The best New York hotels for design lovers

Ace Hotel Brooklyn

The Ace Hotel Brooklyn features interiors by Roman and Williams, includes local art in each of its 287 guest rooms, and also has a public gallery in its lobby with rotating exhibitions. Housed within a 13-storey concrete-and-glass tower designed in collaboration with architects Stonehill Taylor, the hotel sits at the nexus of trendy Fort Greene and Boerum Hill neighbourhoods, close to some of New York City’s best dining options. Inside, the rooms take cues from Cabanon – the French Riviera retreat frequented by Le Corbusier – such as exposed concrete and simple plywood furniture, while large windows allow in plenty of natural light. – Dan Howarth

The Ace Hotel Brooklyn is located at 252 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, acehotel.com

Aman New York

Aman Resorts’ only urban property in the Americas occupies the Beaux-arts Crown Building on Fifth Avenue, completed in 1921 by Warren & Wetmore. Converted by Denniston Architects, the tower features the brand’s signature minimalist interiors and serene colour palettes with gold accents. The Japanese-influenced guest rooms feature oak, walnut and cinnamon woods, as well as bronze and blackened metal surfaces. Suites include pairs of pivoting louvre doors with backlit rice-paper panels, which guests can angle to open up or contain the spaces within their rooms. Two restaurants – Italian-influenced Arva and Nama serving traditional Japanese cuisine – and the Aman Spa are available to hotel guests and Aman Club members. There’s also a 20-metre swimming pool on the 10th floor, a fitness centre, and a 650-square-metre outdoor terrace. – Dan Howarth

Aman New York is located at 730 5th Ave, aman.com

Casa Cipriani New York

Casa Cipriani New York can be found across the upper floors of the Battery Maritime Building, restored by French architect Thierry Despont. Filled with historic details and enjoying sweeping views across New York harbour, the hotel’s design blends elements of the original Beaux-arts ferry terminal with luxurious art deco-influenced furniture and finishes. Lacquered cherry wood and gold-leaf walls make the club and restaurant areas feel like an ocean liner, helped along by plenty of nautical references throughout rich navy and white upholstery, and brass-rimmed portholes. Several of the 47 guest rooms are lined with cashmere, while suites with up to four bedrooms include spacious balconies overlooking the bustling East River. Both hotel guests and members can utilise the spacious gym and a spa that offers a variety of treatments. – Dan Howarth

Casa Cipriani New York is located at 10 South St, casaciprianinewyork.com

The Fifth Avenue Hotel

The Fifth Avenue Hotel, designed by Martin Brudnizki and opened in autumn 2023, answered the existential question ‘Does New York need another hotel?’ affirmatively. The 153-room property is within walking distance of Madison Square Park, the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, and a clutch of major museums and galleries. Notably, the hotel occupies two buildings – a handsomely restored 19th-century brick and limestone manse, and a 24-storey glass tower. The spacious rooms cheerfully mix ornate furnishings with antique mirror-panelled walls and ceilings, pink corridors, elevator lobbies wrapped in rose-hued silk, and yellow wallpaper depicting images of an exotic bestiary. – Daven Wu

The Fifth Avenue Hotel is located at 1 W 28th St, thefifthavenuehotel.com

Hotel Fouquet’s New York

Hotel Fouquet’s New York combines the chic style of Paris with the trendy vibe of Tribeca to offer a chic pied-à-terre in the heart of the city. The hotel, which provides 97 residential-style rooms and suites designed by world-renowned designer Martin Brudnizki, also emerges as a vibrant food and beverage destination encompassing an outpost of historic French brasserie Fouquet’s by Michelin-starred Chef Pierre Gagnair. The amenities are equally tantalising, ranging from a Spa Diane Barrière with a pool and a fitness centre by luxury, a personalised training gym, Dogpounds, to the state-of-the-art screening room, Cannes Cinema.

