The Best Bed and Breakfasts in New York

This 1860s Italianate mansion in tree-lined Stuyvesant Heights was renovated by the husband-and-wife team of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, maintaining many of its classic historical features, such as gaslight fixtures, stained glass and antique furnishings. It runs an excellent line in Southern-style cooking and hospitality, with each of the four guest rooms at this bed and breakfast in Brooklyn outfitted to reflect a different culture. Along with all of this, the private garden and sun porch make the Akwaaba Mansion unique among New York B&Bs.

An 1888 townhouse designed by celebrated architect James E Ware, Mount Morris House overlooks Marcus Garvey Park (also known as Mount Morris Park), on a historic block that once housed notable creatives such as Rodgers and Hammerstein. The Gilded Age architecture features parquet floors and crown moldings, while the huge rooms at this Manhattan B&B have marble bathrooms and gorgeous antiques like wooden room dividers and desks – accented with Persian rugs, fringed lamps and sparkly mid-century chandeliers. Mount Morris House is best for extended stays, with two suites for up to three or five people.

Not far from Columbia University and Central Park, the beautiful, cozy West 119th B&B in Manhattan’s Mount Morris Park Historic District is known for its friendliness and hospitality. It provides two rooms for up to three or four guests, all with different amenities, such as heated bathroom floors or access to a private garden terrace. Breakfast, if included in your stay, is provided by Il Cafe Latte, just a short walk around the corner.

The Sankofa Aban Bed and Breakfast is a beautiful Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone built in the 1880s. The Victorian parlor features stained-glass windows, original moldings, woodwork and wood floors, with a garden in the back. This New York B&B’s colorful rooms are richly decorated, with similar detailing, antique fireplaces, marble washbasins and ceiling fans. Shared bathrooms include either a whirlpool spa tub or a claw-foot tub. The Sankofa Aban is mostly known for its weekly Brownstone Jazz events, which feature swinging musicians performing intimate sets in old-school elegance, so be sure to check it out during your stay.

Set in the 1887 Renaissance Revival house used in Spike Lee’s Crooklyn (1994), Arlington Place honors the brownstone’s Victorian past while infusing it with contemporary and eco-friendly elements to make for a unique property. Notable touches include the dining room’s old-fashioned toile wallpaper, depicting modern Brooklyn. Visitors to this bed and breakfast in New York can enjoy a complimentary organic breakfast and use of both the library and garden. There’s also a cavernous bar in the cellar.

If you love seaside B&Bs but want to see the city, Harbor House is the place to go. Located on Staten Island, this B&B offers great views of the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Rooms tend to be spacious and airy and guests receive a continental breakfast. At least a two-night stay is recommended to make the most of this less-explored borough.

No matter whether you’re looking for a weekend’s spa escape with friends or somewhere to unwind solo, The Inn at Gothic Eves makes a perfect getaway. This charming B&B in upstate New York features eight guest rooms with cathedral ceilings and comfortable beds with luxury linen, flat-screen TVs, and spacious bathrooms. A warm fireplace awaits guests of the Seneca Suite, Cayuga Suite, or Chardonnay Suite; the Pinot Suite has a Jacuzzi tub for you to take a long soak in. The biggest draw is the on-site spa, which provides a range of first-class pampering treatments.

This exclusive New York B&B was built to reflect the state’s historic Great Camp tradition and sits on an elevated wooded hilltop above Honeoye Lake. The lodge has three levels, including an inviting Great Room with a wood-burning fireplace in the center. Guests can stay in luxurious, traditional-style rooms surrounded by rustic log walls. The breakfast here is excellent – several gourmet courses are served with warmth and hospitality. Ample woods and ponds surround the inn and you can keep busy exploring the Finger Lakes and the surrounding attractions.

On the shores of Chautauqua Lake is the Maple Springs Lakeside Inn, a gorgeous New York Bed and Breakfast resort situated amid thick forest. The inn offers lakefront views from all of its rooms and also provides a “breakfast by boat” so guests can enjoy their meals on the water. Hiking trails, summer picnics and after-dark bonfires are popular activities at Maple Springs, which is shaded by wooded hills. Fish, canoe and sunbathe on the 350ft (107m) private beach in summer whilst during winter guests can take advantage of the snowmobile trails at Chautauqua Lake and a nearby cross-country ski and bike park.

The Allegiance mansion, a pastel-colored building set in leafy grounds, was built in the 1800s and has been beautifully restored and decorated by hosts Steve and Glenda. Every room at the Allegiance Bed & Breakfast is different in design, so the various amenities are customized to fit guests’ needs. Decorated with antique furnishings, the renovated rooms complement the mansion’s classic style. A lovely gourmet-style breakfast is served in the Dining Room and adjacent Sunroom every morning. Guests can relax by the fire listening to the tinkling of piano keys in the Parlor, home to a baby grand nestled in the corner.

In 1849, the Harbor Rose Bed and Breakfast in New York was built and served as a rectory for St. John’s Church until 1936. Located in the heart of Cold Spring Harbor, The Habor Rose Bed B&B overlooks a river and is within walking distance of hiking trails. Elegant, spacious rooms are furnished with antiques, private bathrooms and cable TV. Fireplaces, harbor views and balconies can be found in some of them. A farm-to-table organic breakfast is served every morning in one of the hotel’s dining areas.

Up north in the Finger Lakes, in the idyllic hamlet of Covert, stands the 200-year-old Black Walnut Inn, right on the shores of Cayuga Lake. This centuries-old farmhouse offers only four guestrooms in a comfortable setting; intimate is the word you’re looking for. From here, you can easily explore the Finger Lakes Wine Trail, hike to nearby gorges and cascading waterfalls and tuck into local fare at friendly farm-to-table restaurants and breweries. Each stay includes a delicious full breakfast with locally roasted coffee, homemade bread and produce fresh from the farm.

The Fern Lodge offers rustic elegance and lakefront living in the majestic Adirondack Mountains. In addition to the Great Room, which features vaulted log ceilings and an expansive stone fireplace, there is a full bar and hot tub on the patio, a fire pit by the lakeside, a screening room and a sauna. The luxurious guest rooms at this New York bed and breakfast each have king-sized beds, stone fireplaces and stunning views of the lake and mountains, plus Jacuzzi tubs to soak in. Nightly rates include a cruise on Friends’ Lake, which includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.