These Are the 25 Best Four-Star Hotels in NYC

New York City has of sumptuous five-star places to stay—many of which are listed on our editor-selected Hotels We Love list dedicated to the best hotels in the Big Apple. This month, however, as luxury hotel room rates remain eye-wateringly high, we’re thinking about a more gently priced category that happens to be having a moment in the city right now: the four-star hotel.

It’s worth noting that “four-star” isn’t a single, universally governed designation handed down by one authoritative third party. Instead, it’s a widely used industry shorthand, employed by booking platforms, hoteliers, and travelers alike, to describe hotels that reliably deliver a certain level of comfort, service, and polish without tipping into full-on luxury. In practice, that means full-service hospitality (think concierges, on-site dining, and thoughtful in-room amenities), strong locations, and design-forward spaces, sans the excess or price tags that often define the city’s top five-star retreats.

Four-star hotels are ideal for trips when you won’t spend much time in your room, don’t want to pay $2,000 a night, or simply prefer comfort and character over extravagance. For this installment of Hotels We Love, we present the 25 best four-star hotels to book right now, from a history-rich retreat in Chelsea to a hip waterfront stay in Brooklyn.

Ace Hotel New York

Located in a turn-of-the-century building in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, the Ace Hotel New York has become a hub for stylish visitors and freelancing New Yorkers; locals often set up shop in the hip lobby to work and sip Stumptown coffee. The aesthetic is laid-back yet creative, with fun local art, free Wi-Fi, and quirky touches such as tabletops made from discarded Hubble telescope lenses. The Ace is unpretentious and inviting, with a social and interactive lobby. Rooms range from small bunk rooms to spacious loft suites—offering a match for a variety of price points.

Ace Hotel Brooklyn

Twelve years after Ace Hotel transformed Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood into a destination worth visiting, the brand opened its second NYC property, on the edge of Brooklyn’s residential Boerum Hill neighborhood and Downtown Brooklyn, in the summer of 2021. Built from the ground up, the 13-story Ace Hotel Brooklyn features a concrete brutalist facade designed by Roman and Williams. Inside, organic elements such as green leather couches, wooden walls, and textile and fiber art pieces add warmth to raw concrete pillars and ceilings in the expansive lobby and throughout the 287 rooms. If you must go into Manhattan, the A/C train at Hoyt-Schermerhorn is just a block away.

The ground-floor restaurant, Lele’s Roman, opened in 2025 and serves Roman dishes like amatriciana and cacio e pepe pastas and crispy pinsa flatbreads. Sushi spot Koju also debuted last year, offering a 14-course omakase experience. —Lyndsey Matthews

The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection

A city landmark since 1902 and a member of Historic Hotels of America, The Algonquin Hotel has been a cultural hub ever since it became the meeting location for the Algonquin Round Table, a group of the city’s early-20th-century literary elite (including Dorothy Parker, Franklin Adams, Robert Benchley, and Robert Sherwood).

Today, the hotel has 181 guest rooms (all equipped with a writing desk). Algonquin continues to evolve; its updates have been selective rather than sweeping. Once again, it’s home to the Round Table Restaurant, which underwent a restoration in 2024 and hosts cultural performances, discussions, and gatherings. Grab a drink at the Blue Bar, which displays the artwork of Algonquin regular Al Hirschfeld (you may see some Broadway stars hanging out there). Keep an eye open for Hamlet, the resident cat. Hamlet is the 12th generation of a long line of felines to have graced the lobby for the past 40 years. —DLT

The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel

Set within an 1881 downtown landmark, The Beekman pairs historic architecture with contemporary hospitality. At its center is a dramatic nine-story atrium framed by Victorian cast-iron railings and balustrades. The 287 guest rooms, including 35 suites and two penthouses tucked into the hotel’s iconic turrets, are decorated with jewel-toned velvet furnishings and Carrara-marble bathrooms with oversize rain showers and D.S. & Durga bath toiletries.

