The best family hotels in New York
Written October 2026
Where to sleep in New York with kids, which room to ask for, and why the biggest question is how many beds fit in one.
Here's the thing about a New York hotel room with kids: the room is the problem. A standard double is about the size of the stroller you brought, and four people in it by the second night is not a vacation. So the best family hotels in New York are not the fanciest ones. They're the ones with an answer to the square footage: a suite with a door, a kitchenette for the 6am cereal, or a room with a bunk bed built in.
Plenty of hotels here say they welcome kids, which doesn't tell you much. So this page sticks to ten that have something real to point to, and says which room to ask for. Some are splurges (the Plaza has an Eloise suite, and yes, it's a lot). Some are a bunk bed and a good location. A few are in Brooklyn, which is a real option with kids.
It's sorted by neighborhood, because in New York where you sleep decides how many subway transfers you do with a tired kid. Central Park South and Columbus Circle are for the park. Midtown and Times Square are for the big attractions. The Upper West Side is for the museums. Flatiron and Brooklyn are for a trip with more room to breathe. If you haven't picked the days yet, 3 days in New York with kids is the plan to sleep around.
Short on time? Two double beds in one room: Margaritaville. Bunk beds that sleep four: the bunk-bed room at Freehand or the bunk-bed suite at NU. A kitchen: Hotel Beacon. A suite with a door: the Plaza or Kimpton Theta. A splurge with a kids' package: the Lotte New York Palace. Brooklyn with a pool: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge.
How we picked
These are hotels we'd send a friend with kids to. The facts under each hotel come from its own site and its Play Day listing. Where something wasn't on the hotel's own pages, we left it out. If a fact is missing, we couldn't confirm it (not that the answer is no).
We left out hotels where we couldn't find anything family-specific, however nice they are, and a few whose own pages wouldn't load or didn't say. New York hotels also change their packages often, so ask about the kids' extras when you book.
Central Park South and Columbus Circle
Stay here if the park is the trip. You can walk to it in a minute, the carriage horses and the zoo are on the south side, and Fifth Avenue's toy shops are close. What you give up: this is the priciest corner of the city, and the rooms are the grown-up kind.
The Plaza
Central Park South
The splurge for any kid who knows the Eloise books. Each child gets a Plaza Passport on arrival, there's an Eloise Suite, and an Eloise afternoon tea in the Palm Court. For a bigger group, the hotel has multi-room suites, including two- and three-bedroom ones.
The hotel says cribs can be requested and babysitting can be arranged. The park is the playground, and the Central Park Zoo is a short walk in. Down Fifth Avenue are FAO Schwarz and the American Girl flagship, which tells you what your afternoon looks like. The Fifth Avenue/59th Street station (N, R and W) is a short walk away.
- Connecting rooms
- Yes
- Suites
- Yes
Mandarin Oriental, New York
Columbus Circle
The rainy-day pick. There's an indoor pool, and the hotel has family rooms and connecting rooms you can ask for, so a bigger group doesn't end up on two floors. It has a family page of its own on its site, so start there for the baby gear and extras.
It sits on Columbus Circle, a short walk from Central Park, with the Columbus Circle station (1, A, B, C and D) close by. Ask for connecting rooms by name when you book.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Connecting rooms
- Yes
- Suites
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes, indoor, heated
Midtown and Times Square
Stay here for Broadway, the big sights and easy subway lines in every direction. It's loud and bright and tiring, and kids tend to love it for exactly those reasons. Skip it if you want a quiet block to walk a stroller down.
Kimpton Theta New York - Times Square
Theater District
The one for a big group. The two-bedroom suite fits up to six people, and the three-bedroom version fits eight, which is how a grandparent or a second family ends up on the same floor. The rooms have spacious layouts, and the suites are the reason to book.
It's at 790 Eighth Avenue in the Theater District, close to Times Square, and the 50th Street station (C and E) is nearby. Book a suite if you're a group.
- Suites
- Yes
Margaritaville Resort Times Square
Times Square
Not the quietest hotel in Midtown, but it's the plain answer for four people: the Deluxe Room comes with two double beds. Skip the king rooms.
The payoff is the rooftop pool, which the hotel says is heated year-round. Ask the hotel who can use it and when before you promise anyone a swim. It's at 560 Seventh Avenue, and the Times Square-42nd Street station (1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R and W) is a short walk away.
- Pool
- Yes
Lotte New York Palace
Midtown East
A splurge that plays along. The Little Royals package puts a playhouse in your room, bedtime stories, activity books and crayons, a gift card for FAO Schwarz and cupcakes delivered to the room. It's a package you book as one, so read the terms.
It's at Madison Avenue and 50th Street, and the Lexington Avenue/51st Street station (6 and E) is a short walk east.
- Suites
- Yes
The Upper West Side
The museum neighborhood. The American Museum of Natural History is here, with Central Park right next to it. These are calmer blocks, and a day here ends early.
