Indagare's 7 Most-Booked Hotels in New York City: 2021-2022

Indagare’s 7 Most-Booked Hotels in New York City:
2021-2022
New York City is getting ready for spring—and now is the perfect time to start planning
a grand return to the Big Apple. To help you find your perfect home base, we’ve
rounded up the seven New York City luxury hotels that have lately been most popular
with Indagare members (since 2021). From design-forward boutique gems to iconic
establishments steeped in history and the ultimate addresses for polish and glamour,
these hotels offer an urban escape for every type of traveler in Manhattan.

Contact your Indagare Trip Designer or Indagare, if you are not yet a member,
to start planning a summer trip to New York City—this year, or whenever you’re
ready. Our team can match you with the accommodations, reservations and
activities that are right for you.

1. Crosby Street Hotel, SoHo

Courtesy the Crosby Street Hotel, New York City

The Crosby Street Hotel is the New York addition to London-based Firmdale hotel
company, which includes the Haymarket and The Knightsbridge. The very British
company’s first foray into the U.S., the Crosby sits on a relatively quiet side street in

SoHo, occupying a modern 11-story building, which Firmdale built from the ground up.
Interiors are classic Kit Kemp: a contemporary mélange of fabrics, textures and eye-
catching hues that are combined with an expert eye. The best part about Kemp’s vision
is that it’s decidedly about the fantasy of staying in a beautifully conceptualized hotel
that has absolutely nothing to do with your own home: lime green fauteuils, wildly
patterned, bespoke wallpaper and multi-hued silk drapes. Each of the 86 rooms is
different in décor and color scheme, giving the accommodations a personal, handcrafted
feel. Hand-chosen antiques and custom-designed light fixtures abound, as well as
original art. Outdoor spaces include a garden on a lower rooftop, allowing guests to
look onto something green, and the lofty bar area that spills into a courtyard facing
Lafayette Street is one of the city’s hot spots for al fresco cocktails and meals
throughout the day. Don’t let the name fool you, this is a fully-fledged—and
delicious—restaurant. For guests who want to be based downtown in midst of Soho
bustle—Balthazar is around the corner—the Crosby Street Hotel is a stylish option.
Book now.

Related: What’s New in New York City: Hotels, Restaurants & Culture in
Manhattan – Spring 2022

2. The Whitby, Midtown West

Courtesy The Whitby, New York City

Coming in second place is the Crosby’s sister property, The Whitby. In many ways, this
boutique property bears resemblance to its downtown counterpart; however, The
Whitby, on 56th street, just off Fifth Avenue, is unique in that it feels like a small,
eclectic hotel—but is set in the center of bustling Midtown and is surrounded by some
of the city’s leading galleries, museums and luxury department stores (making it an
ideal place to stay for those looking to sight-see and shop). Each of the 86 spacious, Kit
Kemp-designed rooms and suites features floor-to-ceiling windows (and many have
private terraces) along with the signature design whimsy, details and rich textures. The
hotel’s bar and restaurant are open to guests and visitors for breakfast, lunch and
dinner, plus brunch on the weekends. Additional on-site amenities include a Drawing
Room with rows of books and original artwork, a state-of-the-art cinema that can seat
up to 130 guests and a fully equipped gym. Book now.

Related: Indagare’s Most-Booked Hotels of 2021

3. The Mark, Upper East Side

Courtesy The Mark Hotel, New York City

Reopened as a Landmark building in 2009 after extensive renovations, the Mark, like its
guests, is refined and flawlessly put together. The 152 rooms and 47 suites of the Upper
East Side classic are spacious, ranging from 400 to 700 square feet, and are located

throughout 12 floors. French interior designer Jacques Grange melded old-world
Parisian elegance with modern accents in the design. The rooms are airy and light-filled
with soft color schemes, plush bedding and bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and TVs
built into the vanity mirror. Guests can enjoy the 1,400-square-foot fitness center by
John Sitaras, the exclusive Frédéric Fekkai salon and the John Lobb shoeshine kiosk.
The efficient and personable staff can assist with bike rides and picnics in Central Park,
with food courtesy of Jean-Georges, or welcome your dog with a customized bed and
water bowl for their stay. The hotel has a relationship with Bergdorf Goodman for
personal shoppers and offers a branded pedicab service to chauffeur its guests around
to shops and restaurants around the Upper East Side. Families will enjoy special
amenities, such as customized strollers, kid-friendly goodies like slumber party
packages and curated visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a five-minute walk from
the hotel. Book now.

