5 Cool Boutique New York City Hotels

If you’re heading to the Big Apple, take your hotel experience up a notch with a cool, quirky or chic boutique hotel. Sure, the familiarity of a big chain hotel is great, but it can be nice to go all in on a new experience and atmosphere to make your trip even more special. Here are five of the best boutique hotels in NYC, from a list by Harper’s Bazaar.

1. The Chatwal

Looking for Art-Deco glam in NYC? Look no further than The Chatwal, set within walking distance of Times Square. Harper’s Bazaar loves this boutique hotels for its handsome furnishings, luxury service and The Lambs Club, a culinary destination from celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian. Up the level of luxury and book one of The Chatwal Crowns, a collection of 10 unique suites by master designer Thierry Despont with names like the Director Suite, the Zen Suite and the Garden suite, all with distinct themes and gorgeous furnishings.

2. The Quin

Located just two blocks from Central Park in Midtown, The Quin is designed to invite ease and relaxation to its guests, which is why it made Harper’s list. This artsy hotel is a New York legacy once home to this century's greatest artists, which is reflected in The Wayfarer, the onsite restaurant The Wayfarer. The restaurant evokes the experience of an old gentlemen’s club with a touch of disco-era design, inspiring a feeling of rediscovery and rebirth.

3. Ace Hotel

Harper’s calls The Ace “a hotbed for hipsters and a mecca for the artsy cool kids, freelance creatives and other movers and shakers of Manhattan.” The hotel’s décor is as unique and cool as its Brooklyn neighborhood with original artwork created by local artists. Some rooms offer unobstructed, 360-degree views of Brooklyn Manhattan Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty. This place is a real treasure.

4. The James New York Nomad

Located in “the perfect balance where uptown meets downtown,” The James is a calming, urban retreat near the Flatiron District and the Empire State Building. Harper’s emphasizes the hotel’s eco-friendly efforts, “with reclaimed wood floors, filtered water instead of bottled, waste-reducing bath products and linens made of entirely natural materials.” Don’t miss having a cocktail at The Seville, a throwback New York cocktail lounge, and really don’t miss dining at Scarpetta, LDV Hospitality’s signature restaurant concept that first launched in New York’s Meatpacking District and is now relocated inside The James. Think signature pastas (made in-house daily) paired with fresh, high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients.

5. The Surrey

Upper East Side glam meets Art-Deco style at The Surrey. The Chanel-inspired quilted wall in the hotel’s Bar Pleiades caught the eye of Harper’s along with the six-foot portrait of Kate Moss by the lobby’s elevators. Originally built in 1926 as a residence hotel, this historic property was temporarily home to icons like JFK, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert. The modern-day recreation of The Surrey brought in famed interior designer Lauren Rottet who paid special attention to maintaining the integrity of the building while modernizing what has become New York’s most intimate address.