If money was no factor, this would be my #1.
- Fouquet’s
- Gansevoort Meatpacking
- Hotel Indigo – They have a popular rooftop but I’ve heard it can get noisy as a result.
- Hoxton Williamsburg – I’ve heard great things about this chain, and I’d love to stay in Williamsburg someday.
- The James Hotel – We visited friends who were staying here and love it! We met them at Scarpetta for drinks.
- Kimpton Hotel Eventi
- The Langham
- Library Hotel
- Maritime Hotel
- The Marmara Park Ave
- The Mercer Hotel
- Modernhaus
- Motto by Hilton Chelsea
- Nine Orchard
- Park South Hotel
- Refinery Hotel – Best known for their rooftop.
- Roxy Hotel
- Royalton
- Sixty Hotel (various locations; I’ve stayed at the LES location)
- The Standard High Line – I used to love their Biergarten and rooftop here.
- W Hotel Union Square – It doesn’t get more central than this!
- Walker Hotel
- The William Vale (Williamsburg)
- Williamsburg Hotel (Williamsburg)
- Wythe Hotel (Williamsburg)
If you have stayed at any of these hotels, I’d love to know more about your experience – positive and/or negative!