The Best Hotels to Book Near Penn Station, New York City

Nip and tuck into Arlo NoMad, one of three Arlo outlets in New York City. This Garment District hotel squeezes a lot of style into all 250 of its 150sqft (14sqm) rooms. Sunshine floods through floor-to-ceiling windows, while custom-designed mahogany bedframes hide extra storage. Flaunt your signature look on two floors of communal space and a rooftop patio with Instagram-worthy views of the Empire State Building.

Halfway between Times Square and Bryant Park is the LUMA, a 130-room hotel run by cheerful, helpful and professional staff – and a robot. In the contemporary rooms, you’ll find little extras such as bathroom scales and electric blackout shades. Families will appreciate the free breakfast, and children will love the treats and stuffed toys delivered to the room by Alina, the robot from room service.

Reminders of a past life as a hat factory pop up throughout this 197-room hotel in the Garment District. Desks made from sewing machine tables, 12ft-high (3.5m) oak ceilings and oak floors accent the modern industrial decor. Some rooms offer views of the nearby Empire State Building, but the best views of all, rain or shine, offers the rooftop bar, with its retractable glass roof and outdoor terrace.

Families and besties will find large rooms with sofa beds to plant themselves on at the Cambria. The floral hallway murals remind you that you’re in the Flower District. Wake up early to find 28th Street filled with masses of plants and buckets of bouquets. Load up with fruits, veggies and takeaway meals at the nearby Chelsea Market, or stroll through the plantings along the High Line.

The Moxy offers a playful nudge to guests to put a little more fun into their stay. Rooms are pared down to essentials but offer plenty of storage under custom white oak-trimmed beds or bunk beds. Large walk-in showers sport “No Diving” warnings. The most fun happens on the rooftop, the largest in the city, where topiary bears and a rotating carousel surround the bar. The in-house tattoo studio dares you to add to your permanent record, while the Blind Barber assures you that your new haircut will be fun.

If you’re aiming for the center of New York City, the Archer is the bullseye. Walking distance to the must-see buildings, parks and stations in the city, the location is spot-on, especially for first-time visitors. This Leed Silver-designated hotel is a bastion of environmental quality and industrial elegance, with high ceilings, wood-paneled walls and Subway-tile baths. Rooms average around 200sqft (19sqm) and feature exposed brick, carefully curated local artwork and amenities that charm, such as his-and-hers slippers with mustache and lipstick embroidery.

Fitness fanatics will find their bliss at EVEN Hotel. Each room is a mini-gym, with resistance bands, yoga mats, standing desks, core balls and 15 channels of on-demand workouts. The 24-hour gym has free-to-use weights, and machines including Pelotons. Take advantage of the free fitness laundry service; then, take a run or power walk to Hudson Yards or the High Line, or just stroll to Penn Station at the end of the block.

You may think you’re in heaven when you wake up at INNSIDE. Furnishings, walls and soft goods are as white as the walls of the Chelsea galleries that surround the hotel. That includes the dog bed and dishes. Ask for a room or suite on the 18th floor to enjoy a private terrace. In addition to more than 200 galleries nearby, the Whitney Museum of American Art’s contemporary collection is just over 1mi (1.6km) away. Reach the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim via the Subway at nearby Penn Station.

Whether your room goals are small or lofty, Ace Hotel will make them work and make you happy at the same time. The decor is a mixture of mid-century mod and vintage NYC, with porcelain fixtures and deep soaker tubs. Original works by local artists decorate the walls in the communal areas, and there’s a 24-hour gym. Perks you may find in your room include a SMEG refrigerator or a Martin acoustic guitar, but you’ll always enjoy the chill vibe.

As trim and handsome as a three-piece suit, Park South Hotel is the ideal location for a busy business person to lay their head on high-thread-count linens. In Midtown, it’s an ideal location for making connections, Subway or otherwise. The three meeting-worthy restaurants in this 1906 landmark building are run by a James Beard Award-winning chef, while the bar, called Roof, speaks for itself. Vacationers are also welcome – sadly not their pups, though – and the hotel has gone the extra mile to grant equal access for people with disabilities.