Best luxury hotels in New York 2023: Four Seasons, Soho House and more

Neighbourhood: Tribeca

In the heart of Tribeca, the Greenwich has a bona fide film star pedigree – one of its owners is none other than Robert De Niro. Yet the hotel’s luxury digs and service would hold up regardless of that Hollywood connection. Each of the 88 rooms and suites are styled differently yet all retain an old-world charm with a hodgepodge of cultural influences, from Tibetan silk rugs to Moroccan tiles and “English leather settees.” The beds are Duxiana, the bathtubs are deep-soaking and the minibar snacks, bottled water and soft drinks are complimentary. Beneath the lobby is the exclusive Japanese-Inspired Shibui Spa and sultry indoor pool, while, back upstairs, Locanda Verde from popular chef Andrew Carmelllini, serves hearty Italian food at its finest.

Neighbourhood: Midtown East

If your only wish is not to lift a finger during your visit to New York, look no further than the St Regis on Fifth Avenue at 55th Street. Every room here comes with the service of a dedicated maitre d’étages – ‘butler’, to you and me. Guests can also be ferried about town in a Bentley within a 10-block radius of the hotel. Inside the rooms are silk wall coverings, crystal chandeliers, fancy writing desks and some state-of-the-art technology such as Bose sound systems and fast internet. Downstairs, a bloody mary will be expertly mixed at the King Cole bar, the birthplace of the spicy hangover cure, while a proper meal can be had in the Astor Court, named after NYC’s own John Jacob Astor IV who founded the luxury St. Regis brand more than 100 years ago.

Neighbourhood: Midtown Manhattan

Nearly every turn at this luxury hotel, inspired by the 253-year-old French crystal brand, is worthy of an Instagram post. At the street-level entrance, across from the Museum of Modern Art, there’s a wall adorned with 1,800 Baccarat “Harcourt” stemware, all lit up by LED lights in the shape of the Baccarat “B.” Upstairs, in the Grand Salon, just beyond check-in, is a delicate 64-armed chandelier that hangs over an assortment of high-backed banquettes and mirrored tables, all topped off with some form of Baccarat crystal.

Indeed, there are nearly 15,000 pieces of Baccarat stemware found throughout the hotel, along with other crystal fixtures that usually retail for more than $1,000 a piece.

In the rooms, the glamour continues in champagne-tinged colours with luxurious finishes, such as white marble surfaces and red-lacquer mini bars. But the piece de resistance is the “Champagne” button on the in-room telephone, which allows a guest to have their favourite bubbly delivered to their room.

Neighbourhood: Upper East Side

A revered hotel among the fashion elite (most bold-type names attending the Met Gala stay here), The Mark is an Upper East Side haven, well known for its subtle luxury. Rooms are tastefully done in a subdued residential style, while its lobby goes for drama, thanks to its signature black-and-white maze floor pattern.

Now, The Mark is putting a luxury twist on wellness. Guests booking the Wellness package will receive a custom Mark Hotel yoga mat, a facial treatment, a personal training session with Dan Flores or a private yoga class, as well as fresh juice and vegan treats at check-in from the hotel’s Jean-Georges Vongericten restaurant. After all that working out and heavy wellness concentration, guests can then hire one of The Mark’s chic black-and-white pedi-cabs to take them sightseeing.

Price: Doubles from $1,025 (£837)

Neighbourhood: Midtown Manhattan

The Langham has occupied a sweet spot on Fifth Avenue near Herald Square and Bryant Park for nearly a decade – with views of the Empire State Building at every turn – but it was just recently that the luxury hotel received a brand-new look, putting it on par with the brand’s flagship property in London. The 234 guest rooms are sophisticated yet unfussy, with Italian walnut finishes, marble bathrooms, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Langham also has a varied selection of room types, some with kitchenettes, making it an ideal choice for families and guests on longer trips. For art-lovers, the only room to book is the presidential suite designed by French interior design retailer Roche Bobois, and adorned with colourful paintings from Alex Katz.