The hotel’s culinary program is a standout, with Le Gratin, led by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, and Temple Court, by James Beard Award winner Tom Colicchio. The bustling Bar Room remains a lively gathering place for both locals and visitors. —DLT

The Benjamin Royal Sonesta Hotel New York

Completed in 1927, the Beverly Hotel was a swish offering catering to travelers coming in and out of Grand Central Terminal, a half-mile away. In 2017, the brick and limestone building was designated a New York City landmark; in 2022, Sonesta Hotels acquired the property, now named The Benjamin Royal Sonesta Hotel. Visit the hotel today, and you’ll see its iconic octagonal tower remains.

In 2024, the hotel was given a revamp: Its lobby was refreshed to resemble a cigar box (think warm leather, dark wood, and an onyx backdrop), and the hotel’s signature Benjamin suite was redone, while the Beverly is a brand-new suite. The hotel’s 209 residential-style rooms, replete with kitchenettes, were also reworked and now have herringbone floors, angled headboards, lounge seating, and sleeper sofas. In 2025, all-day American restaurant The Parliament Restaurant opened, as did the Royal Reflection Wellness Spa. —Katherine LaGrave

The Bowery Hotel

Travelers at The Bowery Hotel feel like insiders the moment they slip through the door, thanks to superb service and a lobby design that recalls salon parties of bygone eras. Upon check-in, guests receive metal room keys with oversize red tassels. Each of the 135 guest rooms offers visitors a mix of lived-in comfort and luxurious detail, with everything from mohair-upholstered chairs, Turkish Oushak rugs, and hardwood floors to iPod stereos, high-def televisions, and marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs.

When hunger hits, head downstairs to Gemma for such Italian dishes as artichokes with polenta, gnocchi with black truffle, and a variety of pizzas. Nightcaps happen at the Lobby Bar, a lower Manhattan staple known for its timeless ambience and clever riffs on classic cocktails. —Karen Gardiner

The Evelyn

Originally opened in 1903, the Evelyn Hotel relaunched in 2017 with a head-to-toe renovation that pays homage to the city’s storied Tin Pan Alley era. The name honors Evelyn Nesbit, the early 20th century’s original “It” girl, and the lobby is a beautiful rendition of art deco and art nouveau design, with a striking geometric stained glass piece in the seating area.

Also inspired by art deco, the 159 guest rooms have blush accents as well as curve-edged headboards and gold-tone bell lamps on wooden desks. Rooms are stocked with Frette linens and robes, while suites feature bathrooms with heated floors. The dining and drinking venues currently include Tusk Bar and Brass, headed up by prominent chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske Valtierra (of Bar Contra and Wildair). Also on-site is Ninepin Café for pastries, sandwiches, and coffee, and there’s a 24-hour gym with a Peloton bike. —DLT

The George Manhattan, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Designed to honor Harlem’s artistic spirit and history, The George Manhattan, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, opened near Columbia University in fall 2025. Public spaces layer rich earth tones and neutrals with matte blacks and deep greens, accented by art deco detailing, brass finishes, and plush seating.

In the 139 guest rooms are wood floors, bold orange accents, writing desks, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities are notably robust for the neighborhood, including a heated outdoor pool, an outdoor courtyard, a fitness center, and a circular marble coffee bar that transitions into a cocktail bar in the evening. Two restaurant concepts are slated to open in spring 2026. —DLT

Hotel Chelsea

The Hotel Chelsea has always been more than a place to sleep. Before it shuttered in 2011, it had played host to some of New York City’s most colorful guests and residents for decades—many of them cultural icons. Within these storied walls, Andy Warhol filmed Chelsea Girls, Dylan Thomas penned poetry, and Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious allegedly stabbed his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Now, hoteliers Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier, and Richard Born have launched a new chapter for this 139-year-old institution.

