2024 Readers’ Choice Awards: The Top Hotels in New York City
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Unforgettable food. Cutting-edge design. Immersive experiences. These are some of your top criteria for judging what makes a quality hotel—not to mention a worthy resort, cruise, spa, or island. In tallying up the 575,048 votes cast in our 37th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, we were struck by both your eagerness to embrace the new and your reverence for tried-and-true classics. Your favorite hotel in the five boroughs is the two-year-old Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, but you also can’t stop returning to storied French Polynesian resort The Brando. You’ve jetted through the sprawling Istanbul International Airport, booked intrepid sailings to Antarctica, and fallen in love with historic yet innovative cities like Copenhagen. Read on to start planning your next round of travels—these are the top hotels in New York City, as voted by our readers.
View the Readers’ Choice Award winners for the top hotels in New York as a list with scores here.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Don Riddle/The Knickerbocker Hotelhotel25. The Knickerbocker Hotel
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Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2022, 2024Times Square hustles and bustles right outside the doors of this Beaux Arts building, deemed a national historic landmark—but once you’re inside this sanctuary, you’d never know. The brainchild of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV, who also owned the Waldorf-Astoria, “The Knick” first opened in 1906, and to this day remains a kind of hallowed ground for lovers of hotel history. It draws a low-profile mix of travelers who value both the convenience of the Times Square location and a refined, Leading Hotels of the World experience.
Courtesy Moxy NYC Chelseahotel24. Moxy NYC Chelsea
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024We've come to expect certain things from Moxy hotels: impeccable design that incorporates elements from its surrounding neighborhood, great food and drink options, and delightfully low price tags. Moxy NYC Chelsea has all of these elements and then some, standing 35 stories tall in Manhattan's Flower District. Just past the industrial facade, with its signature pink-neon sign, guests are greeted by an overgrown flower shop and lush conservatory, with light-dappled lounges and seating areas found throughout the hotel. The 350 rooms are airy with a dash of Italian romance, with floor-to-ceiling windows, modern tapestries in the place of headboards, and foldable furniture that would look at home at an incredibly fancy outdoor picnic. The property also has dining options from morning through midnight, from Café d’Avignon, an all-day café and bakery to glass-enclosed rooftop lounge The Fleur Room.
Richard Mandelkornhotel23. The Plaza
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2023, 2024This Beaux Arts–style, 19-story landmark on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South is synonymous with New York. Rooms are as sophisticated and elegant as they come, but some views of the park are negligible—even from the higher floors. Don’t skip breakfast in the Palm Court, where the decor is straight out of The Great Gatsby. All rooms have period furnishings and chandeliers, 24-karat-gold-plated faucets, and iPads, and come with round-the-clock butler service.
Westin Hotels & Resortshotel22. Westin New York Grand Central
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024Yes, it is possible to wake up to the Chrysler Building right outside your window—when you stay at the Westin New York Grand Central. A five-minute walk out from the eponymous train station, the hotel is about as Midtown as it gets, and with access to the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S line trains, the rest of Manhattan and the other four boroughs are just one MetroCard swipe away. But there’s no need to head down the subway stairs as Bryant Park, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, and the dock for Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises are all within walking distance. Before check-out, be sure to grab a seat at the counter of in-house bar Amuse, where the creative cocktail menu shines. Highlights include small-batch spirits, local beers, biodynamic wines, and a seasonal rotation of "enhanced juice" cocktails.
Courtesy Mandarin Oriental New Yorkhotel21. Mandarin Oriental, New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024As a longtime Upper West Sider, I’ve strolled through Central Park dozens of times; that didn’t make the sweeping views from the Premier Central Park View Suite any less awe-inspiring. The accommodations were just as spectacular, with a massive U-shaped couch, a fluffy king-size bed, and heavy blackout shades that close at the touch of a button. Because of its top-tier service, sumptuous amenities, and fantastic central location, the Mandarin Oriental is both an excellent special-occasion staycation for New Yorkers and a prime landing spot for out-of-towners seeking easy access to Broadway, Central and Bryant Parks, and Fifth Avenue. Guests have easy access to two Michelin-starred restaurants, Per Se and Masa; a flex even by New York standards. From $800. —Madison Flager
David Mitchellhotel20. Gansevoort Meatpacking
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024At the corner of Ninth Avenue and 13th Street, the Gansevoort Meatpacking is a short stroll away from the art galleries of Chelsea, the brasserie-style restaurants of the West Village, and the smart boutiques of the Meatpacking District. Highlights include the 45-foot-long, heated rooftop swimming pool with underwater lights; the Duplex Penthouse Suite with a wall of windows looking out towards the Hudson River; on-site restaurant The Chester; and the service, which is remarkable for a boutique hotel. Up on the rooftop, savor classics and shareable dishes crafted with Union Square Greenmarket produce in the lounge, or head to the tucked-away Saishin by Kissaki at the Gansevoort Rooftop for excellent a la carte and omakase sushi with a view of the downtown skyline.
