Visitors to New York City are well aware that Brooklyn, with its cool bars, artisanal eateries, homegrown shops, budding art centers, and much more is a bona fide destination in its own right. Now, an emerging crop of big-name and boutique hotels has arrived to accommodate the new wave of Brooklyn-based travelers. Hotels here typically touch on a tantalizing trifecta for travelers: space, value, and, oftentimes, views (across the East River to Manhattan). Yes, a stay in Brooklyn versus Manhattan gets you, quite simply, more for less. No sleep till Brooklyn, indeed!
By Elissa Garay
NU Hotel Brooklyn
Downtown
Downtown's stylish NU Hotel packs in plenty of personality with its hip, artsy design and minimalist, loft-inspired rooms. Ninety-three recently renovated units come in several variations—some with hammocks, bunk beds, or floor-to-ceiling murals painted by local Brooklyn artists—but all feature recycled-wood floors, iHome sound systems, rain showers, L’Occitane bath products, and free WiFi. Craft-cocktail bar Misdemeanor features sidewalk seating and is the site of the included daily breakfast. Extra perks include complimentary loaner bicycles and a 24-hour fitness center.
Insider Tip: Ask for a room in the back to avoid street noise from busy Atlantic Avenue.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
McCarren Hotel & Pool
Williamsburg
The embodiment of Brooklyn cool in one hotel, the eight-story McCarren Hotel & Pool (formerly the King & Grove Williamsburg) boasts stylish guestrooms, a Moroccan-inspired rooftop lounge with sweeping views of Manhattan, and one of NYC's largest outdoor saltwater swimming pools. Bunk down in 64 modern rooms with beds dressed in Frette linens, floor-to-ceiling windows, glass-enclosed rain showers, WiFi, iPod docks, and flat-screens. The cocktail bar-serviced seasonal swimming pool marks pool party central come summertime and is complimented by wellness-minded extras like poolside yoga, a fitness center, and loaner bikes.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
Wythe Hotel
Williamsburg
The game-changing, three-year-old Wythe Hotel is the belle of Brooklyn's hip-hotel ball and still the reigning queen of the borough's recent design-driven hotel boom. Set within a converted red-brick waterfront factory (circa 1901), the eight-story, 70-room property oozes an industrial-chic aesthetic loaded with original structural features like cast-iron columns, pine beams, and arched windows. Airy rooms tout 13-foot ceilings, exposed brick, expansive windows, polished concrete floors, and works by local artists. Refuel at the ground-floor eatery Reynard, which turns out seasonal American fare, and enjoy cocktails paired with Manhattan and Brooklyn panoramas at the always popular sixth-floor terraced bar.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
The Box House Hotel
Greenpoint
Located in an off-the-beaten-path section of Greenpoint, The Box House Hotel boasts spacious and affordable apartment-style accommodations, plus a fitness center and sauna, in a converted factory. With 57 large, contemporary rooms, many of which can accommodate up to six guests, expect high ceilings, large windows, hardwood floors, iPod docks, antique furnishings, and commissioned artworks by Brooklyn artist Kip Jacobs. All units have separate living areas and kitchenettes; some have terraces and views overlooking Midtown Manhattan. The chic hotel is less than a 10-minute walk to the nearest subway, or visitors can hop aboard the free local shuttle service, operated via vintage 1970s checkered cabs.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
Henry Norman Hotel
Greenpoint
From the same team behind the Box House Hotel, the Henry Norman Hotel has also reimagined an old industrial space—in this case, a four-story, 19th-century warehouse—as a vibrant, artsy boutique hotel that opened in summer 2014. The 52-room property oozes creativity, with loft-like units (ranging from a snug 220 square feet to more spacious 750 square feet) outfitted with hardwood floors, antique furnishings, iPod docks, flat-screen TVs, and mini-fridges. Some come with sofa beds or terraces/roof decks boasting city views; there's also a sauna-equipped fitness center. The hotel operates free local shuttle service to bordering Williamsburg and the nearby subway.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
Condor Hotel
Williamsburg
The mid-range Condor Hotel offers refreshingly affordable rates (from $139/night) in a traditionally Jewish and almost-hipster-free quarter of Williamsburg. Thirty-five contemporary rooms come with plush beds and a pillow menu; flat-screens and free WiFi; bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and massaging shower heads; and kitchenettes with mini-fridges, sinks, and microwaves (two suites are also available, perfect for families and longer-stay guests). A landscaped garden and living-room style lounge propose welcoming communal spaces. Look out for thoughtful touches like fresh-baked cookies, coffee/tea, and hot chocolate or lemonade, free of charge. Continental breakfast is included, too. Note the nearest subway is a 10-minute walk.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
Hampton Inn Brooklyn/Downtown
Downtown
Less than a year old, the Hampton Inn Brooklyn/Downtown, located at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge, comes loaded with value-packed amenities. Included in the rates, guests at the 117-room newcomer get hot breakfast daily; round-the-clock coffee and tea service; and WiFi. Modern rooms offer LCD flat-screens, large work desks (and portable lap desks), mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and comfy beds. Look, too, for a lobby bar serving fireside drinks, or duck into the 24-hour fitness center. Located near several subway stations, Manhattan's set just one stop away.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
Hotel Le Jolie
Williamsburg
Reasonably priced, midrange Hotel Le Jolie comes well-placed within the vicinity of Williamsburg's restaurant-and-bar epicenter, Bedford Avenue, and is set near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the subway, for easy access to Manhattan. The 54 contemporary, freshly renovated rooms contain dark-wood furnishings; orthopedic beds topped with hand-woven Egyptian linens and goose-down comforters; large work desks and mini-fridges; walk-in rain showers; and HDTVs, iPod docking stations, and WiFi. Extra value-adds include complimentary continental breakfast and limited on-site parking.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
Downtown
Mega-hotel New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge marked the borough's first major property when it debuted in '98, situated within well-connected Downtown Brooklyn and near charmingly historic Brooklyn Heights. The 667 modern rooms, appointed in standard Marriott style, are some of the largest in the city, offering flat-screens, massaging showerheads, and work desks; many tout Manhattan/Brooklyn Bridge views. Coming this spring is a gut-renovated, second-floor lobby (and adjacent executive-level lounge) finished with plenty of glass, metal, subway tiles, and commissioned works by Brooklyn artists and artisans. Additional public spaces include a well-equipped fitness center, indoor lap pool, hot tub, and sauna.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide
Hotel Le Bleu
Park Slope
Pioneering Park Slope property Hotel le Bleu is set within easy striking distance of Prospect Park and the Barclays Center. Expect contemporary design, with sleek lines, stainless steel, and glass finishes, and plenty of splashes of its namesake blue, from mood lighting to decorative accents. Forty-eight modern guestrooms come with orthopedic beds and Egyptian cotton bedding; WiFi, flat-screen HDTVs, Bose sound systems, and iPod docks; and baths with rain showerheads—most have terraces, some with distant Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty views. Extra value-adds include delivered-to-your-door continental breakfast and free, limited on-site parking.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Brooklyn Travel Guide