where to stay in new york for christmas

Where To Stay in New York for Christmas: 9 Hotels for a Festive Trip

New York City at Christmas is pure magic, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you’re traveling from around the world to experience the city at its most enchanting or are just a short drive away, experiencing Christmas in New York firsthand is an unforgettable experience.

When considering where to stay in New York for Christmas, you’ll have your pick of options, as every hotel in the city tries to outdo the others with extravagant decorations, festive offerings, and unforgettable experiences for guests. From cozy boutique hotels to iconic New York institutions, these nine hotels will get you into the Christmas spirit.

Peninsula New York
© The Peninsula New York

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Where To Stay in New York for Christmas

1. The Peninsula New York

Known for its opulent Christmas decorations and an unending list of over-the-top Christmas celebrations, The Peninsula New York is a classic favorite for travelers looking for where to stay in New York for Christmas.

Christmas carolers welcome guests on the staircase of the Grand Lobby every Friday and Saturday evening, just the start of a memorable holiday visit for travelers. The Peninsula also offers an array of special Christmas packages for guests, including the “Night Before Christmas” package, featuring an in-room scavenger hunt for the kids and special treats from The Peninsula Sweet Shoppe, plus an in-room Christmas tree!

Guests and locals alike will love The Peninsula’s incredible winter wonderland on the hotel’s rooftop, a new highlight of Christmas celebrations in the city. Launched in partnership with St. Moritz and Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, The Peninsula New York presents a reimagined Chalet de Ning, a Swiss-inspired rooftop experience perfect for the holidays, and with unbeatable views of Manhattan’s skyline.

Enjoy delicious bites inspired by the Swiss Alps, enjoy cozy ski lodge-inspired interiors, and beautiful holiday decor. It’s the highlight of a festive Christmas in New York this year and a cherry on top of an unforgettable stay at The Peninsula New York.

2. The Algonquin Hotel

The historic Algonquin Hotel is filled with charm year-round, but it makes for an even more memorable stay around the holidays. Located just two blocks from the famed Winter Village at Bryant Park, it’s the perfect place to retreat after an afternoon of ice skating or glimpsing the neighborhood’s Christmas window displays.

Guests and locals alike can cozy up to the bar for special holiday drinks in the beautifully-decorated space. Carols fill the lobby twice a week while guests sip on indulgent, complimentary hot chocolate and warm up after a fun-filled day exploring the city at the most magical time of year.

Make your reservation for a memorable Christmas dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, with a special Christmas dinner menu allowing guests to enjoy a stress-free and delicious holiday meal.

The Langham
© The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue
The Langham

3. The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue

With unique Christmas decor and memorable, festive details everywhere you turn, The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue is set to be a new favorite place to stay in New York at Christmas.

Giant decorated Christmas trees and a 7′-tall Nutcracker transform the hotel’s stunning lobby while carolers serenade visitors on the first three Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays of December. Guests can sip on complementary Angelina hot chocolate as they enjoy the show and unwind after a day of exploring the city’s best Christmas attractions.

Looking for an over-the-top experience in New York this Christmas? The Langham holiday packages will blow you away. One incredible experience includes presidential suite accommodations, complete with a full-sized, decorated Christmas tree and an Empire State Building-shaped gingerbread house in your suite.

All this, plus roundtrip airport transfers, four VIP tickets to the observation deck at the Empire State Building’s 86th floor, and a one-time $1000 dining credit for Ai Fiori, the hotel’s celebrated restaurant. Talk about a memorable Christmas experience!

4. The Muse

An independent hotel within just a few blocks of the city’s most beloved Christmas attractions, The Muse is a great choice for travelers looking to stay in the middle of the action this Christmas season.

While the hotel doesn’t go over the top with decorations, holiday travelers won’t miss it. The Muse is just a 5-minute walk from Christmassy favorites like Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and Saks Fifth Avenue, with its Angelina pop-up at L’Avenue at Saks serving up decadent hot chocolate and sweets. The hotel’s beautifully-decorated and spacious rooms, along with the exquisite service you can expect at an independent hotel, make The Muse a perfect retreat after a long day of exploring the best of the city.

The Muse is also an affordable place to stay in this notoriously expensive part of the city during the Christmas season: it offers perhaps the best value stay of any of the hotels to make this list. For a memorable experience in New York around the holidays, The Muse is an excellent choice.

5. New York Marriott Marquis

The newly renovated New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square is going all out this year with Christmas festive events for locals and guests alike, making it a clear choice for visitors in search of where to stay in New York for Christmas.

With the hotel’s balcony decked out for the holidays, guests can enjoy incredible views of Times Square while sipping holiday drinks, including decadent hot chocolate guaranteed to charm kids and adults alike. On Wednesdays throughout the holiday season, guests and locals alike can enjoy live holiday music in the hotel’s Broadway Lounge.

A final Christmas highlight that makes this hotel an easy choice when selecting where to stay in New York for Christmas? The hotel’s Holiday Movies at the Marquis will feature favorite holiday films throughout the season on the Atrium’s big screen.

