The best hotels in Chelsea

Perched above the High Line on concrete pillars, The Standard’s super modern rooms flood with light from the wall-to-wall windows, which also ensure stunning views of the city and the Hudson River. If you're an exhibitionist, you'll be thrilled to know these windows also allow outsiders a look in, and if not, be sure to request a higher floor. This is easily one of the trendiest hotels in NYC, with plenty of nightlife nearby (it is Chelsea after all) and inside – dine at the hotel’s Standard Grill and imbibe at the outdoor Biergarten. Play naughty at the clubby rooftop Le Bain, or drink in the exclusive views at Top of the Standard. There's a 24-hour front desk and room service too, so you needn't worry about getting back late.

A boutique beauty, the Renaissance Chelsea hotel is a four-star slice of luxury. Right by the Chelsea Flower District and near attractions like Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building, the Renaissance Hotel is fab for those exploring Chelsea, or New York for the first time. There are various rooms to choose from, such as the standard guest room or the city view king, if you wanna experience being amongst the tall boys. Each room is stylish, yet functional, ideal for resting after a busy day tripping around.  

From the nautical-themed Maritime’s porthole windows, guests can gaze out onto the High Line, the Rubin Museum of Art and Chelsea Market – or out into the Hudson, in true boating style. The glamorous hotel was once home to the National Maritime Union. Now there are waterfall showers in green-tiled bathrooms and wood-panelled walls. Location wise, you're within stumbling distance of excellent nightlife, a load of 9th Avenue subway stations, and The High Line is also a short walk. But with the adjoining Catch Steak restaurant and the flashy Pan-Asian eatery Tao Downtown in the basement, you don't need to step outside the hotel for a primo bite to eat.

A few blocks from Penn Station, Kimpton Hotel's Eventi lends a spot of elegance to a bleak stretch of discount shops and wholesale vendors. It’s incredibly easy to get around the city from here, but you’ll want to make time for lounging in lush Frette linens in the hotel’s spacious rooms, gazing out of floor-to-ceiling windows, and sipping cocktails at one of the chic lobby restaurants. Not to mention the spa, offering both in-room treatments and a full service in-house – the perfect wind-down after a session at the 24-hour fitness center. The Eventi also pays homage to the thriving Chelsea Arts District with a regularly changing collection of contemporary art.

This arty luxury hotel’s rooms are stocked with a great minibar selection, blackout shades and sleek mid-mod styling. In the warmer months, head to the 14th floor to lounge on one of two outdoor decks and take a dip in the pool (which is heated in winter). Feast on modern South American fare at in-house restaurant HOWM (pronounced home). It’s easy to get to the Javits Center or the long-running immersive theatre experience Sleep No More at the nearby McKittrick Hotel. Here, you're a mere stroll from Chelsea Market and Penn Station, while Times Square is a cool mile and a half away. 

The brick-and-glass Cambria Hotel is a sanctuary in the busy Flower District, starting with the lobby, full of wood and leather. Cozy up at the lobby's Social Circle bistro or head to The Rooftop bar and lounge for happy hour craft beer and views of the Freedom Tower. Bonus: prices are totally reasonable for the area, which is just half a mile from the Empire State Building and a mile to The High Line. City living couldn't be much better.

Are we in the future or are we in Chelsea? It’s hard to tell in the uber modern Dream Downtown, located directly behind the Maritime Hotel on the border of the Meatpacking District. The pool’s glass floor looks down into the lobby. There’s a 24-hour gym, hair salon, art exhibition space, two restaurants and a rooftop lounge where you can dance the night away before collapsing into 350-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens. Ridiculous, amazing. Hard to consider even leaving the place, but if you do, you'll realise New York's heart is merely a mile away.

Welcome to the Ace Hotel, an international hipster Mecca. The lobby is the place to work on your laptop during the day or dance to whichever DJ is spinning at night. Don’t miss the turkey club at The Lobby Bar or the cold brew at Stumptown. The rooms feature work by more than 70 local artists, and some come with turntables and guitars. It's just a ten minute walk to Madison Square Garden and the front desk is open 24 hours a day. They don't call it the city that never sleepsfor nothing.

The first thing you have to do at Hotel Hayden – after checking in, obvs – is beeline for the roof. It's a whole other world up there, a very Greek world. Mykonos Blue, the Hayden's bar and restaurant, has crisp white furniture, stone floors and an unobstructed 360º view of the city. It's the perfect spot to sip a mastika or an ouzo. Or cosy up in the privacy of your room – one of 122 modestly styled hideaways with pops of colour, coffee machines and other mod cons. Outside the hotel lies some of New York City's most vibrant hangouts.