Top 5 New Hotels in New York City

Our Top 5 new hotels to stay in New York City.

By: Dan Allen

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Major hotel openings are hardly a rarity in New York City, and there are a bumper crop of bold, beautiful and centrally located Gotham properties. Our top 5 picks for the best of the new breed of NYC hotels cover a wide range of styles and budgets. Interestingly, each hotel pays homage to the Big Apple’s rich cultural past and sits within a block of the city’s famed Avenue of the Americas, otherwise known as Sixth Avenue.

1. Refinery

Refinery

Photo by: Refinery

Refinery

Refinery is a century-old Garment District millinery factory that's been reshaped into one of the brightest new stars on New York's hotel scene. Refinery's 197 industrial, loft-like rooms have wood flooring, exposed-beam ceilings and desks inspired by Singer sewing machines. This hotel is so hip and camera-ready that it has played host to Project Runway contestants.

The hotel’s restaurant, Parker & Quinn, serves hearty American fare in a nostalgic bistro setting, while the 3,500-square-foot Refinery Rooftop offers breath-stopping views of the surrounding city; the Empire State Building, Times Square, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station and Penn Station are all located within a phenomenal 5-block radius of the hotel.

2. The Jade

The Jade

Photo by: The Jade

The Jade

The Jade is the latest and most upscale offering from the folks behind Manhattan's popular GEM boutique hotel mini-chain. Set in a new 18-story building that seamlessly blends with its Georgian-style neighborhood on street level. the Jade reveals something all its own inside: a rich and softly lit salon-like setting, complete with a dramatic Art Deco staircase leading down to a cushy 3,600-square-foot sunken lobby.

Beyond the lavender velvet curtains is Grape & Vine Bar, a speakeasy-esque lounge serving artisanal American fare. Upstairs, the 113 jewel-toned rooms have further Deco touches like ebony furniture and rotary-dial phones. Thanks to the building's height, most rooms (while on the small side) have unobstructed views, which, looking southward, offer great glimpses of Lower Manhattan's new Freedom Tower.

3. Viceroy New York

Viceroy New York

Photo by: Viceroy New York

Viceroy New York

This is the first New York City property to take the ultra-luxe Viceroy name. The 29-floor hotel located on 57th Street blends elements of Art Deco geometry, mid-century simplicity and bygone nautical elegance, and spices the décor up with 21st-century perks like Beats by Dre sound systems. Roman and Williams, the company that also styled NYC modern hotel classics The Standard and The Ace, designed this luxe hotel.

Viceroy's 240 guest rooms have an upper-deck, ship-cabin feel, with rich woods, soft leather and metal accents. Every room has a balcony, terrace or floor-to-ceiling windows for views of Central Park. Looking for a bite to eat? Next to the dazzling Viceroy lobby try Kingside. This contemporary restaurant is a co-production of celeb chef Marc Murphy and nightlife experts The Gerber Group. Head upstairs to The Roof to see what other amazing cocktails this culinary pairing offers guests.

4. The Marlton

The Marlton

Photo by: The Marlton

The Marlton

How do you modernize a beloved bohemian hotel with more than a century of literary and theatrical history? If you're über-cool hotelier Sean MacPherson, you play up the past, giving the 107 rooms a post-war Parisian feel. The layout includes pastel-colored walls, crown moldings and unique touches like hand-shaped, wall-mounted brass light fixtures.

With a sprawling lobby that's part lounge, part library and part bar, The Marlton is located in a hip and busy block of downtown's 8th Street, in Greenwich Village. Guests at the old Marlton Hotel included notable celebrities such as Lillian Gish, Jack Kerouac and Julie Andrews, making any stay here a fascinating look into NYC’s rich cultural past as well.

5. The Quin

The Quin

Photo by: The Quin

The Quin

The Quin exudes modern luxury, accentuated by an art-centric motif that pays homage to its location in the 57th Street gallery district as well as by the hotel’s rich history, with past guests that have included Georgia O'Keeffe and Marc Chagall. The grand lobby sports a 15-foot digital art wall. All 208 rooms, meanwhile, feature original artwork.

These aren’t the rooms of starving artists; amenities featured include DUX beds, Evolve wireless environment controllers and direct-dial buttons to Bergdorf Goodman's personal shopping service. Go ahead and splurge! In 2014, guests will be able to reserve the 3-floor Penthouse Suite, with its own 1200-square-foot balcony overlooking Central Park.