6 Best Hotels in Upper West Side, New York City

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We've compiled the best of the best in Upper West Side - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Arthouse Hotel New York City

$$ | 2178 Broadway, New York, NY, 10024, USA Fodor's Choice

A charming but modern boutique hotel for visitors looking to experience living on the Upper West Side, this century-old building welcomes you home with a lobby bar that transitions from a lively café during the day to a lively speakeasy-style bar by night. It has a comfortable living room feel with contemporary artwork and an original antique fireplace, a vintage 1920s French elevator, and a bakery and tempting restaurants that are popular with locals. Compact but bright rooms have wood floors, exposed brick, and tall windows with views of Manhattan's iconic water towers are streamlined and cozy. Some rooms have have Juliet balconies or huge furnished terraces. There's live music six days a week in the lobby, and the seasonal rooftop on the 16th floor features a variety of pop-ups throughout the year.

Pros

  • Short walk from Central Park
  • Excellent dining and drinking options nearby
  • Some rooms with terraces and dynamite views

Cons

  • Ice machine only on 12th floor
  • Daily "urban fee" includes charge for Wi-Fi
  • $100 fee for pet stays
2178 Broadway, New York, NY, 10024, USA
212-362–1100
hotel Details
291 rooms
Rate Includes: No Meals

Quick Facts

  • $$

Hotel Beacon

$$ | 2130 Broadway, New York, NY, 10023, USA Fodor's Choice

It's all about location at this Upper West Side hotel, situated three blocks from Central Park, 10 blocks from Lincoln Center, next door to the Beacon Theatre, and steps from both the American Museum of Natural History and Zabar's, the iconic gourmet grocery store. All of the generously sized rooms and suites (which have a sofa bed in the living room) have full kitchenettes (stocked with coffeemakers, pots and pans, and toasters) and marble bathrooms. Closets are huge, and high floors have views of Central Park, the Hudson River, or the Midtown skyline. A small fitness center has modern equipment, though you might prefer to go jogging in the nearby park. The lobby and the Beacon Bar, a contemporary and dimly lit watering hole with small plates and classic cocktails, bring a modern polish to this Beaux-Arts destination, which has been welcoming guests since 1908. The staff here are especially friendly and helpful.

Pros

  • Kitchenettes in all rooms and onsite laundry
  • Great for long-term stays
  • Convenient location

Cons

  • Though comfortable and spacious, rooms won't win design awards
  • No pets
  • No room service
2130 Broadway, New York, NY, 10023, USA
212-787–1100
hotel Details
278 rooms
Rate Includes: No Meals

Quick Facts

  • $$

Mandarin Oriental, New York

$$$$ | 80 Columbus Circle, New York, NY, 10023, USA

The Mandarin chain's commitment to excess and luxury is evident in the lobby, on the 35th floor of the Deutsche Bank Center, where dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows look out over Columbus Circle and Central Park across the way. Guest rooms are outfitted with similar floor-to-ceiling windows, silk throws on plush beds, comfy robes, and window-side chaise lounges for admiring the skyline. It's the suites, though, that really set the Mandarin apart, by giving the Asian-influenced design enough space to truly dazzle. The swimming pool is one of the city's best, with panoramic Hudson River views, and the spa, with a menu of lush treatments based on traditional Chinese medicine, is a destination for hotel guests and New Yorkers alike. The Mo Lounge, also open to nonguests, offers a bar-style menu, cocktails, and a picture-postcard view. 

Pros

  • Vibrant location at the southern entrance to Central Park
  • Destination-worthy cocktails, dining, and spa
  • Expansive suites

Cons

  • Long elevator rides
  • River or park views will cost you
  • Mall-like surroundings on street level
80 Columbus Circle, New York, NY, 10023, USA
212-805–8800
hotel Details
198 rooms
Rate Includes: No Meals

Quick Facts

Recommended Fodor's Video

The Empire Hotel

$$ | 44 W. 63rd St., New York, NY, 10023, USA

Overlooking Lincoln Center, one block from Central Park, and convenient to midtown shopping and sights, the showstopper of this hotel is a seasonal outdoor pool and a rooftop lounge with live music and entertainment. Rooms are well maintained and comfortable, although the patterned floors and wallpaper in earthy colors in guest rooms could do with updating to be more in line with the bold and graphic lobby. Although there's no on-site restaurant, lively PJ Clarke's is on the ground floor, and the hotel's location across the street from Lincoln Center means there are ample restaurants, cafés, and quick bites within a few steps.

Pros

  • Great location for culture, sights, and Central Park
  • Rooftop bar with iconic red neon sign
  • Outdoor pool, a rarity in Manhattan hotels

Cons

  • Daily "residence fee" for bottled water and Wi-Fi
  • Located at a busy traffic intersection
  • No on-site restaurant
44 W. 63rd St., New York, NY, 10023, USA
212-265–7400
hotel Details
427 rooms
Rate Includes: No Meals

Quick Facts

  • $$

The Excelsior Hotel

$ | 45 W. 81st St., New York, NY, 10024, USA

Directly across the street from the American Museum of Natural History, this well-kept, old-school spot has rooms with warm lighting, comfortable beds, and work desks that have ergonomic chairs. The hotel restaurant, Calle Ocho, is a Latin-fusion spot that serves lunch and dinner alongside a cocktail list full of refreshing choices. The library lounge—with leather sofas, a cozy fireplace, and tables with built-in game boards—is an unexpected plus. On the negative side is a staff that sometimes seems too busy to focus on customer service.

Pros

  • Excellent neighborhood-y Upper West Side location near Central Park
  • Some rooms have stellar park views
  • Tranquil environment

Cons

  • Bathrooms tend to be run down
  • Rooms are inconsistent
  • Wi-Fi is not free (but included with nightly facility fee)
45 W. 81st St., New York, NY, 10024, USA
212-362–9200
hotel Details
198 rooms
Rate Includes: No Meals, Credit cards accepted

Quick Facts

  • $

The Lucerne Hotel

$$ | 201 W. 79th St., New York, NY, 10024, USA

While recently updated and refreshed guest rooms don't—and maybe just can't—live up to the sophisticated and gorgeous exterior of this 1904 landmark building, they are clean, comfortable, and calm, and best of all convenient to the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park just a few blocks away. Standard rooms are small and decorated with dark-wood traditional furniture and neutral color schemes. Downstairs, the bistro Nice Matin is a popular draw (ask about a guest discount). The upscale residential neighborhood has an impressive array of boutiques and gourmet-food shops, including the nearby Zabar's.

Pros

  • Great location
  • Good value
  • French bistro on-site

Cons

  • Inconsistent room size
  • Decor is underwhelming
  • Small but adequate fitness room
201 W. 79th St., New York, NY, 10024, USA
212-875–1000
hotel Details
202 rooms
Rate Includes: No Meals

Quick Facts

  • $$

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