Neighbourhood: Financial District, Downtown

People have made money moves on Wall Street for decades, but the financial district was suffering from a dearth of luxury hotels – until the arrival of the Four Seasons in 2016. The unapologetically modern hotel designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern has 161 guest rooms, a whopping 28 suites, and an additional 157 residences attached with eye-catching interiors by top-notch interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg. Wolfgang Puck has opened an outpost of his famous CUT Steakhouse and lounge on the ground floor of the hotel with a seductive vibe cultivated by designer Jacques Garcia. The guestrooms are more grounded in style, with neutral colours and all the luxury comforts well-heeled guests expect, such as plush bedding, 55in televisions, Nespresso machines and gourmet minibars. Should the rat race get to be too much, head to The Spa and consult with one of the three resident healers who can curate mindful experiences for you, from acupuncture work to meditation.

Neighbourhood: Upper West Side

Situated in Columbus Circle in the soaring Time Warner Center, the Mandarin Oriental New York is one of the rare hotels in Manhattan that can offer guests either rooms overlooking Central Park or rooms overlooking the Hudson River (park views are slightly more expensive). But no matter where you step in the midtown hotel, jaw-dropping vistas are plentiful. From the moment you check-in at the 35th floor’s Skylobby, to drinks at one of the two lounges, views are guaranteed. Even while doing laps in the 75ft-high lap pool or from a treatment table in The Spa.

Neighbourhood: Upper East Side

The Carlyle is not just an Art Deco gem that’s perched on the Upper East side, it’s a New York institution. Originally built in 1930, the 35-storey grande dame retains much of the decor and style of its first decorator, Dorothy Draper – most notably the striking black-and-white marbled lobby. The elevators still have their own operators (you’ll never have to push a button here) while the guest rooms (69 of them are suites) sport a classic Louis XVI style that’s at once comfortable and elegant. But it’s what happens downstairs that makes The Carlyle so legendary and worthy of its own documentary: “Always at The Carlyle”. The landmark Carlyle Café opened in 1955 and has been host to music greats and celebrities such as Judy Collins, Paul McCartney, Bobby Short, Elaine Stritch, Bill Murray and Alan Cumming. At the Bemelmans Bar, named for artist and author Ludwig Bemelman (best known for the Madeline book series) who patronised the bar frequently. Children can indulge in a special Madeline Tea during November and December, which includes a sing-a-long and children’s buffet.

Price: Doubles from £934

Neighbourhood: Times Square

For the Chatwal, a Luxury Collection Hotel from Starwood Hotels, its claim to fame is its 29 speciality suites (dubbed The Chatwal Crowns), which have the largest outdoor terraces in the city. But the starting rooms at this Times Square hotel aren’t too shabby either. All rooms have a sleek Art Deco style that befits the hotel’s prime Theater District location, as well as a butler service. Guests also have access to the wellness centre and a 24-hour gym with the option of private sessions with a personal trainer. Dining out is made easy, too, with well-regarded The Lambs Club. And you’ll get a bit of a history lesson with your meal – The Lambs Club was America’s first theatrical society housed in the very building that is now home to The Chatwal.

Neighbourhood: Midtown Manhattan

It doesn’t get more New York than The Plaza, where Alfred Hitchcock had Cary Grant kidnapped (in North By Northwest, that is); Kevin lived it up in Home Alone 2, and bridezillas Hathaway and Hudson went to war. It was once owned by Donald Trump, who bought the hotel for more than $400m in 1988, then quickly became the only owner in The Plaza’s history to bankrupt it (he sold it off in 1995). Today, it’s owned by Fairmont, which has retained all that grande dame goodness: gilded mouldings, acres of marble, crystal chandeliers. Though this is one of the city’s only hotels where you’re guaranteed a big, plush room, luxury isn’t limited to bedtime: see the massive food hall, ritzy Champagne Bar, and glass-domed, palm-dotted Palm Court. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more “movie New York”, you step outside, where horses and carriages wait to whisk you around Central Park.

Neighbourhood: West Side

An exclusive address in an exclusive neighbourhood, Soho House is where you go to feel like one of Manhattan’s on-trend elite. With all the hallmarks of the hipper-than-thou hospitality brand — rooftop pool and bar; Cowshed spa; cinema room — and its signature, New York design aesthetic (wood beams, exposed brick), this is the self-consciously coolest of the cool. Fear not, though – you won’t feel out of place. Staff make hotel guests feel like one of the in-crowd, and it’s access-all-areas for the duration of your stay. If you can bear to leave the inner sanctum, outside there are art galleries, high-end fashion boutiques, and the High Line (if you feel like slumming it with the hoi polloi).

Price: Rooms from $925 (£750)