Hotel Beacon
Upper West Side
The kitchen pick, with a lot of room to spread out. Every room has a kitchenette, and the one-bedroom suites add a living room with a queen pullout sofa. The Two-Bedroom Suite sleeps a lot more (two double beds in one room, a king in the other, a queen pullout in the living room and two bathrooms), and the hotel itself pitches it at big groups.
It's at 2130 Broadway, on the corner of 75th Street, and the 1, 2 and 3 trains at 72nd Street are a short walk. The American Museum of Natural History and Central Park are a walk away too.
- Suites
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Free breakfast
- No
- Laundry
- Yes
Flatiron and Gramercy
Quieter than Midtown at night, and a subway ride from most of the sights. Not many hotels here are set up for kids, which makes the one on this list stand out.
Freehand New York
Flatiron
The sleepover pick. The Three's Company room has a queen bed and an overhead bunk, and the Private Quad has four twin beds in a room of its own, each bunk with its own outlet and reading light. For kids, that's a hotel that feels like camp. For you, it's four people in one room without paying for a suite.
It's at 23 Lexington Avenue, in the Flatiron District, and the 23rd Street station (6) is close. It's a design-y, lively place, so it suits kids who sleep through noise and people who don't mind the lobby scene.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a real choice with kids: more space for the money and parks close by. You'll cross a bridge or take a train to reach Manhattan's big sights, so it's best if you want a roomier base and a few of your days across the river.
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Heights
A waterfront hotel at 60 Furman Street, right by Brooklyn Bridge Park, with the skyline and the bridge in view. The Skyline 1 Bedroom Suite is listed for four people, and the rooftop pool is the thing to book it for.
The park has playgrounds along the waterfront, which makes the first and last hours of the day easy. Ask the hotel about the pool's rules for kids before you promise a swim.
- Suites
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
NU Hotel Brooklyn
Boerum Hill
The bunk-bed suite is the whole pitch: a queen bed and twin bunks, which the hotel describes as right for a family of four. Kids stay free, according to its FAQ, and a continental breakfast is part of the stay.
It's at 85 Smith Street and the hotel says several subway lines serve the area, including the A, C, F, G and R. The New York Transit Museum and Brooklyn Bridge Park are both close.
- Suites
- Yes
The Box House Hotel
Greenpoint
The apartment pick. The suites have a separate bedroom and a living room with a sofa bed and sleep up to four, and the one- and two-bedroom apartments sleep up to six, with fully equipped kitchens. Every room has at least a kitchenette.
It's at 77 Box Street in Greenpoint, a residential neighborhood that feels like a home base more than a hotel stay. You're across the river from the big sights, so this works best for a longer trip.
- Suites
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
Which room to ask for
In New York, the room type matters more than the hotel. A standard double rarely fits four, so look for a suite with a living room, a room with bunks or a two-bedroom suite. Ask whether a rollaway fits your room type before you count on one.
Getting around with a stroller
The subway is the fastest way across the city, but most stations have no elevator (the MTA counts fewer than a third as accessible), so a stroller can mean stairs. If you're staying in Midtown or on the Upper West Side, you can do a lot on foot and by bus. In Brooklyn, check the elevator at your nearest station before you pick the hotel.
Questions
What is the best area to stay in New York with kids?
Central Park South or Columbus Circle if the park is the trip, the Upper West Side for the Museum of Natural History, and Midtown if you want Times Square and Broadway close. Brooklyn is a good option if you want more room.
Which New York hotels have kitchens?
Hotel Beacon has a kitchenette in every room. The Box House Hotel in Greenpoint has a kitchenette in every room and full kitchens in its apartments.
Which New York hotels have a pool?
The Mandarin Oriental has an indoor pool. Margaritaville Resort Times Square and 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge both have rooftop pools. Check each hotel's pool rules for kids before you go.
Where can a family of four fit in one room in New York?
Margaritaville's Deluxe Room has two double beds. Freehand's Private Quad has four twin beds, and NU Hotel Brooklyn's Bunk-Bed Suite has a queen bed and twin bunks. Suites at Hotel Beacon and the Box House add a sofa bed or a separate bedroom.
Is Brooklyn a good place to stay with kids?
Yes, if you don't mind a train ride into Manhattan. You get more space for the money and parks close by, and Brooklyn Bridge Park has playgrounds on the waterfront.
Which New York hotel is best for a splurge with kids?
The Plaza, for any kid who knows Eloise: there's an Eloise Suite, a Plaza Passport for each child and an Eloise afternoon tea. The Lotte New York Palace has a Little Royals package built around the kids.
Photos
The Plaza: Paweł Marynowski / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Mandarin Oriental, New York: OptimumPx (Public domain) · Hotel Beacon: Jim.henderson (CC BY 3.0) · Freehand New York: Jim.henderson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) · NU Hotel Brooklyn: Epicgenius (CC BY-SA 4.0) · The Box House Hotel: Jim.henderson (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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