Related: East Coast Vacations: Easy Summer Escapes from Memorial Day to
Labor Day Weekend

4. The Greenwich, Tribeca

Photo by Nikolas Koenig

Constructed and decorated with materials recovered from all over Manhattan and from
as far as Japan, The Greenwich Hotel, Robert DeNiro’s passion project, could bring any
aesthetically savvy guest to tears. Well situated near downtown’s hot spots, the 88-room
property provides a home base for visitors who want big hotel amenities such as a gym
and spa on a smaller scale. Thoughtful details—mirrors made with silvered glass from
the Flatiron building and antique wood floors—give the interiors an established look,
and the pretty interior courtyard, inspired by the Place de Vosges, feels classically
Parisian. The fact that it has a pool certainly sets The Greenwich apart—as does the
Shibui Spa, an underground Japanese-influenced sanctuary where guests can book
personal training sessions as well as treatments in the traditional bathing shiatsu space.
Locanda Verde, the Greenwich Hotel’s restaurant has a reputation in its own right as
Andrew Carmellini’s canvas for creating variations of traditional Italian dishes with
quality ingredients and a casual vibe. While Locanda Verde is open to the public, guests
have exclusive access to a cozy fire-lit drawing room and outdoor courtyard dining
space that also serves Locanda Verde food, in a private setting filled with one-of-a-kind
pieces from all over the world (including back-lit cartoons and unique paintings by
DeNiro’s father, a respected contemporary artist). Book now.

Related: Best New Hotels of 2022: Our Top Picks from Around the World

5. The Lowell, Upper East Side

Courtesy The Lowell, New York City

Guests of this discreet, under-the-radar Upper East Side hotel on 63rd Street, between
Park Avenue and Madison Avenue, feel as though they are in one of the city’s rarefied
co-ops, some of which, in fact, are just around the corner. The pied-à-terre concept
continues with the interior design of the 47 suites and 27 deluxe rooms, most of which
have comfortable color schemes and tasteful mahogany furniture and prints, courtesy of
the designer Michael S. Smith. The best suites have terraces and/or wood-burning
fireplaces and some come with kitchens. The Garden Suite, with two terraces (one large
enough for a small dinner party) and a fireplace in the living room, is popular with
couples who want to entertain when in town. Another favorite is the Penthouse Suite on
the 17th floor (envision a three-bedroom apartment with four terraces, views in all
directions and interiors that manage to bring just the right sunny Southern California
ease and glamour to Manhattan apartment living). While there is no spa, the hotel can
arrange for in-room treatments, and there is a small but fabulous gym. The elegant
second floor dining room serves food throughout the day and the ground-floor Majorelle
Restaurant, Club Room and Jacques Bar are neighborhood mainstays. Book now.

Related: 16 Best New Boutique Hotels in the U.S.

6. The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, Upper East Side

Photo by Humberto Cantu

Enter this Upper East Side fixture on 76th Street and Madison Avenue, and you will be
transported to the New York City of old, with its storied mystique, dimly lit piano
bar—the iconic Bemelmans—and elevator operators who have been there (and
witnessed it all) seemingly from time immemorial. Since the hotel opened in 1930, it has
been a bastion of discerning luxury and the address of choice for movie stars and
statesmen (President Kennedy and Marilyn are said to have trysted at the Carlyle). Over
the years, different decorators, including Dorothy Draper and Mark Hampton, have
brought their visions of gracious New York living to bear on the 190 guest rooms; most
recently, after the hotel came under the management of the Rosewood Hotel Group, the
rooms were renovated in 2019 by the New York-based, award-winning design practice
Tonychi Studio. The lobby and glamorous Bemelmans Bar, named in honor of the
legendary illustrator of the Madeline children’s books who painted the space’s Central
Park-themed murals in return for his room and board, have been given fresh polish by
interior designer Thierry Despont—while the Gallery tea parlor was envisioned by
Renzo Mongiardino (and leads into the historic Carlyle Restaurant and Café Carlyle).
There is also a Sisley-Paris spa, Yves Durif salon and fitness studio. Book now.

Related: Join the Indagare Clubs

7. The Bowery Hotel, Lower East Side

Courtesy The Bowery Hotel, New York City

When the Bowery Hotel opened in 2007 in a prime spot between the East Village and
NoHo, Ian Schrager fans were quick to point out that its brooding lobby—complete with
Gilded Age antiques, a fireplace and velvet, tasseled furniture—was similar to the
Gramercy Park Hotel’s own salon-like entranceway. But while both properties have
been cited as examples of the High Bohemia design craze, the Bowery’s vibe is a little
less dramatic. There are no Warhols and Damien Hirsts here, and the vibe is a bit cozier
and brainier, as evidenced in the shelves of leather-bound classics and the old-fashioned
newspaper rack. The rooms are simultaneously elegant and industrial-sleek: long,
flowing curtains cover floor-to-ceiling windows and dark mahogany furniture offsets
exposed piping and white brick walls. All have fantastic Manhattan views (there are,
after all, very few tall office buildings down here to obstruct them), but only the seven
private terrace suites contain the hotel’s famous outdoor showers, which allow guests to
literally soak up the view. The lobby bar and Italian restaurant Gemma are
neighborhood hot spots, while other amenities include complimentary access to
bicycles, a film library and board games, in-room spa treatments and a small gym. Book
now.

Related: The Indagare Global Classroom

Contact your Indagare Trip Designer or Indagare, if you are not yet a member,
to start planning a summer trip to New York City—this year, or whenever you’re
ready. Our team can match you with the accommodations, reservations and
activities that are right for you.