In the 155 guest rooms, cheeky details tie past to present: Digital keys hang from red-tassel fobs, automated curtains are speckled with punk-rock holes, and tiger-print chairs pop next to regally fringed sofas. (You also might end up with one of the hotel’s decades-long tenants as your neighbor; their apartment doors stand out with bright paint or stickers.) Downstairs, the Lobby Bar is a throwback to the city’s Gilded Age, with classic cocktails inspired by other celebrated hotels of the world, such as the Singapore sling and Dukes martini. Upstairs, where the penthouse rooms used to be, is one of the city’s best spas, with a gym, sauna, outdoor terrace, and city views. Read Afar’s full review of the Hotel Chelsea. —Billie Cohen

Hotel 50 Bowery

Manhattan’s oldest street, the Bowery was once synonymous with skid row, but much like the rest of the city, it’s undergone a major overhaul in recent years. Now it’s home to the 229-room Hotel 50 Bowery, set in a gleaming glass building that towers over its low-slung Chinatown neighbors and sits across from the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge.

Inside, the vibe is industrial, with cement pillars, exposed brick, and modernist furnishings, but keep your eyes peeled for subtle nods to the neighborhood outside: a retro, pagoda-topped phone booth near the elevators; in-room pieces by local artists André Saraiva, Simone Shubuck, and Lowell Boyers; and even textured plaster walls in blue and white to evoke the palette of traditional Chinese pottery. Rooftop bar the Crown pairs sweeping views of Lower Manhattan with refreshing cocktails (like the blackberry-tinged Crush & Bloom) and bar snacks that feel rooted in the culture 21 floors below, including pork belly bao buns and hoisin wings. —Nicholas DeRenzo

Library Hotel

The Library Hotel is the definition of a cozy retreat. It opened in 2000 with a library theme that attracts both book-loving guests and those simply looking for a tranquil, private-club–style stay—minus the pretension. It is part of the boutique Library Hotel Collection, which includes the Hotel Giraffe, Casablanca Hotel, and Hotel Elysée in Manhattan, as well as two international venues.

Each of the 60 guest rooms features art and books based on a specific topic, inspired by the Dewey Decimal Classification. The hotel has more than 6,000 hardcover books spread between the rooms and public spaces, such as the lobby and Reading Room, where coffee, tea, sodas, and snacks are available all day. There are also indoor and outdoor rooftop areas for lounging with a good book, and at 4 p.m., the space morphs into the Bookmarks lounge, serving literary-inspired cocktails like Gone with the Gin and Tequila Mockingbird. Downstairs is the hotel’s American restaurant, Madison & Vine, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it also provides room service. While there is no on-site gym, all guests receive access to Blink Fitness. —DLT

The Ludlow

When hotelier Sean MacPherson opened The Ludlow in 2014, he nailed the spirit of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The 175-room hotel is the perfect mix of gritty and stylish, cool and calm. Rooms feature the signature MacPherson style, with artisan touches including handmade silk rugs, artisan-crafted Moroccan pendant lamps, and Indo-Portuguese–style beds. The bath products are from New York City’s biodegradable beauty brand Red Flower. The Ludlow Penthouse is equipped with a full vinyl collection and a 1,100-square-foot terrace featuring panoramic views from the Empire State Building to the Manhattan Bridge.

The lobby is always abuzz, no matter what the hour, and has a rotating selection of art curated by neighboring galleries, as well as an outdoor “secret” garden that’s perfect for hiding away with your laptop or a good book. Perhaps the highlight of any stay is your location above Dirty French, a buzzy French bistro that’s one of Major Food Group’s most underrated restaurants.

The Manner

Set along a tree-lined street in SoHo, The Manner has 97 guest rooms defined by bold color palettes, custom furnishings, and gold accents. Each room has full-height mirrored walls, integrated audio systems, and sleek marble bathrooms stocked with Costa Brazil beauty products. Ten suites come with separate living rooms and private balconies.

