Hotel on Rivington

When the Hotel on Rivington opened in 2005, its ultra-modern, glass-covered façade was a novelty on the largely low-rise Lower East Side. Now, with condos popping up on nearly every block, the building (designed by NYC firm Grzywinski+Pons) seems less out of place, but it remains one of the few luxury hotels in the neighborhood. Rooms are super-sleek and minimalist, with black-and-white decorative touches, Frette bed linen and robes, and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views of Manhattan and beyond (even in the shower stalls). A stylish crowd congregates in the hotel’s two new restaurants, Coop Food & Drink, which serves sushi alongside modern American fare, and Viktor & Spoils, a contemporary taqueria and tequila bar.