10 places to stay in New York’s coolest borough

With an array of dormitories and private rooms, this unpretentious and popular, budget-friendly hostel makes a visit to one of the most expensive cities on the planet feel affordable. On the edge of East Williamsburg and trendy, industrial Bushwick, it has high ceilings, hardwood floors and eclectic furnishings rather than piled-high bunk beds. There’s a fully equipped guest kitchen, complimentary tea and coffee, and parking, too. Brooklyn institution Roberta’s dishes up pizza and drinks just around the corner. Or walk half an hour down the road to LunÀtico to dance the night away to folk and jazz until the early hours. Dorm rooms from £44, nymoorehostel.com
Searching for a room with a view? Well, look no further. Many of the 147 rooms at this hotel have floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across Manhattan. There’s also a vast rooftop pool and bar – you’ll have a hard time finding a better spot from which to survey the skyline. Teddy’s Bar and Grill is round the corner, a perfect spot for people-watching. Or try Rocka Rolla if a dive bar is what you’re craving. To explore Brooklyn, free-to-use bicycles are available on request. Else, Bedford Avenue Metro station is just a few minutes walk away, ride the L-train a single stop and you’re in Manhattan. Rooms from £214, arlohotels.com
There are 93 minimalist rooms at NU Hotel in downtown Brooklyn, each decorated individually. Free breakfast, bikes and on-site fitness centre are among its amenities. But it’s the location that really sets this boutique hotel apart from its competitors. All corners of Brooklyn are in easy reach, as is the rest of New York City. It’s a short walk up to Dumbo where there’s photo-ops aplenty, from there you can walk across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan, or jump on a short ferry. The New York City Transit museum is well worth a visit. Hungry? Hit Court Street Grocers for great sandwiches, Yemen Café for Middle Eastern fare, or eat like a local and pop down to Gus’s Chop House – a perfect neighbourhood spot, where every dish is delicious. Rooms from £158, nuhotelbrooklyn.com
When it comes to value for money in Brooklyn, you’ll be hard-pushed to find better. The hotel looks out across Sunset Park’s cinematographic waterfront and onwards to the Statue of Liberty. This might not be tourist town, but there’s so much to explore here: check out Brooklyn’s largest Chinatown, or wander around the sprawling historic Green-Wood Cemetery. Feeling peckish? You’re spoiled for choice. Take a walk through the cobbled streets of nearby Red Hook, then grab a beer and join the queue at Hometown Bar-B-Que. Rooms from £110, lvbhnyc.com
On a quiet block of a residential Brooklyn street, Penny is an intimate oasis of calm a stone’s throw from the bustling streets of Williamsburg’s endless amenities. After a soft-launch in late summer 2022, Penny is already a popular choice for visitors. The artwork is a collaboration with local, non-profit organisations working with artists with developmental disabilities: the ground floor doubles as a gallery, and $1 from each hotel reservation is donated. Small touches make for a special stay: in-room free filtered water on tap, pet-friendly without additional fees, a quiet private courtyard, and complimentary bicycles. Check out the newly opened rooftop bar and restaurant, or join the queue at the beloved Birria-Landia NYC taco truck across the street for delicious Mexican morsels. Rooms from £158, penny-hotel.com
Step off the tree-lined street and inside this 19th-century mansion in the Stuyvesant Heights neighbourhood and you’ll forget you’re in New York City. With only four guest bedrooms, it’s an intimate affair, with ornate fireplaces, a library and secluded garden, and private two-person Jacuzzis. The decor is a blend of antiques and Afrocentric elegance. If the included hearty Southern breakfast doesn’t satiate your appetite for comforting soul food, check out Peaches Hothouse right around the corner. And, if you’re searching for something special, meander across Crown Heights to Kingfisher for some of the best seafood the city has to offer. Rooms from £162, akwaaba.com
Once a window and door-manufacturing facility, today the 126-room Box House Hotel makes an ideal base from which to explore Brooklyn’s northernmost neighbourhood of Greenpoint. There’s a homely feel to the accommodation here, and the decor inside the often brightly coloured, large rooms are anything but stuffy. This popular residential area has no shortage of food and drink options: Bernie’s (walk-ins only), Chez Ma Tante (try their brunch pancakes) and Taqueria Ramirez are all local favourites. Plus, you’re only a 10 minute walk up to the Vernon Blvd – Jackson Ave Metro station, where a five minute ride across the East River lands you at Grand Central Station. Rooms from £197, theboxhousehotel.com
With a lively rooftop bar, Balinese basement restaurant and one of the city’s largest adults-only swimming pools out back, this 64-room hotel only re-opened its doors late last year under new ownership, but it’s already a popular destination. Developed and designed by a Californian interiors company, the rooms and public spaces have a cool, coastal vibe, with furniture made in-house and available for purchase. Rooms have either a view of the pool, or out over the green McCarren Park, some with balconies. Rooms from £180, codahotels.com
A self-described “urban beach getaway”, the Rockaway Peninsula might technically be in Queens, but this hotel deserves a mention. This beach-side property has 53 rooms and eight longer-stay bungalow residences. The relaxed rooftop restaurant and bar has views of both the distant Manhattan skyline and out to the Atlantic. Relax by the pool in the spa, or head to the beach where summer sun, sand and surf await you. Here, check out the waterfront Caracas Arepa Bar (summer-only), which dishes up affordable and delicious Venezuelan fare until early evening. JFK airport is a short drive away, and you’re close to the metro. Or sit back on the Jamaica Bay ferry, which for $4 takes you direct to Brooklyn and then into Manhattan. Rooms from £158, therockawayhotel.com
Located on the site of a former water tank factory, this 175-room hotel is buzzing morning until night, not just with guests, but foodies from across the city searching out a table at its onsite offerings. Israeli chef Michael Solomonov has three restaurants here: newly opened Jaffa, light bites-focused K’Far and rooftop Laser Wolf, where dishes direct from a charcoal grill have made it one of the hottest spots in New York City. Nearby, there’s Xi’an Famous Foods for a meal that’s tasty, affordable and spicy. Both the “cosy” and “roomy” options for chic accommodation here are fairly compact. There’s so much on your doorstep, however, you’ll barely notice. Rooms from £253, thehoxton.com.