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SoHo is a neighborhood that at its widest is only eight blocks across, and north to south a mere five blocks. However, Manhattan’s SoHo packs in scores of boutiques, upscale department stores, art galleries, street vendors selling jewelry and original art, trendy restaurants, and exciting nightlife to satisfy any visitor.
With its name meaning ‘South of Houston (pronounced how-stun) St.’, the major road that defines the northern boundary of the district, SoHo is an ideal location for tourists, and it’s within walking distance of Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park, the West Village and Tribeca.
Choosing a hotel in SoHo with its cobblestone streets and cast-iron building facades will give you a whole new perspective on this amazing city.
Here are a few of our favorite places to stay in SoHo:
Having earned the highest possible honor of Three Michelin Keys in its first-ever listing of outstanding U.S. hotels, the Crosby Street Hotel is a very special place to stay. Its location on a quiet cobblestone street in SoHo and a short walk to the Nolita (North of Little Italy) district allows guests on the higher floors of the 11-story property to take in amazing views of Lower Manhattan. In total, there are 86 rooms and suites that are each decorated in a uniquely vibrant, contemporary style.
Guest amenities include The Crosby Bar which serves upscale cuisine including elegant prix fixe ($75) afternoon tea, a private garden reserved for guests and visitors, plus a fully equipped gym. There’s also 24/7 room service, concierge services, private dining rooms, a guest drawing room and sculpture garden.
Each luxurious room offers complimentary Wi-Fi, a stocked mini-bar, smart TV, Bose sound system, Tivoli Radio, king-size beds, a personal safe, and floor to ceiling windows to take in the many sights of SoHo and Lower Manhattan.
The Crosby Street Hotel is elegance personified, making it ideal for guests seeking the best of everything while visiting New York.
SoHo’s self-described 14-room boutique ‘residence’ is a place where you can truly make yourself at home while visiting New York City. The Broome’s management says to “think of us as private hideaway”, and we can easily see their point of view.
Guests receive a complimentary Parisian-style breakfast each morning in The Broome Café which is designed to feel like a French provincial restaurant. Its book collection and vintage coffee bar are a wonderful way to start your day, along with yogurt, fresh breads and pastries, and cooked-to-order egg dishes.
The Federal Revivalist-style building housing The Broome was built in 1825. After a time as a graffiti artist commune in the 1980s, the landmark building was transformed by its owners into a quiet escape amid the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Its SoHo location is immersed with lofts and studios occupied by artists, fashion designers, and other members of the creative community.
From the Moroccan-tiled main floor garden area to each of the modern, serene accommodations occupying five floors above, guests can retreat into their own private world at The Broome. With ample natural light entering via large soundproof windows, after a full day in “the city that never sleeps”, you will have no difficulty winding down here.
Room amenities include upscale designer furnishing, smart TV, complimentary Wi-Fi, a Tivoli sound system with Bluetooth, plus snacks from local businesses, beverages, and dessert items.
The Broome’s rooms and public areas are an art gallery unto itself. The hotel’s neighbor, Space Gallery St. Barth, provides a curated collection of artworks that perfectly represents the local SoHo community.
There’s no shortage of luxury accommodations in SoHo, and The Mercer’s five-star rating is well-deserved. The six-story property offers 73 guest rooms in a Romanesque revival building that many consider a hotel as well as their home.
The Mercer exudes elegance from its public areas to its luxurious loft accommodations upstairs. This is all topped off with James Beard Award winner Alfred Portale’s “Sartiano’s” modern Italian restaurant located in-house.
It’s your choice to dine in the off-lobby cafe or the casual, yet eye-popping formal dining room on the lower level. The strikingly elegant downstairs features an open kitchen, Carrera bar, Hollywood-style banquette seating, as well as a welcoming communal table. Popular with Mercer guests and locals, dining at Sartiano’s is pure New York.
By turning a loft building into a hotel, The Mercer’s designers opted for open floor plan rooms, retained the high ceilings, and utilized the large windows to allow for ample natural light.
Each guest room features a complimentary minibar filled with snacks, soda, and water. Individualized coffee or tea service in your room is also a special benefit here. In-room dining is available 24 hours a day, and there is a nightly turndown service.
The Dominick, by choice, isn’t a member of any hotel group, and they firmly believe that gives them the advantage of being true to themselves. Not only is The Dominick the only independent AAA five-diamond hotel in SoHo, but it is also the sole independent property with this designation in New York City.
The hotel prides itself on offering unpretentious 24-hour service along with luxurious accommodations, allowing guests to feel the refined, welcoming atmosphere at their “one-of-a-kind hotel”. The Dominick is so spectacular that it was named Best Hotel of the Year for the U.S. and Canada by Preferred Hotels & Resorts 2024 Awards of Excellence!