The hotel is home to three dining venues led by chef Alex Stupak of Empellón. Exclusive to guests, The Apartment is a relaxed lounge serving breakfast, coffee, and evening aperitivo. Sloane’s is a jewel-toned cocktail lounge anchored by a gold back bar, while The Otter is a critically acclaimed seafood restaurant with a raw bar. In warmer months, the rooftop opens as a lively bar with panoramic city views. —DLT

The Maritime Hotel

Set inside a 1968 landmark building that was once the headquarters for the National Maritime Union, The Maritime Hotel is a mainstay in West Chelsea, with its porthole windows and white-tiled facade. Since becoming a hotel in 2003, it’s known for celebrity sightings, rowdy nights at the lower-level TAO Downtown, and a nautical design that still inspires.

The lobby has a 16th-century stone fireplace, sofas upholstered with sketches of New York City subway scenes, and a mural by Stefano Castronovo that depicts ports from all over the world. The 126 guest rooms are well designed, with chairs covered in fabric by artist Josef Frank depicting a stylized map of Manhattan and custom-designed beds with Japanese fabric headboards. —DLT

The Marlton

Many New York hotels have style, but not all have character—The Marlton is a fine example of a property where the two are powerfully present. Originally built in 1900 as a cheap place to stay (and attracting the likes of writers including Jack Kerouac), this nine-story property was taken under the wing of hotelier Sean MacPherson (the Bowery Hotel, Hotel Chelsea) and transformed into a downtown hot spot where no one seems to care that the rooms are tight on space, even according to New York standards.

What square footage the rooms lack, the common spaces make up for. There’s a fire burning in the lovely lobby, complete with an espresso bar, along with a cocktail bar and the new French bistro Chez Nous, which opened in June 2025. A new 30-foot mural by Cecily Brown now anchors the back room, aptly called the Mural Room. Accommodations are thoughtfully designed, with inviting bathrooms. Striking the right balance between hip but not too fancy, the Marlton is a comfortable property that provides much more than just a place to sleep. —Jessica Colley Clarke

NH Collection New York Madison Avenue Hotel

Spain-based NH Hotels Group might not have immediate name recognition in the States, but the 288-room NH Collection New York Madison Avenue Hotel in Midtown is a worthy introduction to the brand. Less than a 10-minute walk from Grand Central or the New York Public Library, the hotel occupies a 1920s neo-Romanesque building on Madison Avenue and draws inspiration from that thoroughfare’s history as the heart of the advertising industry.

A midcentury-modern Mad Men aesthetic suffuses the public spaces, including the Mad Bar & Lounge, where cocktails are inspired by the 1950s and ‘60s Golden Age of advertising, free weeknight jazz concerts are held in a fireplace-lit room, and Italian-accented bar bites come from Serafina, the hotel’s on-site restaurant. Guest rooms don’t skimp on the extras (bathrobes, slippers, espresso machine), and terrace suites have outdoor seating areas with views of the skyline, including the very-close-by Empire State Building. —ND

Omni Berkshire Place

A historic hotel dating back nearly 100 years, the Omni Berkshire Place has hosted luminaries from Salvador Dalí to Alfred Hitchcock. The marble lobby entrance impresses, although the seating area is on the small side. Upstairs are some of the quietest, largest rooms in New York City (the standard is 271 square feet, and the room size only goes up from there), including some suites with furnished terraces. The 399 rooms and suites have slightly dated decor, but the hotel is scheduled for a renovation in honor of its 100th birthday in 2026.

Families should book the playful FAO Schwartz suite filled with dozens of games, toys, and stuffed animals from the famous toy store, while Broadway aficionados will appreciate the Rogers & Hammerstein suite, which is where the duo met in 1942 to discuss the play that would become Oklahoma! Guests can grab a comfort food bite and drink at Berk’s Bar, use the large 24-hour fitness center, and escape to the 17th-floor terrace, which has an unobstructed view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. —DLT

Park Lane New York

When the original Park Lane New York opened on Central Park South in 1971, it had a European glamour about it. Over the decades, that glamour faded into a rather stodgy beige look. Cut to Fall 2021, when the 47-story property debuted a full reimagination, courtesy of design firm Yabu Pushelberg, that transformed the stuffy hotel into something untraditional and much more inviting—especially compared to its neighbors, the Plaza Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton.

