We stayed at the Bryant Park Hotel in Midtown, New York City, for a lovely four nights in October of 2025. When I was booking this trip, location was my highest priority, but I also wanted something unique and interesting, and boutique if possible, and not at a stupidly high price point, which is not an easy ask in Midtown Manhattan. I stumbled across this hotel which is located right behind the New York Public Library, and is adjacent to the very cute Bryant Park. While we were there, they were constructing the ice skating rink and winter village in Bryant Park, which did add some noise at night, but it wasn’t too bothersome.

The Location

As I mentioned, location was of the utmost importance on this relatively quick trip to NYC. We were seeing a show in Midtown, which was the main purpose of our trip, but we also needed to be close to the subway, since we knew we were heading to the Upper East Side to view a ton of art, as well as to Brooklyn to visit my uncle while we were in town. This hotel is perfectly located for any trip to NYC. Housed in the art deco Landmark American Standard Building, and located right on the south side of the charming Bryant Park, there are stops for just about every single main subway line between 0-3 blocks away. Times Square is only a few blocks away, though we luckily never had to venture into there, and you can walk to just about anything in Midtown within just a few minutes.

Considering that we had plans to go way north, and out to Brooklyn during this trip, this central location was perfect, although a bit out of the way from Times Square so you’re not completely inundated with people the moment you walk out of the hotel. While the area around Bryant Park is busy, it seems quiet, like a bit of a Midtown oasis. 10/10 location for sure!

The Amenities

There are not too many amenities here at the Bryant Park Hotel, apart from a gym, front desk/concierge, plus a restaurant and a bar. Unfortunately, the evening that we had planned to check out the Celon Bar, it was closed for a private event. There is a large table set up in the lobby in the morning that has coffee, and fresh, infused water in the afternoon, which is a nice touch. There is apparently a screening room here, where you can host a presentation or private movie screening, which is a cool option for something different.

The Restaurant and Bar

As mentioned, unfortunately, Celon Bar was closed for a private event on the evening we meant to go there, so I can’t really comment on the bar, but we did have dinner at Koi, on the night of our arrival. It was a Thursday evening, and we didn’t make a reservation, but it wasn’t a problem. The restaurant was only about half full in the evening, and we were able to get a table immediately.

Service here was good and attentive, and the food came out pretty quickly after we ordered it. This is a Japanese place, an outpost of the famous Los Angeles restaurant, and there is a huge sushi menu, along with all sorts of other yummy items. I was dying for some miso soup, and it was super satisfying. We also tried the recommended Koi crispy rice appetizer with truffle avocado. I loved the truffle avocado topping, but I thought the crispy rice seemed old, like it was made a long time ago and reheated, rather than fried up fresh on the spot.

We also tried a few different rolls, which were all delicious. It was a really nice evening and we wanted just a light dinner, so Koi was perfect for us.

The Room

I booked a Deluxe King with Park View room, and it was actually really huge, especially for Manhattan standards. We had a very comfortable King sized bed, along with a relatively large sitting area including a couch, coffee table, and even a regular breakfast table with chairs. The room was 20% off if you stay for four nights, and cost about an average of about $575.00 per night. There are a ton of other room categories though, both less, and more expensive than this one.

The furnishings were all new, and had a very mid-centruy modern vibe, which I loved. The lighting was excellent in the room, and there was also plenty of closet space.

The bathroom was also huge, with a large soaking tub. I was happy they chose to put only one sink in, in favor of more counter space. The shower was large and the water pressure was excellent.

We were on a pretty low floor, unfortunately, so our view of the park was pretty obstructed with trees, so I wasn’t super happy about the upcharge for the view, but I’m sure the higher floors have a much better view that is worth the cost.

Finally, I have to point out that the windows and window shades here were some of the best I’ve experienced at any hotel or resort. The blackout shades run along and within a track that is metal, and flush to the wall, so all of the bright Manhattan light outside is completely blocked by the shades. Incredible! Other hotels and resorts should take note. That said, the windows themselves I don’t think blocked any single noise from the outside. We live in an urban area as well, and expect outside noise, but the construction in Bryant Park at night, as well as horns, sirens, and other noise was very loud. This hotel was recently redone, and it’s too bad that they didn’t improve the soundproofing, nor invested in thicker windows. This is a historic building though, so perhaps there were rules about that sort of thing. It didn’t diminish our stay, though. I’d much rather have outside noise than outside light at night!

The Vibe

The vibe at the Bryant Park Hotel is modern and subdued. We rarely even saw another guest here when we were staying, and the lobby area was small and chill. The staff are all very kind, ready to help with whatever you need. I loved the modern, yet mid-century furnishings here.

The Recommendation

I would highly recommend staying at the Bryant Park Hotel on your next trip to Manhattan. It’s a boutique hotel that’s very unique feeling, with spacious rooms, and an out-of-this-world location. While the hotel doesn’t offer a ton in the way of amenities, you’re in New York to be out and about, away from your room, so the hotel offers the perfect place to lay your head and put up your weary feet after a day of touring, and late nights at Broadway shows!