The best Lower East Side hotels

The Ludlow classes up the joint by offering ridiculously luxurious studios, terraces, lofts, and penthouses to those aiming for fancy vibe for their NYC stay. Pulling inspiration from the Lower East Side’s 1980s bad boy art scene, The Ludlow gives a glimpse into life before the M&M’s store. Their hotel brasserie, Dirty French, follows suit with an atmosphere described as “cocky” by the New York Times.

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Few hotels can capture the vibe of pre-2000s Lower East Side, but Orchard Street Hotel certainly comes close. This small spot on Orchard is surrounded by boutiques, shops, and solid restaurants and offers an unfiltered view of lower Manhattan from the comfort of their comfortable and minimalist rooms. Whether you’re in town for a weekend or a week, Orchard Street Hotel is the kind of low-key comfort you want while visiting one of NYC’s most historic and relevant neighborhoods.

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You can’t miss this enormous glass highrise jutting out in the LES skyline. This hotel offers what a lot of spots downtown cannot: space. Go for the regular king room or the Owner’s Suite—the latter of which offers floor-to-ceiling windows, a master bathroom with a soaking bath, and a mini bar that’s described as “oversized.” Catering to those who can’t survive in the 21st century without fresh juice and smoothies, fear not: Juicebar is available for room service.

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Ah, good ol’ dependable Holiday Inn. Near subways, restaurants, and only a 16-minute walk from the Williamsburg bridge, this is where you go when you don’t want any nasty surprises ruining your visit. You’ve got an on-site restaurant, a 24-hour concierge service, and same-day dry cleaning for your convenience as well as a choice of 132 modern, boutique-style rooms for comfort.

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The self-described “orchestra of mechanical and rustic energies” is what gives Sago Hotel its class, charm, and style. Their mini-suite is a minimalist’s dream. It’s a bare-bones—albeit incredibly stylish—little room for that day-long layover, while their 450-square-foot King Studio has a fully equipped kitchenette and killer view of the city for the weary traveler who needs a bit more. You can’t always depend on a boutique hotel to has the kind of accommodations as a big chain, but these guys offer a 24-hour front desk service to ensure your stay is as easy as possible.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows, lightbox headboards, and an 180-degree view of Manhattan is why you stay in Sixty… but the spa and pool is why you’ll never want to leave—oh, did we mention there’s a 24-hour sauna? A collaboration with New York-based designer Misha Kahn gave birth to the hotel’s Tiki Tabu bar, which is located on SIXTY’s rooftop for when you desire drinks with your view.

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The Wyndham is a no-frills, to-the-point spot to unload your things and see the sights in the city. Located, more or less, in the middle of SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Lower East Side, the Wyndham Garden is too close to the subway to not take advantage of the convenience. This pet-friendly spot has a 24-hour reception desk, free wifi, and even hosts wedding and events… you know, just in case that person you meet on the way to the ice machine happens to be the one.

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The beds in the rooms of Hotel 91 look almost too good to be true. Pillowtop mattresses, hypo-allergenic bedding, and a thread count that’s higher than your checking account, most likely. You’ve got all the standards: killer location, free wifi, and feature cable/satellite television. The low price and proximity to LES’s best bar—169 Bar—makes Hotel 91 a perfect, low-key spot.

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Straddling the borders between Lower East Side, East Village, Nolita, the Gatsby offers a perfectly intimate vibe for those wanting to stay in an eclectic area for a few days or weeks. These guys absolutely use minimalism to their advantage without cutting down on luxury. Even their standard queen room—while small—offers down pillows, an iHome alarm clock/radio and a coffeemaker.

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Hotel East Houston almost presents itself like one of those clubs you find tucked away in the East Village. You can’t leave without visiting its roof terrace, with a skyline featuring the Empire State Building. A Victorian approach to style gives the rooms—complete with marble or European glass tiles in the bathrooms—makes for an anachronistic feel when taking advantage of their other modern amenities like the wall-mounted flat LCD HDTV or climate controlled rooms.

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You’d be hard-pressed to find a hotel with the level of amenities Hotel Indigo offers. Rooftop bar, swanky restaurant offering culinary staples and craft cocktails, fitness center, and a rooftop pool. That’s just the beginning, though; Hotel Indigo has 293 rooms—some of which offer an automated minibar with local craft beers and Stumptown coffee, and 300 thread count Frette linen sheets. Located only one block from the 2nd Avenue F, Hotel Indigo meshes convenience with class in a way that makes you feel like NYC royalty.

They call themselves the “crown jewel of Manhattan” and it’s not hard to see why. This boutique hotel, built in an historic tenement building, was restored by Manhattan architect, Randy Settenbrino, who turned the Blue Moon Hotel into a piece of art. The all-suite hotel has 22 rooms, each of which is named after legends from the 1920s and 30s. We can’t dictate where you stay, but you should definitely go for their Cozy Room with Balcony, because where else in the city are you going to find a balcony?!

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