Brooklyn’s Best Hotels, from Warehouse Lofts to Waterfront Retreats

New York’s most populous borough continues to draw locals and visitors alike to its diverse neighborhoods, where they eagerly explore its tree-lined thoroughfares dotted with brownstones, chic shops and art galleries, and sought-after restaurants. In Brooklyn, you’ll find a slightly different pace than you might in Manhattan: It’s a bit more relaxed, and in its own way, it has more of a small-town feel, insomuch as that’s possible for a metropolis like New York.

Its hotels reflect that character, with properties that embody the spirit of the neighborhoods they call home. From independent boutique properties to stylish, relatively affordable outposts from well-known brands, Brooklyn has it all when it comes to places to stay. As part of our Hotels We Love series, these are the 10 best hotels to book in New York’s second-largest borough.

Ace Hotel Brooklyn

Courtesy of The William Vale

Situated across the street from Downtown Brooklyn’s Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets subway station, the 287-room Ace Hotel Brooklyn is an ideal meeting place and jumping-off point for exploring the borough. The expansive lobby is a hangout for guests and locals, day and night, whether you’re grabbing coffee and pastries while working in the morning or sipping on cocktails at night.

New York–based design firm Roman and Williams created the sleek interiors, which are dressed in green leather couches, wood paneling, and fiber-art pieces that add warmth to the concrete walls and ceilings. Insider tip: The best room views come from south-facing Medium Skyline rooms on the top four floors. The hotel’s restaurant, Lele’s Roman, offers fresh takes on Roman cuisine (don’t miss the pinsas, a variation on pizza). Those looking to squeeze in a workout will appreciate the gym, with vintage bodybuilding equipment sourced from Brooklyn gym institution Frenchie’s.

Related: These Are the 25 Best Four-Star Hotels in NYC

Arlo Williamsburg

Laura Thiesbrummel

Arlo Williamsburg is an eight-story boutique hotel designed by London-based Michaelis Boyd (Babington House UK, Soho House Berlin). It doubles as an artistic hub, with rotating exhibitions in the lobby bar, a rainbow installation by local street artist Eric Rieger, and a rooftop, Art Williamsburg, home to a 40-foot swimming pool and a 23-foot-tall mural by Los Angeles–based ThankYouX.

All 147 rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that make the most of the views, along with stylish details that nod to the city, including striking blue subway tiles in the bathrooms and exposed red-brick walls. While the hotel is within walking distance of many sought-after restaurants, the hotel restaurant, Sungold, is also a standout for handmade pasta and wood-fired pizzas. And be sure to grab a cocktail inside the aptly named Water Tower, a reimagined rooftop bar housed inside a historic water tower.

The hotel has partnered with Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program so that a portion of every stay goes to Breaking Good, an organization that provides supportive housing, street outreach, and essential services to those in need.

The Box House Hotel

Courtesy of The Box House Hotel

Matching the borough’s industrial heritage, the Box House Hotel was thoughtfully fashioned from the bones of a former doors-and-windows manufacturing facility. While its industrial character remains intact, the 126 loft-style rooms, which benefit from high ceilings, large windows, and exposed beams, are spacious and homey, with an eclectic mix of contemporary and antique furniture alongside artwork commissioned from local artist Kip Jacobs.

The hotel’s location, a bit removed from borough’s busiest thoroughfares, offers relative quiet compared with other hotels, yet guests are close to Queens attractions like the contemporary art museum MoMA PS1 and to popular Greenpoint restaurants including Gigi’s (a French wine bar with rotisserie chicken), Socceria (a Mexican sports bar), and Falansai (a neighborhood favorite for Vietnamese Mexican fare).

Hotel Indigo Williamsburg

Courtesy of IHG Hotels & Resorts

This 187-room hotel is part of IHG’s boutique Hotel Indigo brand, and it’s located on the corner of Metropolitan and Union avenues, directly above the historic Kellogg’s Diner. Far from the buzzing urban vibrancy outside these doors, the high-ceilinged lobby is a calming space with terrazzo floors, globe lights, and clean-lined furniture in a soothing palette of grays, pinks, and greens. Many rooms have large balconies with Manhattan skyline views, and some feature bi-level lofts. New York City makers take pride of place throughout the property: You’ll find colorful rugs by Alex Proba in select suites and a more than 100-foot-long mural on the fence out front, commissioned by graffiti artist Fernando “Ski” Romero.

Those visiting during sweltering summer months will appreciate the fourth-floor terrace pool, which has a full lounge and bar serving tropical bar snacks such as tamarind wings and escovitch lobster tostones. (Psst: Locals who want in on that pool deck without booking an overnight stay can purchase a day pass via ResortPass for $65.)

The Hoxton Williamsburg

Courtesy of the Hoxton

Nodding to the hip London-based hotel chain’s Shoreditch roots, the Hoxton Williamsburg has a midcentury-meets-urban vibe, courtesy of Ennismore’s design team, AIME Studios. Think locally made ceramics, brass accents, jewel-tone velvet headboards, and subway-tiled showers. Though the 175 rooms range from an ultracozy 170 square feet to a slightly roomier 240 square feet, they all come with king-size beds that have built-in drawers. In some rooms, guests can choose two twin beds instead of a king.