Fans of Ludwig Bemelmans and Marc Chagall will love the whimsical illustrated murals by NYC-based artists En Viu placed throughout the property. Look at the ceiling above the check-in desk for a spring-green scene, or along the saturated blue walls of the staircase leading up to the restaurant, Calvert’s, which offers all-day dining on the second floor. In the 610 guest rooms, murals of Central Park scenes are behind the beds and dressers. You’ll notice navy blue tones in the City View rooms, while the Park View rooms take on softer tones of pink and beige to give the greenery of Central Park center stage.

The staircase up to Darling—the only rooftop bar on Central Park South—has a more dramatic design, with a mural reminiscent of floral still-life paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. The space, which used to be a private apartment, has both indoor and outdoor areas. But once the weather warms up, there’s really no choice when you have those expansive Central Park views as an option. —LM

The Standard, High Line

One of New York’s most architecturally striking hotels, The Standard, High Line, debuted in the on-the-rise Meatpacking District in 2009, the same year as the High Line—the linear park built on disused elevated railway tracks that immediately reshaped Manhattan’s West Side. The 338-room property straddles the park atop 57-foot-tall pillars, and its Le Corbusier–inspired design almost looks like an open book. Be warned: Its glass facade leaves little to the imagination if you don’t close your curtains, and the hotel has developed a reputation for its life-in-a-fish-tank exhibitionism.

The 338 guest rooms are modish and sophisticated, with fluted wood panels that curve from the headboard up to the ceiling, orange tiles in the bathroom, and hooded microfiber twill robes. But the star of the show at any Standard property is its public spaces: Here, that means a great American steakhouse, a German-tinged beer garden with games, a lounge in the lobby, and a rooftop nightclub with a pool that has been a reliable celebrity-sighting hot spot since it opened.—ND

TWA Hotel

Transport yourself back in time to 1960s air travel at the TWA Hotel, restored from the Eero Saarinen 1962 TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport. This is an airport hotel, but it’s worth the stay even if you don’t have an early-morning flight to catch. The 512 guest rooms have walnut martini bars, tambour walls, and Eero Saarinen–designed midcentury-modern Knoll furnishings.

The place to be is the panoramic rooftop pool, which sits on the horizon of JFK’s bustling Runway 4 Left/22 Right and is open year-round. Day passes are available to nonguests. Grab a bite at Paris Café by Jean-Georges Vongerichten or at the food hall, which has outposts from Feltman’s hot dogs of Coney Island and Mister Softee. Sip a cocktail at The Sunken Lounge or Connie Cocktail Lounge, a bar inside a decommissioned 1958 Lockheed Constellation plane parked on the tarmac outside. Read Afar’s full list of top airport hotels.—Jill K. Robinson

Virgin Hotels New York

Richard Branson’s quirky-cool take on urban hotels arrived in New York City in February 2023, adding another hotel to the NoMad neighborhood that’s already packed with options. (The Ned, Ritz-Carlton, and the original Ace Hotel are all around the corner.) But what sets the Virgin Hotels New York apart is what has always set the Virgin brand apart, ever since its origin as an upstart record label in the 1970s: attitude. Playful and edgy from top to bottom, the hotel is all bright red accents, big windows, and a spacious bar-restaurant with a sprawling outdoor patio and DJs or live music nearly every night.

The hotel’s 460 “chambers” (as the rooms are called here) are cleverly efficient, ranging from 277 to 770 square feet. For example, in a compact standard chamber, a rolling barn-style door separates the sleeping section from the entryway, which itself doubles as the vanity-and-sink area, while the bed’s headboard extends a couple feet beyond the mattress, curving into a couch. The one-bedroom suites let you spread out with a living-room space.