Plus, stick around at the New York Marriott Marquis for the New Year to watch the ball drop in Times Square – you couldn’t ask for a better location to experience it!

Baccarat Hotel
© Baccarat Hotel

6. Baccarat Hotel

Just a few blocks from New York’s most impressive holiday attractions, the opulent Baccarat Hotel feels like a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Created by the world-famous French fine crystal company of the same name, Baccarat Hotel is the perfect spot for a New York Christmas in luxury.

Special holiday offerings include a Gifts of the Season package with a $100 gift card for guests to shop at the hotel’s new 53rd Street Boutique, where you’re sure to find the perfect holiday gift for friends and family and perhaps a little something for yourself, too.

Looking for a festive way to unwind after shopping til you drop? Make a reservation for a special holiday tea service at the Baccarat – it’s a favorite New York Christmas activity you can’t miss.

With the festive Christmas Carol tea service, including an incredible selection of teas, champagnes, and decadent hot chocolate to accompany sweet and savory holiday bites, you’re guaranteed an incredible holiday experience. A Nutcracker children’s tea service is also available, making the experience memorable for the entire family.

7. Lotte New York Palace

Featuring one of New York’s grandest Christmas trees in its front courtyard, Lotte New York Palace is another well-known Christmas favorite in New York City for guests looking for a memorable stay around the holiday season.

While its grand annual Christmas tree lighting draws travelers and locals from far and wide, the hotel’s Christmas spirit doesn’t stop at the entrance. The lobby features extravagant decorations you’ll need to see to believe!

Lotte New York Palace also makes the most of its central location, just a few blocks from Radio City Music Hall and the tree at Rockefeller Center, with a package for travelers looking for a festive stay after a memorable day taking in a performance by the world-famous Rockettes. Offering discounted room rates for Christmas Spectacular ticket holders and shuttle service around Midtown to popular Christmas destinations, it’s an excellent option for a holiday stay.

Arlo Hotels
© Arlo Hotels

8. Arlo Hotels

With unique Christmas activities and installations at each of its three locations in New York City, Arlo Hotels guarantees a memorable stay for the holidays, no matter what you’re dreaming of.

At Arlo SoHo, outdoor log cabins decked out in festive decorations cover the rooftop for the perfect Christmassy escape from the hustle and bustle of one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods below. Inside these heated, cozy “cabins,” guests can choose from options from the unique harvest dinner menu curated to feature local, seasonal ingredients from the hotel’s restaurant, Lindens.

At the Arlo NoMad, steps away from Madison avenue and within walking distance of famous NYC Christmas attractions like the Winter Village at Bryant Park, another rooftop holiday escape awaits. With a live music series throughout the season and incredible 360-degree views of the city from the rooftop igloos, it’s an attraction for guests and locals alike.

Arlo Hotels offers all this, plus the opportunity to remember the true reason for the season. The lobby of each Arlo Hotel features a beautiful “Angel Tree” in collaboration with Hearts of Gold, a local non-profit supporting homeless moms and their children residing in the shelter system around the city. Hotel guests can donate toys, purchase requested toys via a QR scan, or make donations directly to Hearts of Gold.

9. The Plaza Hotel

Featured in classic movies like Eloise and the New York City Christmas favorite Home Alone 2, The Plaza Hotel is truly an iconic NYC Christmas destination – so much so that it even inspired a Hallmark Christmas movie, Christmas at the Plaza. With its over-the-top decorations and old-world beauty, it’s no wonder that a stay at The Plaza is a highlight of any traveler’s holiday trip.

Looking to relive the magic of Home Alone 2 at The Plaza? The hotel offers a Home Alone 2 holiday stay and experience package you’ll never forget. Letting guests relive the festivities of Christmas in New York and the most iconic scenes from the movie, this package includes special touches from the movie, like a limo tour around the city, a large cheese pizza, and an over-the-top sundae.

If this isn’t exactly the Christmas dream you have in mind, don’t worry, there are plenty of other unique stay and experience packages to choose from. The hotel can even bring a 7-foot decorated Christmas tree to your room, twinkling Christmas lights included, for the ultimate festive stay.

Whether you stay at The Plaza Hotel or one of the city’s other festive hotels, visiting the lobby of The Plaza to appreciate its holiday splendor is among the best things to do in New York at Christmastime.

A Festive Christmas

From iconic destinations like The Plaza Hotel to favorite newcomers going all out to bring Christmas cheer to guests, there’s no lack of options when choosing where to stay in New York for Christmas. Whatever accommodations in New York are calling your name, look forward to a memorable stay in one of the most magical destinations imaginable during the Christmas season.

carley rojas avila

Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual New York-based travel writer, editor, content marketer, and the founder of the digital travel publications Explorers Away and Home to Havana. Carley is an expert on all things Latin America, the Caribbean, and Cuba, having lived and worked in four different countries in the region. Her writing has appeared on the Associated Press wires and in Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, MSN, Euronews, The Weather Channel, and more. When she's not writing about her travels, find her front row at a Bad Bunny concert, befriending street cats, and taste-testing every pizza in Havana.