TL;DR What makes this Manhattan boutique hotel special? Why should I stay here?

Iconic A-list hotel: – lobby bar has a no-photos policy, some suites aren’t bookable online.
Epic city views: thanks to its 17-floor tower and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Prime downtown location: – steps from East Village, SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, and more.
Stylish & vintage vibe: – though not cheap, its cool factor outweighs complaints about room size.
Check prices here

The Bowery’s 17 floor tower over New York’s buzzy East Village allowing its rooms some of the very best views around.

This boutique hotel has a buzz all of its own too and is something of an A-list hangout. Photos are strictly prohibited in the lobby bar for example and its upper level suites are not available to be booked online, just to give you an idea.

We’ll admit it’s not cheap by any means, and some guests do complain about the size of the rooms, but The Bowery has such an uber-cool reputation that it doesn’t really need to care.

We very much like the centrality of the location – you’re a few short skips away here from East Village, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Little Italy, Nolita, SoHo, NoHo, and the Lower East Side.

What are the rooms like?

135 rooms total: – split between 110 rooms & 25 suites (most suites not bookable online).
Compact but stylish: – 250 to 350 sq ft, vintage dark woods & bright upholstery.
Marble bathrooms: – rainfall showers in standard rooms, bathtubs in higher categories.
Upscale amenities: – C.O. Bigelow or Lingua Franca bath products, robes.
Standout feature: floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping city views.
See each room in detail here

These are divided between 110 rooms and 25 suites, with all but one type of suite – the 400 square feet studio suite – being unavailable to book online.

The rooms range in size from 250 to 350 square feet and are certainly comfortable, if not very decorative.

They have something of a vintage feel too, and lots of dark woods combined with brightly colored upholstery and linens.

The marble bathrooms are particularly vintage in style. Entry-level rooms have walk-in rainfall showers while higher up the chain you will also find bathtubs.

All are supplied with luxury C.O. Bigelow or Lingua Franca bath amenities and terry robes.

We think the views, as mentioned, are a real highlight, from pretty much any floor. The floor-to-ceiling, warehouse-style windows can also take much of the credit.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Signature restaurant Gemma: – rustic Italian trattoria, celeb hotspot.
Varied menu: – Italian staples plus burgers, steaks, and legendary pizzas.
24-hour room service: available for guests.
Lobby Bar: – glamorous, dimly lit, and one of NYC’s iconic cocktail spots.
Facilities limited: beyond dining and a small gym.

The Bowery’s signature restaurant is Gemma – a well-known celebrity hangout. It is a rustic, trattoria-style Italian located on the ground floor.

The food is mainly traditional Italian with a seasonal menu and an extensive Italian wine list, but for us the menu is still pretty varied, and doesn’t shy away from giant burgers, fries, strip steaks and the like. Its pizzas too are legendary.

Guests of the hotel can order from the menu 24 hours via room service.

Breakfast, sadly not included in the room rate, has a whole lot of choice too, some of it also Italian/European flavored – Tuscan toast, contorni, croissants, maple coconut chia pudding, steel-cut oatmeal, eggs as you like, frittatas, blueberry pancakes and more.

The Lobby Bar at The Bowery might be more famous than the hotel itself. It is as glamorous as it is dimly lit and cozy, and a place to be seen for movers and shakers in the city.

It has an extensive wine list and we think you’ll be impressed by its famously good cocktails.

There’s little in the way of other facilities at the hotel, save for a small, but reasonably well-equipped, gym on the bottom floor.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

East Village location: – walkable to SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, Nolita, and Greenwich Village.
Great base: for exploring Lower Manhattan within 15 minutes.
Lively surroundings: with nightlife, dining, and cultural mix.

We think you’ll find The Bowery very convenient for exploring downtown. It’s right in the East Village, Manhattan, no more than 15 minutes walk from Greenwich Village, NoLita, NoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, SoHo and the Lower East Side.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“The Bowery is beautiful! From the tiled walls and mosaic floors in the lobby to the beautiful, huge windows in the rooms. There was such care taken in decorating it and the care taken to maintain it and keep it looking fresh is evident. Also, best shower ever!….”

“This is my “go to” location when I am in New York. I love the location because I can travel alone, and this boutique hotel is near everything I want to do. There is a restaurant attached (Gemma) that has a full menu and offers room service as well. After an early morning flight, it was fantastic to be able to walk over to Prince Pizza grab a quit bite, relax in our room, and then enjoy a several course meal just downstairs….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”I was charged an additional $100 on my credit card for a heavy room key tassel that I did not take and was returned upon checkout to the front desk with an addition guest fob. Highly unorganized. And quick to charge for their mistake. Very upsetting….”

”Room was a bit dirty and older than expected. Staff had left dirty cleaning cloth in bathroom. Fun scene in evening very hip and cool but all and all very “dark.” Left for the entire day, came back at 4:30 to take a nap and room was not cleaned yet. Tried to get an expresso drink in the am and was told I had to go to the restaurant. I just wanted to sit in the casual area and do some work….”

> Read all the reviews right here