The bar-restaurant Everdene is the centerpiece here, set up to be a destination not only for hotel guests but also for locals in search of a cool night out soundtracked by smooth DJs and a monthly concert series. The crimson-covered venue stretches across the entire third floor and acts as a breakfast spot, an after-work drinks hangout, a clubby nightlife hub, and a dinner spot. The menu centers on elevated bistro cuisine (think seared scallops, kale and cabbage salad, and a $25 burger), but one of the best features of Everdene is the large outdoor space, filled with couches perfect for sipping cocktails. Read Afar’s full review of Virgin Hotels New York.—BC

Walker Hotel Greenwich Village

Walker Hotel Greenwich Village captures the spirit of Golden Age New York, inspired by the Georgian revival towers of New York’s 1920s Fifth Avenue. Interiors feel like they’re from another era: There is a sunken lobby with cozy velvet seating framing a crackling fireplace ideal for email catch-ups and end-of-day recaps with friends. Just off the lobby, the Parlour lounge offers afternoon tea and cocktails, as well as performances by local musicians. The Society Cafe excels in comfort food, like fluffy olive oil pancakes and pizzas topped with local farmers’ market ingredients.

Each of the hotel’s 113 guest rooms comes with geometric art deco accent wallpapers, Tivoli Bluetooth speakers, and rotary-style phones, bathrooms with classic black and white subway tile, and bath products from nearby C.O. Bigelow, the oldest apothecary in the USA. Select rooms have private terraces, deep-soaking tubs, and views of the Empire State Building. There’s no gym, but passes to a nearby Planet Fitness gym are available to guests. —DLT

The Wallace

The 124 rooms and suites of The Wallace, which opened in 2021, feature hardwood floors and sleek furnishings with a gray and white palette accented with jewel-toned textiles and abstract artwork. Rooms also have electronic touch panels to control lighting and window coverings, while white marble bathrooms feature rain showers; some rooms have soaking tubs.

Downstairs is the inviting lobby, with dark blue paneled walls, cozy seating vignettes, a marble fireplace, and a grand piano that sometimes gets played when the lobby turns into the popular Wallace Lounge every night, with live jazz Wednesday to Sunday evenings. Sip champagne or a classic cocktail while you enjoy cheese and charcuterie, caviar, or other small plates. Note that there is no breakfast or room service here; the 24-hour gym has two Peloton bikes. —DLT

W New York – Union Square

When W New York – Union Square opened in 2000 inside the former Guardian Life Building, its interiors—designed by Rockwell Group—embodied the height of early-2000s cool. Twenty-five years later, amid a brand-wide reset, the hotel underwent a top-to-bottom renovation, again led by Rockwell Group.

Today, the building’s Beaux-Arts architecture is paired with a bolder, more place-driven design sensibility. A grand curved staircase is covered by a rainbow-hued carpet that pools at its base and leads to the relocated Living Room, a bar and lounge housed in a restored former ballroom dating back to 1911, complete with a coffered ceiling and marble columns. On the ground floor, seafood restaurant Seahorse, by Mercer Street Hospitality, anchors the public spaces. Upstairs, 256 guest rooms draw design inspiration from neighboring Union Square Park (think floral patterns and wall sconces inspired by subway station entrances). —DLT

Wythe Hotel

A five-year restoration and renovation project transformed a factory on the Williamsburg waterfront, originally built in 1901, into the stylish but laid-back Wythe Hotel—Williamsburg’s first hotel, which opened in 2012. This 69-room property has a distinctly Brooklyn stamp, from the Brooklyn-made wallpaper to the Brooklyn-sourced minibar, and other standout details are the heated concrete floors and the reclaimed wood (from the former factory) in the ceilings. Spacious lofts are particularly noteworthy for their floor-to-ceiling views of the Manhattan skyline and standalone pedestal tubs. Visitors and New Yorkers mingle over cocktails at the rooftop Bar Blondeau and at the critically acclaimed ground-floor brasserie, Le Crocodile, where dishes include escargot with parsley and fennel and duck breast with carrots and cornichon. —JCC