The hotel’s restaurants, both from acclaimed chef Mike Solomonov, are some of the buzziest places to dine in New York City. Rooftop skewer house, Laser Wolf, is a must for its grilled meats and vegetables, impressive salatim, and impeccable sunsets. K’Far, the all-day lobby-level restaurant, serves fare inspired by Solomonov’s hometown of K’Far Saba in Israel, and the pastries, including an almond challah danish and a pistachio sticky bun, are not to be missed.

Moxy Williamsburg

Courtesy of Moxy Williamsburg

Moxy Williamsburg is in the very epicenter of Williamsburg on the corner of Bedford Avenue and South Fourth Street. Like any New York apartment, the hotel’s 216 rooms are small but thoughtfully designed with under-bed storage space and fold-down wall hooks and desks. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide uninterrupted views of sunsets over Manhattan and the Williamsburg Bridge and make the space seem larger than it is. Find an even more impressive view of the skyline at the rooftop bar, LilliStar, the hotel’s indoor/outdoor rooftop where the cocktails are plentiful and dance parties are often in session.

For dinner, you have your choice of Brooklyn classics, including the iconic Peter Luger Steakhouse and Diner, the highly influential restaurant often credited for embodying the borough’s hipster identity. Later on, stop at the hotel’s Jolene Sound Room, where the state-of-the-art audio and light systems make it one of the best late-night party options in the neighborhood.

1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

Courtesy of 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

This 195-room property just south of the Brooklyn Bridge is part of the sustainability-minded 1 Hotels and is certified carbon neutral. Among the many eco-conscious measures here that have led to LEED Gold certification are a fully electric Audi house car, low-energy LED lighting, and interiors filled with native plants and upcycled materials: Think green-glass water carafes made from old wine bottles, cardboard hangers, and furniture made from heart pine beams rescued from the defunct Domino Sugar Factory just up the river.

This being DUMBO, the main event is the view of the downtown Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge, visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows in many of the rooms—and at the rooftop pool and bar. The hotel has four types of suites, including the 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom Riverhouse.

The revitalized waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park is steps from the front door, but you don’t have to go far to enjoy some of the borough’s renowned food and drink: In fact, the hotel is home to an outpost of Jonathan Waxman’s iconic West Village staple, Barbuto, where you can feast on the famed iconic JW chicken with salsa verde, handmade pastas, and more.

Penny Williamsburg

Photo by Alice Gao

Situated on a quiet side street, Penny Williamsburg—from the same group behind the NoMad, Line, and Freehand hotels—is ideal for travelers seeking style and access to some of the city’s best restaurants, like famed natural wine bar the Four Horsemen and Cantonese American standout Bonnie’s. Each of the 118 rooms, ranging from a 200-square-foot Queen to a 700-square-foot Majesty Suite with a private terrace and a kitchen, is smartly designed and comfortable. Books are curated by esteemed New York bookstore the Strand, and you’ll slumber in hypoallergenic Bellino linens from Southern Italy.

Grabbing a bite or drink from the Penny’s rooftop bar and restaurant, elNico, is another highlight. Be sure to peruse the ground-floor art gallery curated by the hotel with local nonprofit Land Gallery to support underrecognized artists, too.

Related: An Art-Focused Hotel—With an Incredible Rooftop—Opens in Brooklyn

The William Vale

Douglas Lyle Thompson

The William Vale sits in the heart of Williamsburg, and it has become one of Brooklyn’s defining luxury hotels, thanks to its striking architecture, panoramic Manhattan skyline views, and lively social scene. All 183 guest rooms, designed with carpet-topped hardwood floors and colorful wall art, have private balconies (a rarity in New York City) and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that make the most of the East River views.

Celebrated NYC chef Andrew Carmellini oversees the Southern Italian menu at Leuca (think wood-fired pizzas and rigatoni with lamb Bolognese). In warmer months, the outdoor pool and the rooftop bar, Westlight, are among the neighborhood’s most sought-after gathering spots, while the hotel’s location puts some of Brooklyn’s best restaurants, bars, boutiques, and waterfront parks just outside the front door.

Wythe Hotel

Photo by Matt Dutile

If Williamsburg was Brooklyn’s anointed arbiter of cool in the early 2000s, Wythe Hotel became its poster child when it opened in 2012 after a five-year renovation that transformed the former textile factory into one of the borough’s first boutique properties. It’s the little details in its 69 rooms that stand out, like the concrete floors with under-floor heating and the use of reclaimed wood—from the building’s original timber—in the 13-foot-high ceilings and custom-made bed frames. The spacious lofts are particularly noteworthy for their floor-to-ceiling views of the Manhattan skyline and stand-alone pedestal tubs.

The hotel’s dining options, overseen by the same team behind Greenpoint’s beloved Chez Ma Tante, are among some of the city’s best. They include Bar Blondeau, a rooftop restaurant serving natural wine and Mediterranean-inspired seafood, and Le Crocodile, an all-day French brasserie.

Stop by Bar Blondeau on Sundays for afternoon tea and “Sunday Sessions,” during which guest sommeliers educate attendees on wine, and for a rotating slate of local musical talent.

Additional reporting by Jessica Colley Clarke, Nicholas DeRenzo, Michelle Heimerman, Katherine LaGrave, Erin Lindholm, Lyndsey Matthews, Nicole Schnitzler, and Sarah Buder.