Lower East Side Hotels

Efficient is the best word to describe Sister City, the new hotel from the Ace Hotel Group located in the Lower East Side. Enter through a narrow courtyard into a pristine, light-wood-filled lobby complete with hipster restaurants and self-check-in kiosks. And as all great hotels should, it has a rooftop bar with spectacular views of the city skyline. A little Finnish, a little Japanese, and a little college dorm, the rooms have just what you need (and little else). Images courtesy of Adrian Gaut.

If you think about it, the concept for this East Village hotel is pretty revolutionary: Offer topnotch service and accommodations without the pretense or hefty price tag. Rates for the elegant, generously sized rooms are reasonable and include breakfast; instead of traditional room service, there’s the market-style Louis). Whether for dinner (Jean-Georges Vongerichten is in charge of the menu) or a drink, the Public Kitchen is a favorite. The rooftop bar is quintessential Ian Schrager, with clubby lights and a serious late night crowd.

The hotel itself makes for a really lovely stay for visitors—particularly if you're looking for a place to post-up during the day and get some work/reading done: The lobby is a gorgeous lounge space with a distressed limestone fireplace, cozy leather couches mixed with vintage furnishings, Moroccan-style rugs, and chandeliers with a romantic glow.

A somewhat newcomer to the Lower East Side, Hotel Indigo stands out, literally, as one of the tallest buildings in its radius, which translates into unparalleled views of the neighborhood and beyond. Not surprisingly, the hotel has a rooftop bar (Mr. Purple) and a modestly sized pool—not necessarily for doing laps, but it adds to the atmosphere. The rooms are modern and the best ones have floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The duplex penthouse suite might be the biggest splurge, but the outdoor terrace room on the seventh floor is pretty special, too.