Best LGBTQ+ Friendly Hotels in New York City
The research process to find accommodation for your vacation is always demanding, but it can be even more exhaustive when you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community. We not only need to check if the hotel has a decent AC, breakfast included and Wifi available but also if we are going to feel safe and respected. Is the staff friendly? Am I going to have any issue booking a room with my partner? The same concern extends to the neighborhood where the hotel or apartment is located. Is it safe to walk around the hotel at night? Can I hold my partner’s hand in the neighborhood without fearing an attack? The good news is that New York City, in general, is a very welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community. However, there are some zip codes where you would probably feel safer than in others.
This post features the following hotels: The Standard High Line, The Jane Hotel, Chelsea Pines Inn, The Kimpton Muse, Marriott Marquis, The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, The Sherry Netherland, The Williamsburg Hotel, Nu Hotel Brooklyn, Boro Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Long Island City, and Wyndham Garden Long Island City.
Where to Stay in Manhattan?
As locals like to call her, the City has 20 different neighborhoods, and each has its own universe. It is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. It's home to the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers, iconic skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building, famous attractions such as Times Square and the theaters of Broadway. But speaking of gay tourism and friendly areas, our favorite neighborhoods to stay in New York City are Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen.
Chelsea
Surrounded by galleries and artsy shops, Chelsea is the city's leading neighborhood for LGBTQ+ culture. This area between 14th Street and 34th Street on the west side of Manhattan is everything Hollywood wants you to believe that New York is - charming streets, flooded with excellent and diverse restaurants, hints of gentrification, plus one of the largest collections of queer-owned businesses in New York.
Best Hotels in Chelsea, NYC:
The Standard High Line (848 Washington St) is famous for throwing the most famous pool party of the Summer at the LeBain, a bar on their rooftop. The Standard, High Line is located in the trendy Meatpacking District, 100 feet from the High Line. With floor-to-ceiling windows, every room features city views, a flat-screen TV and overstocked minibar. Each room also has a private bathroom with bathrobes, a hairdryer and free toiletries.
The Jane Hotel (113 Jane St) is where mother RuPaul lived in the 1980s, and it eventually hosts theme parties at its fancy Ballroom. Located in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, The Jane Hotel is 1.2 mi from Union Square. The guest rooms include free WiFi and resemble the cabins of a ship, with warm-colored bedding and large mirrors. They are all equipped with a flat-screen TV, DVD player, and iPod docking station. Some rooms feature a river view, while some rooms offer a terrace. The nearest subway station is 2,100 feet from The Jane, and Washington Square Park is 1.1 mi from the property.
Chelsea Pines Inn (317 W 14th St) is known for its thematic rooms dedicated to famous gay icons and the Golden Age of Hollywood. The Chelsea Pines Inn is a bed and breakfast hosting guests in Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Guest rooms feature a flat-screen TV, refrigerator, safe, ironing board and iron, and a private bathroom with complimentary toiletries.
The five-story walkup provides 24-hour concierge services and is 1,650 feet from the Highline. Guests can also enjoy the complimentary breakfast in the lounge, indoor greenhouse or flower-filled seasonal inner garden.
Hell's Kitchen
Unlike what you may have seen on some superhero tv show, Hell's Kitchen is not a dark and mysterious neighborhood. It's quite the opposite. Boarded with Times Squares and home to many Broadway theatres, this area between 34th Street and 59th Street, has one of the highest rates of same-sex couples in the city. The amount of LGBTQ+ nightclubs you will find there is definitely not a coincidence.
Best Hotels in Hell's Kitchen, NYC:
The Ink 48 (653 11th Ave) has rooms with spectacular views of Manhattan and is considered one of the most friendly hotels in town.
The Kimpton Muse (130 W 46th St) is part of the San-Francisco-based Kimpton Hotel chain, the first hotel company to ever receive a 100 percent score on the Corporate Equality Index. This 4-star hotel located in Manhattan’s theater district is 2,150 feet from Rockefeller Center. The boutique hotel is eco-friendly. The Kimpton Muse Hotel offers rooms equipped with a fully stocked mini-bar and a work desk. Guests can also arrange for in-room spa services, and enjoy the evening wine hour from 17:00 - 18:00 daily offered in the lobby living room. And the award-winning Muse Bar is next to the hotel.
Marriott Marquis (1535 Broadway) have special packages for the LGBTQ+ community that includes a five percent donation to the GLAAD - an American non-governmental media organization monitoring defamatory coverage of LGBTQ+ people. Located at Times Square and in the Theater District, this midtown Manhattan hotel offers complimentary WiFi and onsite dining options. The rooms at New York Marriott Marquis feature Marriott’s signature bedding, marble bathrooms, flat-screen TVs with Netflix app, iPod clock radios, phones, coffee and tea facilities, safe and iron with ironing boards.