Michael Carbonehotel19. Equinox Hotel New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024Fitness franchise–turned–hospitality enclave the Equinox Hotel became one of those rare lifestyle brand crossover success stories when it first opened on the western fringe of Manhattan in 2019. Unsurprisingly, the hotel, which takes up 14 floors of a 92-floor building in Hudson Yards, is all about wellness and fitness—think massages followed by IV vitamin drips, cryotherapy chambers, and one of the prettiest rooftop pools in New York. The 212 rooms are equally lovely, with beds made of horse hair and non-toxic fibers and sauna-sized showers with multiple heads. And before you write off the hotel as being only for fitness fanatics, fear not: The focus here is on feeling good in your own body, not counting calories or weight loss.
The St. Regishotel18. The St. Regis New York
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Gold List 2019 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2024Even the most unaffected New Yorkers can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia when passing through the gilded revolving doors of the St. Regis, promptly greeted by a gentleman with white gloves and a smile. The sense of the city’s golden era lingers in that lobby, where shining chandeliers warm the pale walls to create a necessary calming counter to the crush of cabs and suits in Midtown Manhattan. It’s precisely the atmosphere John Jacob Astor IV sought to capture when he opened this 18-story, Beaux-Arts landmark at the turn of last century. Today, there’s more Michael Kors than mink in the King Cole Bar, though the order hasn’t changed: Ignore the lengthy cocktail list and go for a note-perfect dry Martini or a Bloody Mary, the house speciality, and fall into conversation with the bankers in from Boston sitting at the bar. For those who do stay on for another martini (or three), it’s nice to know that your suite is just an elevator ride away. It may be done up in lipstick-ruby wallpaper or blue velvet curtains and striped white walls, with classic pieces such as silk-stitched love seats and oil paintings to resemble that glamorous pied à terre everyone fantasizes about. This is a New York institution that channels the city’s glamorous past like no other, steps from the Fifth Avenue buzz.
InterContinental New York Barclayhotel17. InterContinental New York Barclay
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024Old New York is alive and Rockette-kicking at this IHG hotel. Almost 100 years ago, the InterContinental New York Barclay cut its opening ribbon as one of the first hotels in Midtown East, and since then it’s hosted Ernest Hemingway as he worked over For Whom the Bell Tolls, Judy Garland, Martin Luther King Jr., and even Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. After undergoing a $180 million renovation, the timeless beauty of the hotel’s past is married with modern conveniences across its guest rooms, suites, and 20,000 square foot event space. New offers from the property include its beekeeping program, which began in honor of InterContinental’s commitment to sustainable hospitality, and a glamping package where families can spend the night against the iconic New York skyline atop the hotel’s penthouse balconies. The InterContinental New York Barclay has begun its road to 100 years countdown, and as the year 2026 approaches, the hotel has a host of new events and offers planned to celebrate the past century.
Courtesy Baccarat Hotelhotel16. Baccarat Hotel New York
$$$ | Gold List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024No one knew what to expect when a 258-year-old French luxury brand opened its first property, Baccarat Hotel, on West 53rd—except that there had better be at least one over-the-top chandelier. The hotel did not disappoint, but what was surprising was how wonderful its opulence felt, after all that industrial, bare-bulb, and rough-hewn everything—like a return to Champagne after years of lager. Unabashed opulence is what you get as soon as you step into the lobby, where there are about 15,000 pieces of the brand's crystal throughout, including glassware and chandeliers. Arrangements of fresh red roses everywhere add a touch of color. But even though the hotel is a singular vision, it may be the little touches—like Baccarat tumblers in the bathroom—that make a stay special.