From its location on the western edge of SoHo, The Dominick is unique in offering upscale accommodations with unmatched views of Manhattan and the nearby Hudson River. And if you have a regular exercise regimen, a fully equipped fitness center on the 8th floor offers Peloton bikes, a TechnoGym, yoga mats, stretch bands, weights, plus the same sweeping views of the city.
The ground floor is home to Café Mezz where you can see and nearly feel the energy of Varick St. without any street noise. This special space is designed for hotel guests seeking a quiet place to jump on their laptop, or soak in the vibe of the relaxing fireplace. If doesn’t feel like you are in the heart of New York, but when you want to be, just step outdoors to a whole other world.
The Dominick’s 7th floor is the place to go for a tranquil evening dinner at El Ta’Koy, known for its Hawaiian-style cuisine and cocktails. Chef Luis Pous offers a curated menu that takes guests on a culinary visit to the Aloha State. The views from the floor-to-ceiling windows are spectacular, and the food equally amazing. During the summer months when the pool is open the El Ta’Koy menu is available poolside along with an indoor-outdoor bar. There is also a Sunday brunch with live music.
From its location on the western fringe of SoHo, guests of the Arlo are within easy walking distance of the upscale shops, galleries, and restaurants that make the neighborhood famous. And while the unique cafes, cobblestone streets, and upscale boutiques like Mure and Grand, UNIQLO, Wolf & Badger and Anine Bing are close by, so are other great neighborhoods such as Tribeca and the West Village. There’s little wonder that celebrities including Robert DiNiro, Harrison Ford, Susan Sarandon, Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal have residences nearby, where they have a better chance of living a lower-key lifestyle than uptown or California.
Guests of the Arlo SoHo have so many room options that it can be difficult to settle on one. Their compact but very functional bunk bed rooms offer two twins, a flip-down desk, pegboard closet, small fridge, and there’s a flat-screen television for each occupant. Standard twin, queen and king rooms come in various shapes and sizes, with great street or courtyard views, and some even include a private terrace.
Modern, comfortable public areas include the Library and Courtyard, where you can chill with friends or sip your favorite beverage. And no matter what time of day your stomach says, “feed me’, the Arlo has you covered. Lindens features a raw bar plus a wine bar that specializes in organic labels, plus local craft beers. Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch focus on fresh dishes with local growers providing much of the produce.
A speakeasy format cocktail bar, Foxtail features light meals and of course, cocktails. The atmosphere is relaxing yet refined, and a comfortable place to just hang out at the end of your day.
More laid-back than the many luxury properties of SoHo and attracting a mostly young professional crowd, the Arlo’s rooftop bar, ART SoHo has both indoor and outdoor bars so you can relax, mingle, or just take in the spectacular views of the Hudson River, Freedom Tower and Lower Manhattan all-year-round. And instead of emptying your wallet at an upscale venue, dig into their tacos and small plates at more affordable prices. (Note: Due to ART SoHo’s popularity, reservations are necessary.)
Described as a hotel with an industrial elegance that fits today’s SoHo perfectly, combining the feel of the factories and lofts that occupied the area over the last 150 years. Filled with art and historical items from SoHo’s architectural past, the hotel was the first luxury boutique hotel in Manhattan’s downtown. From a bottle-glass staircase to original masonry columns dating back to the 1870s, as the SoHo Grand’s website says, they have “brought the neighborhood inside…as a collection of love notes to New York.”
Over the years the hotel has developed personal relationships with famous talents in the world of art, fashion, and entertainment. Many of these leaders in their craft stay here regularly, making for an eclectic atmosphere that you must experience to understand.
Each of the 353 guest rooms including ten suites and two penthouses is spacious with ample light, stylish, and recently renovated. At 17 stories, the SoHo Grand is one of the larger hotels in the neighborhood, but it retains a feeling of a smaller property. The rooms’ walls are weave-covered, and you will find vintage sconces and stunning brass mirrors. And SoHo’s history lives here, too, with industrial marble desks adorned with cast iron legs.
Modern amenities have not been forgotten with ample bedside electrical ports, remote-controlled blackout shades, and a smart TV with streaming capabilities standard in every room.
Dine at Gilligan’s, a tropical beach bar-themed eatery known for it’s fresh seafood, or step back in time at the SoHo Diner where comfort food and egg creams are the order of the day. The Grand Bar & Salon is a popular in-house gathering spot that packs them in to sample more than 50 rare American whiskeys.
Final Thoughts
Without question, SoHo (remember, south of Houston/how-stun St.) should be part of any visit to New York City. Whether you’re in town for theater, shopping, browsing art galleries and museums, dining, or just taking in the incredible people watching day and night, SoHo should be high on your list of neighborhoods to explore. And if you decide to upgrade your accommodations a bit and book your stay at one of these SoHo hotels, you will experience New York in a way that you never have before.
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