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The Plaza, NYC
Photograph: Courtesy Richard Mandelkorn
Photograph: Courtesy Richard Mandelkorn

The most over-the-top hotels in NYC

Book one of NYC’s most over the top hotels for a memorable stay in one of the most glamorous cities in the world

Written by Elizabeth Sile
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There’s opulence, and then there are NYC’s most over the top hotels. In a city like New York, the term “over the top” is almost daunting. We are a city of superlatives, with soaring skyscrapers, decadent dining, and a 24/7 energy that pulses from the base of Bowling Green all the way to the top of the Bronx, and beyond. So what could make a hotel over the top? It goes well beyond a killer lobby bar and an attentive maid staff. These are more than your spa hotels or hotels with Jacuzzis in-room. This is New York City. The bar is set a little higher. From decor that borders on Babylonian, to offbeat amenities like on-call sneaker concierges, these hotels take things to another level with everything from robot luggage storage to maritime and library themes. You won’t find your regular continental breakfast here, folks. And sure, these hotels are not for everybody, but they are some of the top hotels in NYC for a can’t-get-anywhere-else hotel stay. Only in New York.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best hotels in NYC

Most over-the-top hotels in NYC

1. Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • Midtown West
  • price 4 of 4
Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York
Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York
It’s only fitting that a hotel by the French crystal company would be opulent in the best way. Every element pays homage to Baccarat, from the prismatic glass exterior of the 50-story tower to the 17 custom crystal chandeliers in the Grand Salon and public areas. There’s an entire wall made of 2,000 Harcourt glasses at the entrance of the hotel, and of course, in every room guests use Baccarat stemware. Each of the 114 rooms is reminiscent of a Parisian pied-à-terre with four-poster beds, Mascioni linens and crystal fixtures. Skip a yellow cab and take the hotel’s red Citroën DS, lounge in a cabana by the indoor pool and book a facial with diamond-powder exfoliation at the spa.
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2. The Mark

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • Upper East Side
  • price 4 of 4
The Mark
The Mark
Francesco Tonelli
For a hotel that describes itself as New York’s “most boldly lavish,” it comes as no surprise that The Mark Penthouse is next-level. At 12,000 square feet, including a 2,500-square-foot rooftop terrace, the Jacques Grange-designed Penthouse takes up two floors and has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, four fireplaces, a living room with ceilings stretching 26 feet high, a kitchen, a library and a dining room that seats 24 people. The $50,000-a-night, 4,300-square-foot Ty Warner penthouse at the Four Seasons Hotel New York used to reign supreme as the most expensive suite in NYC, but The Mark took the title of largest and priciest when it debuted its version in September 2015. The price tag? $75,000 a night.
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3. The Standard, High Line

  • Hotels
  • Chain hotels
  • Meatpacking District
  • price 3 of 4
The Standard, High Line
The Standard, High Line
Exhibitionists love the Standard, High Line. The 338-room Meatpacking hotel, which, quite literally, straddles the elevated park, has crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city and Hudson River, and glass-enclosed rain showers. The hotel’s app, One Night Standard, is made for spontaneous bookings like say, when you meet someone at the Boom Boom Room.
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4. Yotel New York

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • Hell's Kitchen
  • price 2 of 4
Yotel New York
Yotel New York

Though Yotel is a small European chain of hotels, it feels straight out of Japan. Drawing inspiration from the country’s kapuseru hoteru, or “capsule hotels,” Yotel has 699 intelligently designed “cabins” with adjustable queen beds, small work desks and technowalls with phone docks, flatscreen TVs and tons of outlets. Taking tech savviness to another level, the Yotel has a large robotic arm called “Yobot” that will store your luggage, a mobile concierge and airport-style check-in.

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5. The Jane Hotel

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • West Village
  • price 2 of 4
The Jane Hotel
The Jane Hotel

Originally built in 1908 as a home for sailors, the Jane eventually turning into a YMCA and then a derelict flophouse. It was restored 100 years after it first opened by Sean MacPherson of the Marlton, Bowery and Maritime hotels and feels a little more like a turn-of-the-century luxury ocean liner than a hotel (an especially fitting theme because the hotel once housed Titanic survivors). The Bunk Bed and Standard “cabins,” all about 50 square feet in size, share bathrooms on each floor, while the Captain’s Cabins have their own. The commitment to quirk extends to the Ballroom, which has worn-in velvet armchairs and sofas, oriental rugs and taxidermy animals, while the check-in desk and bellhop uniforms look straight out of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel.

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6. The Plaza

  • Hotels
  • Spa hotels
  • Midtown West
  • price 4 of 4
The Plaza
The Plaza
Photograph: Courtesy Richard Mandelkorn
The Beaux Arts-style Plaza is inarguably one of NYC’s most stunning hotels. All 282 rooms have opulent fixtures plated in 24-carat gold and mosaic bathrooms, and suites come with white glove butler service. The storied hotel has been a backdrop of films and TV shows and has had countless famous visitors over its 100 years, from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. And then, of course, there is Eloise. The rambunctious child in Kay Thompson’s children’s books has her own bubblegum pink and black suite designed by Betsey Johnson. There’s a neon Eloise sign on the pink-and-white-striped walls above the bed, and Eloise books and dolls throughout. Little Eloises can order cookies and milk to be sent up to the room or head to the Palm Court for a $50 themed high tea complete with pink teacups.
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7. Dream Downtown

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • Chelsea
  • price 3 of 4
Dream Downtown
Dream Downtown
Photograph: Courtesy Dream Hotel
In the former National Maritime Union headquarters, the Dream Downtown’s exterior has portholes that resemble a ship’s, but that’s where the resemblance ends. The decor throughout is bold. In the lobby, which goes all out for the holidays, look up and you’ll see the hotel’s 50-foot, glass-bottom pool, while in the rooms, guests will find a mix of whites and silvers with pops of pink. But the best room at the Dream is the two-story, 2,500-square-foot GuestHouse. This penthouse has a terrace (with Jacuzzi) and fireplace, and should you want a cappuccino or pair of hard-to-find sneakers, you can call your private barista and sneaker concierge (seriously).
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8. Library Hotel

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • Midtown East
  • price 3 of 4
Library Hotel
Library Hotel
This is a book lover’s dream hotel. Not only does the 60-room Library Hotel have more than 6,000 books in its collection, but it’s also near the flagship branch of the New York Public Library and laid out according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system (each of the 10 floors is named according to DDC categories including Literature, History and Philosophy). Guests can further nerd out at the hotel’s 24-hour Reading Room on the 2nd Floor and on the 14th Floor rooftop Writer’s Den and Poetry Garden.
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9. Night Hotel Theater District

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • Midtown West
  • price 2 of 4
Night Hotel Theater District
Night Hotel Theater District
The Night Hotel is one of NYC’s most dramatic hotels because it’s decorated entirely in monochrome furniture, wallpaper, carpeting and drapery. You’ll find the occasional burst of color with fresh flowers, but otherwise a lot of black and white everything. The blackout curtains and soft linens make for a great night sleep in total darkness near Times Square of all places.
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