Courtesy The Lowellhotel15. The Lowell
$$$ | Gold List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The Lowell, on the Upper East Side, reopened in 2017 after a three-year renovation. Its 74 rooms got a refresh, but the important touches stayed the same: wood-burning fireplaces, grisaille wallpaper in the lobby, tasseled key fobs. Nowhere in the city feels quite as refined. Every room has fresh flowers, while huge marble bathrooms have separate tub and shower areas, Frette bath robes, and custom-made products from the high-end line DDC28. Unlike big luxury chains, there's a small-scale, quiet, and personalized feeling here that's worth the lack of extras (like a swimming pool or spa).
Robert Rieger/Aman New Yorkhotel14. Aman New York
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Hot List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024In the 36 years since Aman was founded and its first property opened its doors in Phuket, the brand has come to represent a certain kind of experience for a certain kind of traveler: discreet, expansive, and intimate, with a full-bodied approach to wellness and an almost chameleon-like ability to adapt to the surrounding landscape. So it goes with Aman New York, the latest jewel in its crown—the brand’s very first urban outpost in the United States, and only its second urban property in the world after Aman Tokyo. And what a crown it is: Taking up residence in Midtown Manhattan’s iconic Crown Building, a Beaux-Arts landmark carefully renovated with Belgian designer Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston Architects, the space dazzles with a 7,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, a spa and wellness center spread over three floors, and serene, high-ceilinged guest suites (each with its own fireplace).
William Abranowicz/Fifth Avenue Hotelhotel13. The Fifth Avenue Hotel
$$$ | Hot List 2024 Readers' Choice Awards 2024Modern master Martin Brudnizki’s latest riot of colors, patterns, and curiosities is perhaps his most impeccably orchestrated yet. The vaulted lobby is dressed up in ornate wall panels; corridors are bedecked in vivid wallpapers; rooms are filled with painted screens and pagoda-style lamps that are an ode to the travels of hotel owner Alex Ohebshalom. A go-for-broke assemblage of art, from old-world oils to modern photography, greets you around every corner. It’s the bold palette Brudnizki is known for, a dreamlike pastiche that would have been chaos in the hands of a less practiced hand. Just as adept is the hospitality, which extends from the ready-to-please butler service on every floor to extra touches like the candle that’s slipped into your room after you’ve complimented the scent in the lobby, a martini cart that appears at your door when you need a nightcap, and the warm welcome you’ll get when you return. And you will return, even if just for a perfect Negroni at the hotel’s Portrait Bar or an extravagant dish from Café Carmellini—but most of all, for the chance to wake up in a giant cabinet of curiosities in the heart of New York’s NoMad district.
Virgin Hotelshotel12. Virgin Hotels New York City
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024Fans of the Virgin brand's rock-n-roll personality will no doubt enjoy this playful property, which is certainly designed to be a social hub and event space more than a peaceful respite from the chaos of the city. It has a spectacularly convenient location in the oh-so-trendy NoMad neighborhood just blocks from Penn Station, the subway lines of Herald Square, and the Empire State Building—of which some rooms have a picture-perfect view. The nearly 40-story tower and its associated complex run the length of a full city block, but despite the big exterior, the design of the commons spaces and rooms—called “Chambers” across the brand—is decidedly minimalist.
Thompson Central Park New Yorkhotel11. Thompson Central Park New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024If you’re looking to hit the New York classics—Central Park, MoMA, Carnegie Hall, Wollman Ice Rink—and discover a few new favorites of your own, look no further than Thompson Central Park. A few blocks down from the park’s south entrance, Thompson is a classy midcentury modern hotel with touches of cool wood, sculptural lighting, and brassy finishes on bedframes and shelves that tie its sophisticated look together. Accommodations in the upper stories offer an even more deluxe experience with a ritzy private cocktail lounge and preferred access to on-site entertainment, wellness routines, and shopping in the area. Burger Joint, a once-secret hole-in-the-wall known for some of the best burgers in the city, and Indian Accent, an upscale take on traditional Indian recipes, add to Thompson’s considerable dining portfolio, but the hotel’s prime location in Midtown also means bucket list eats like Kwame Onwuachi’s Tatiana and seafood standout Marea are at your fingertips.
