There’s an excitement to being in New York nowhere else in the USA can match. Crammed with classic screen-famous sights – from honking yellow taxis to the elegant Empire State Building – a wander around the Big Apple’s streets and neighbourhoods, which feel like a giant real-life movie set, ticking them off, is the ultimate NYC thrill in itself.
From an entire department store filled with toys and museums packed with skeletons and dinosaurs, to diner-style restaurants and blockbuster family theatre shows, the bucket list city also packs in parks and outdoor spaces galore for when your crew grow tired after sightseeing and need some fresh air and space.
Whether it’s a luxurious blow-the-budget grand dame or a good-value boutique you’re after, the city’s playful, child-friendly spirit is evident in many of its hotels, from providing board games and welcome sweet treats to kid-friendly restaurants and pools. These are the best hotels for families in New York.
Best family-friendly hotels in New York
At a glance
1. The New Yorker Hotel
Midtown
A gargantuan 1920s skyscraper in the heart of Midtown, this hotel is only a few minutes’ walk from a succession of spots that allow families to easily access New York’s classic tourist sights. There’s the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Madame Tussauds, Times Square and Broadway within walking distance – all the child-friendly big hitters for a memorable family holiday. Kids love the 24-hour Tick Tock Diner, with its booths, neon sign and Americana vibe, and family rooms and suites come with sofa beds and separate lounges.
Address: 481 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
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2. The TWA Hotel
Queens
Once the old TWA terminal at JFK airport, this novelty movie-set-of-a-hotel hums with mid-century modern style, its 512 peaceful rooms are fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the runway. Kids will love exploring its sweeping tunnel-like corridors carpeted in red that link the futuristic building’s various wings. There’s a free photobooth and Twister room for endless silliness and mealtimes are made easy with six restaurants to choose from. Don’t miss a trip to the rooftop observation deck complete with infinity pool – and more runway views.
Address: 1 Idlewild Drive, Queens, NY 11430
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3. Loews Regency New York
Upper East Side
Central Park is an amble away from this luxury family-friendly hotel with a flashy Park Avenue address, for trips to the zoo and its famous ice-rink, and visits to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the American Museum of Natural History, CAMP Family Experience Store and Dylan’s Candy bar (for emergency sweet supplies). At the hotel, there are board and video games in the lobby, and rooms feature an in-room ‘Kids’ Closet’ filled with toys, DVD players and age-appropriate films, car seats and more.
Address: 540 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065
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4. Freehand Hotel
Gramercy
Cross a hostel with a boutique hotel and you get this stylish family-friendly bolt hole, slap bang in the thick of things near the Flatiron building in Gramercy, one of New York’s most popular locations for travellers. Communal areas aplenty are filled with plants and simple, stylish art-filled bedrooms – including plenty of family options with bunks. When everyone needs a bit of respite from all the sightseeing, head to the rooftop for a mocktail between 4pm and 6pm, when it’s open to groups of all ages.
Address: 23 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010
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5. The Peninsula New York
Midtown East
With its elegant turn-of-the-century façade, the luxurious Peninsula New York – a pretzel’s throw away from MoMa – looks plucked from a Parisian storybook. It also offers one of the best kids packages out there. Add Camp Peninsula to your booking and your child receives welcome sweets, a child-size tent, robe and slippers; while activities like scavenger hunts, to cupcake decorating can be organised. The relaxing indoor pool is a win for all ages, while parents welcome the flexible check-in and out times.
Address: 700 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
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6. The Rockaway Hotel & Spa
Queens
For families who relish fresh air and space, the Rockaway Hotel & Spa is a go-to beachfront hideaway with distant Manhattan views. Tucked away in the Rockaway neighbourhood of Queens, known for its surf and sandy beaches, it’s more boutique coastal retreat than city centre hotel, and comes with an outdoor heated pool, a spa and two-bedroom bungalows with kitchenettes and lounges. Teens will love the cool surroundings, live music nights and the opportunity to take surfing lessons.
Address: 108-10 Rockaway Beach Drive, Queens, NY 11694
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7. Hotel Edison
Times Square
Blow-the-budget options are plentiful in New York, but more affordable accommodation can be found in this bustling family friendly hotel within spitting distance of Times Square. It’s set in a 26-storey 1930s skyscraper with historic flourish at every turn, starting in the gilded lobby. Lovers of theatre will appreciate how close it is to Broadway for catching a big-hitting show. Spacious rooms and suites – some with small outdoor terraces – sleep up to six, while a basic breakfast voucher to use at one of several nearby eateries is thrown in, too.
Address: 228 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036
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8. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn
Over the East River in Brooklyn, this stylish sustainable option with Manhattan views is primed for repeat visitors with babies, toddlers or older kids, up for a different perspective on New York. At home near the waterfront, it’s become a honeypot for families thanks to its proximity to the subway and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Room-wise, bigger suites can be connected to adjoining rooms to create big spaces. Image-conscious teens especially will love the hotel’s sleek, chilled vibe, the rooftop pool, and the option to control the television, in room dining, communications and temperature using the 1 Hotels app, 1 Guide.
Address: 60 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
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9. Lotte New York Palace
Midtown East
Located in Midtown, this series of six 1880s townhouses reworked into a five-star hotel surrounds a beautiful courtyard and has an exhaustive list of New York highlights right on its doorstep. Family-friendly room configurations include connecting rooms and studio and family suites. Deal-wise, book a second room and you’ll get 50 per cent off, while its “Call of The Wild” package comes with discounted tickets to the classic kid-friendly New York attractions like the Bronx and Central Park zoos and New York Aquarium.
Address: 455 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022
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10. The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel
Upper East Side
You might think the Carlyle is so sophisticated a hotel that children should be seen and not heard here. New York’s most glorified historic hotel is surprisingly one of its most child friendly – where kids are treated like royalty, lavished with in-room welcome gifts on arrival like tasting plates of indulgent desserts and age-appropriate games. What also works really well here are the rooms: with 92 suites in the portfolio, even the biggest of families is catered for space wise – some even come with a grand piano so your young budding musician can keep up with their practice.
Address: 35 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021
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11. Hotel Beacon
Upper West Side
Not everyone wants to stay in the thick of Midtown. This Upper West Side hotel is the perfect alternative. Tucked away on West 75th Street and Broadway, it’s a short hop to the area of Central Park home to the boating lake and not far from the dinosaur-filled American Museum of Natural History. Décor-wise, granted, the interiors might not be the most stylish in New York, but what makes this family favourite so special are the spacious suites and studios that come with small kitchens, kitted out with cookers, microwaves, coffee makers and fridges.
Address: 2130 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
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