Hotel Fouquet’s New York is located at 456 Greenwich St, hotelsbarriere.com

The Ned NoMad

Designed by French interior designer Jacques Garcia (the man behind Paris’ Hotel Costes), The Ned NoMad – housed in a Beaux-Arts building restored by Stonehill Taylor – is Garcia’s first New York hotel and is a re-imagined Parisian flat of the designer’s youth, sporting traditional French mahogany writing desks, reclaimed maple wood floors and Deyrolle butterfly boxes on the walls. The grand two-level library is complete with a mezzanine ‘catwalk’ and an eclectic literary collection. Meanwhile, the dining offerings include the classic Italian restaurant Cecconi’s, and Little Ned, a 1920s-style bar. – Lauren Ho

The Ned NoMad is located at 1170 Broadway, thened.com

Park Hyatt New York

Occupying the first 25 floors of the 90-storey One57 skyscraper (designed by Paris-based architect Christian de Portzamparc), the 210-room Park Hyatt New York opened in 2014, brimming with special touches, including 475 sq ft entry-level rooms, a top-floor wellness centre, a collection of museum-quality artwork – by the likes of Rob Fischer, Ellsworth Kelly and Richard Serra – and an exclusive soundtrack for the pool, courtesy of Carnegie Hall, played through underwater speakers. Understated interiors come courtesy of Yabu Pushelberg, while additionally, the hotel provides New York brand Le Labo’s Tubereuse 40-scented toiletries, a line exclusive to the city. – Pei-Ru Keh

Park Hyatt New York is located at 157 W 57th St, hyatt.com

Public Hotel

Occupying the bottom half of his 215 Chrystie Street tower, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the 370-room Public Hotel is Ian Schrager’s 21st-century iteration of the boutique hotel concept he pioneered over three decades ago. The property eschews the usual tropes such as bellhops and room service, to focus on the details that really matter. A sweep of facilities includes a fabulous restaurant and grocery/coffee shop concept, as well as multiple bars, a public garden and a boutique. – Pei-Ru Keh

Public House is located at 215 Chrystie Street, publichotels.com

Warren Street Hotel

Among the cobblestone streets and red brick accents found in downtown Tribeca, Firmdale Hotels’ third New York property, the Warren Street Hotel, sticks out with its striking blue exterior and bright yellow roof, developed by architecture firm Stonehill Taylor. The property is designed by British designer and Firmdale founder Kit Kemp, and her daughters, Minnie and Willow. Its 69 individually designed bedrooms and suites are bathed with natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and showcase Kemp’s distinctive style through intricately embellished headboards, bespoke lighting, and custom-designed tableware.

Warren Street Hotel is located at 86 Warren St, firmdalehotels.com

The Whitby Hotel

Featuring 86 bedrooms and suites scattered across 16 floors of a purpose-built building designed by Kit Kemp, The Whitby is based in Manhattan’s upper midtown; an area that recalls New York in its full postcard glory. If the drama of nearby Broadway is not enough (or, realistically, too much) the show-stopping Whitby Bar offers an exciting alternative. Amongst expansive warehouse-style windows and patterned banquettes, the elegant room hosts guests and locals alike for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, while cocktails are served from an impressive 30-foot pewter bar. The Whitby Hotel private screening room is the latest addition – Ella Marshall

The Whitby Hotel is located at 18 W 56th St, firmdalehotels.com

1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

Featuring views of Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the East River and Manhattan’s shimmering skyline, the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge opened in 2017 with a design by local firm INC Architecture & Design. The hotel’s interiors make extensive use of regional and reclaimed materials, including original heart pine beams from the former Domino Sugar Factory, walnut from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and pine flooring from the Old Crow Distillery in Kentucky. The 194 rooms are dressed in native natal mahogany trees, with a lush 25 ft-tall living wall of creeping figs and ferns installed in the lobby lounge. – Daven Wu

1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is located at 60 Furman St, 1hotels.com

11 Howard

Howard Street is something of a design mecca at the heart of SoHo. Occupying a former post office and opened back in 2016, 11 Howard boasts a slick blend of a Scandinavian design sensibility and a distinctly New York personality that are clear from the moment you enter. An Alexander Calder mobile is the centrepiece of the bleached-oak lobby, and a design gallery/boutique by Studio Oliver Gustav takes the place of the usual hotel gift shop. The hotel’s 221 rooms have an individual charm thanks to the irregular floor plan, and feature Danish-made furnishings and marble bathrooms. – Pei-Ru Keh

11 Howard is located at 11 Howard St, 11howard.com

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Sofia de la Cruz is the Travel Editor at Wallpaper*. A self-declared flâneuse, she feels most inspired when taking the role of a cultural observer – chronicling the essence of cities and remote corners through their nuances, rituals, and people. Her work lives at the intersection of art, design, and culture, often shaped by conversations with the photographers who capture these worlds through their lens.

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