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Donna Dotanhotel10. Andaz 5th Avenue
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2024Serene rooms, a central location, and complimentary touches (like mini-bars) make this Andaz an easy choice in Midtown. The 184 rooms are decently sized—particularly for this part of town—and have a simple décor free of clutter. All come with a desk, walk-in showers stocked with NYC-based Fellow Barber bath products, and a fluffy all-white bed, as well as high ceilings and tall windows. Complimentary soft mini-bar items like chips and locally-sourced chocolate get replenished daily; alcohol, which includes beer from local brands like Bronx Brewery, is available for a charge. Not all rooms have notable views, but some of those that do also have step-out balconies or furnished terraces from which to look at the park or the Empire State Building.
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Donna Dotanhotel9. Park Hyatt New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2024If James Bond had an apartment in New York, it would probably look a lot like one of the guest rooms and suites here. It's all crisp, cool minimalism with contemporary furniture, stone floors, and dark wood. And even entry-level rooms clock in at 530 square feet, making them some of the biggest in the city. Take in city views and breakfast on the patio on one of several Terrace Suites. An entire day can be spent at the hotel's 25th-floor Spa Nalai. After a treatment, you can try the eucalyptus steam room, whirlpool, and saltwater lap pool, which has to be the most beautiful in Manhattan (and also features underwater speakers with a curated playlist by Carnegie Hall). After a day of respite, get ready for a night on the town with a hair treatment and blowout at world-renowned Rossano Ferretti Hairspa. This is a chance to stay in one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan at the cross-section of the city; Central Park is just a block away.
Courtesy Trump International Hotel & Tower New Yorkhotel8. Trump International Hotel & Tower New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024Across from Central Park on Columbus Circle, this 52-story hotel is a gateway for some of the city's best shopping, dining, Broadway shows, and walking routes. Each apartment-style room has a sophisticated color palette of gray, aubergine, ivory, and caramel, with Schonbek crystal chandeliers over the dining table and rosewood, mahogany, maple, and walnut finishes. Both Jean Georges and Nougatine are run by Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Courtesy Dream Hotel Grouphotel7. The Chatwal, New York City
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024A top-to-bottom refit of the Lambs Club, the historic thespian hangout in the heart of Midtown’s Theater District, by designer Thierry Despont has turned this actors’ den into a sleek 76-room hotel with Art Deco lines and ocean liner–inspired fittings that hark back to a bygone era of travel. (The wonderfully accommodating service throughout—is there anything the house butler can’t do?—is another throwback we love.) A small but richly furnished lobby gives way to the Lambs Club restaurant, an 80-seater from chef Michael White where the focal point would be the original stone fireplace if it weren’t for the storylines unfolding at the other tables. Rooms are fitted with gorgeous steamer trunk–like wardrobes and desk-vanity combos in chocolate leather, while bathrooms come with wall-to-wall mirrors and rain showers stocked with custom Asprey amenities. Guests can find a break at the cozy Lambs Club Bar, hidden away above the lobby, and at the underground spa, with a clever “endless” lap pool and small gym—probably the only place on the property where you can let them see you sweat.
hotel6. Fouquet’s New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024The French hotel line known for its Paris and St. Barth’s properties arrived in the U.S. in 2022 by way of New York. At a cobblestoned intersection in the Tribeca North Historic District, an industrialist red brick facade gives way to eight floors of ethereal Art Deco interior design straight out of the South of France. Fouquet’s New York’s pastel-colored luxury includes three dining options, an indulgent underground spa (complete with a sauna, hammam, and hydrotherapy pool), and a Cannes-inspired cinema space true to Tribeca’s popular annual film festival. The theater hosts programming like screenings and film premieres, and can be reserved for corporate and artistic events. The street-level outpost of the famed Champs d’Elysee bistro, Brasserie Fouquet’s is a destination in itself, with signature red and black bar mirroring its Paris (and Louvre Abu Dhabi) counterpart. A French lavender, mint green, and cream color scheme includes custom-made wallpapers with France-linked illustrations of New York City scenes like Lady Liberty, pizza-eating Central Park goers, and cartoon pigeons with croissants in their beaks.
The Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtownhotel5. Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024This Four Seasons hotel occupies 24 floors of an 84-floor building (with condos making up the rest of the space). There is also a pool, spa, steam room, and 189 total rooms, including 28 suites. The two crown jewels are the recently renovated Metropolis Suite and the Empire Suite, a sprawling, 2,400 square-foot-space. The Four Seasons Downtown's ground floor is home to the only New York City outpost of Wolfgang Puck's Cut, serving fresh fruit and upscale takes on egg sandwiches by day, and steaks by night.
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The Markhotel4. The Mark
$$$ | Gold List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The polished black-and-white floor that greets you in the lobby is the first sign that the Mark is no ordinary hotel experience. Contemporary light fixtures, furniture, and modern art combined effortlessly by designer Jacques Grange give the hotel a sense of cool elegance. The restaurant, by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is high-end New York all the way. The classic Upper East Side location combined with the contemporary, Art Deco–inspired design make for an unforgettable stay.
Courtesy The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Parkhotel3. The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024The top-hatted men holding the door for you are an appropriate prelude as you walk into this iconic New York building. The Central Park Ritz underwent a refresh in the first half of 2019 and the hotel has indeed transformed. New layouts for the rooms, new drinks at the bar, new art everywhere; this is not your grandfather's Ritz. Everything, from the bespoke, and sometimes surprising furniture (the boring old desk chairs in the suites have been replaced with massive mid-century style loungers) to the honor bar spotlighting small batch and local offerings, to the photos on every wall featuring images of powerful women all over Manhattan, makes the experience here current in a way that hotels in Midtown often are not. It's a gorgeous example of how old New York can be 21st century compatible.
Durston Saylorhotel2. The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019, 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Since it opened in 1930, The Carlyle has become something more than the sum of its extremely alluring parts, a living legend that embodies, if not the spirit of New York City, at least one of her spirits: her brightest, most sparkling, most elegant self; witty, worldly and nostalgic. An entire movie has been made about this property—Always at The Carlyle—in which present-day tribal elders such as George Clooney, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, and Naomi Campbell discuss their fondness for the joint. Broadly speaking, the rooms get better the higher the floor. Plus, you get to spend more time in the elevators—not an activity to enjoy in everyday life, but this is not everyday life. The ones at The Carlyle are the stuff of legend, as much admired as the astounding Dorothy Draper lobby or Bemelmans Bar. Imagine if you had been there when Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs all piled in (true story). You would have been in awe. Not of them, of course, but of the real superstar—the unflappable, icy-calm, white-gloved Carlyle elevator operator.
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMadhotel1. The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad
$$$ | Hot List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024When the Ritz-Carlton flung open the doors of its new Manhattan flagship at West 28th Street and Broadway two years ago, the classic brand was making a bit of a daring declaration as to its direction. Moody and modish, the property is a far cry from the (splendidly) prim and proper Central Park location some 30 blocks north. There’s glass everywhere, for one thing, with the 50-story sleek slice of skyscraper designed in part to make the most of that killer location’s downtown views and light. The sun-soaked interiors are dramatic and textured—concierge desks in the grayscale lobby are made of almost zebra-print granite. A leafy, book-lined bar just off it leads to the excellent Spanish-Japanese fusion restaurant The Bazaar from José Andrés upstairs with its plush upholstery, coffee-and-plum palette, and scenery-chewing jamón Ibéerico centerpiece (Andrés’s group also designed the complimentary menu in the very worth-it club level). Rooftop bar Nubeluz is a jewel-toned wonderland of wallpaper; highlights include the pleated emerald fabric of the elevator vestibule and the feathered Schumacher number that hugs each booth. Wrapped from floor to ceiling in blond wood, my suite on the 36th floor, with its deep, deep sofa of chocolatey crushed velvet, offers grand views of Manhattan; I could even see all the way down to the World Trade Center. All of this style would matter little, however, were the service anything less than superlative. It absolutely is. Despite bookings being full to the brim most nights, there’s no indication that the staff have eyes for anybody but you from check-in to checkout. From $895. —Charlie Hobbs
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