Central Park
We get it! It’s your first time in New York City, and you want to live the fantasy, waking up every day with incredible views of the one and only Central Park. NYC's iconic 843-acre park is one of the favorite tourist destinations and truly one of the most beautiful attractions in the city. So we selected the best hotels around Central Park for you!
Best Hotels with Central Park Views in NYC:
The Pierre, A Taj Hotel (Two East 61st Street at 5th Avenue, Upper East Side) is located across from Central Park. A part of the New York City skyline with its copper mansard roof, The Pierre offers guests white glove luxury service. The hotel is close to high-end shopping destinations and is only steps away from Bergdorf Goodman. The boutiques of Fifth & Madison Avenues are in close proximity. The Pierre has played host to many society events since opening in 1930. The hotel's restaurant, Perrine, offers seasonal modern American cuisine with daily specials inspired by Pierre culinary classics. The hotel also offers a bar/lounge, Two E, with traditional afternoon tea by day and live jazz by night every Thursday through Saturday.
The Sherry Netherland (781 5th Avenue, New York) is centrally located in Midtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue, across from the Grand Army Plaza and Central Park's main entrance. The rooms boast high ceilings and marble bathrooms. Belgian chocolates and a bouquet of flowers are provided upon arrival. All rooms offer complimentary soft drinks and water, as well as Keurig coffee machines. A gym with floor-to-ceiling mirrors is part of this Manhattan hotel.
Brooklyn
Park Slope, Boerum Hill, and East Williamsburg are among the most LGBTQ+-friendly in Brooklyn. In fact, Boerum Hill and Park Slope have the highest concentration of female same-sex households in the city. They are both very family-oriented neighborhoods, with a lot of artsy stores and well reviewed restaurants.
Best Hotels in Brooklyn, NY:
The Williamsburg Hotel (96 Wythe Ave) is located right next to the Marsha P. Johnson State Park, and it is within walking distance to many dining and shopping destinations. The hotel features a swimming pool with incredible skyline views. The rooms come with 10-foot window views of Manhattan or Brooklyn. Many rooms offer a private balcony. All furnishings are custom designed by Michaelis Boyd Studio. The marble and brass bathrooms feature fixtures by Waterworks and toiletries by Apotheke, which are handmade in Brooklyn. The Williamsburg Hotel is designed by London-based design firm Michaelis Boyd Studio and is styled with double-height ceilings, natural finishes and unique style elements.
Nu Hotel Brooklyn (85 Smith St) is located in the BoCoCa neighborhood, 1,600 feet from the subway station. It offers free WiFi and a 24-hour gym. All air-conditioned rooms at the NU Hotel feature 32-inch flat-screen cable TVs with satellite music systems. These rooms have private bathrooms and bath amenities. Hotel NU offers business workstations for guests’ convenience. The NU Bar serves continental breakfast daily along with a tapas menu and full-service bar in the evenings. Free bike rentals are also offered.
Queens
Long Island City is the safest place in Queens, and home to the highest percentage of same-sex couples in the borough. The site is located a few minutes from Manhattan and from Brooklyn. It is also home to the PS1 gallery, the youngest cousin of MoMa, and the Culture Lab, a secret gem gallery that promotes free outside concerts from April through October.
Best Hotels in Queens, NY:
Boro Hotel (38-28 27th Street, Long Island City) is located in Long Island City, walking distance to MoMA PS1. Guest rooms feature incredible views of Long Island City or the Manhattan skyline. These air-conditioned rooms also feature large windows, hardwood floors and custom furnishings. Bathrobes and a hairdryer are provided in the brightly-lit bathrooms.
Courtyard by Marriott Long Island City (29-15 Queens Plaza North) has three subway stations within 2,100 feet of the property. All rooms are equipped with a desk, an iron with ironing board, flat-screen TV and a coffee maker. Some rooms offer a view of the city as well. The fitness center at the Courtyard Long Island City/New York Manhattan View is equipped with cardiovascular equipment and free weights.
Looking for more options?
If you want to stay in a different neighborhood or hotel, do a little bit of research before confirming your booking. When in doubt, always call the establishment before to guarantee you will be respected. If you experience discrimination, contact the NYC Commission on Human Rights at (212) 416-0197. Under the NYC Human Rights Law, it is illegal to discriminate based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender. And if they are not friendly, always remember to leave a not-friendly review in return.
“Oh, but on their website it says it’s gay friendly!”. Dorothy, my dear… Not even a real size wax figure of Liza Minelli holding a rainbow flag at the hotel's door can be considered as a guarantee of “LGBTQ+ friendly” these days. Take the Out NYC as an example. For four long years, this "gay-themed hotel", as The New York Times once described, profited from the pink money of tourists who would search for friendly accommodations on Google. It just happened that its owners decided to host a dinner party for the Texas senator Ted Cruz in 2016. The guy who just one year before that dinner had classified the Supreme Court's decision in favor of same-sex marriage as "one of the darkest hours" of the United States. Of course, the Out NYC had to close its doors after the episode.
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