Best Hotels in the Meatpacking District, New York City
Ready to check out the Meatpacking District? We got you. This quintessential New York City neighborhood is always awake, buzzing as an epicenter where industry meets nightlife.
Nestled between Chelsea and the West Village, the Meatpacking District rocks historic cobblestone streets while welcoming new institutions of fashion, design and business. Whether you’re biking the High Line, enjoying the new home of the Whitney, or chowing down at Chelsea Market, the Meatpacking District has plenty to do with hotels to match. From budget hotels to luxury hotels and everything in between, HotelTonight can help you find the perfect hotel for your trip to the Meatpacking District.
Why We Love the Meatpacking District
Named for its roots of slaughterhouses, the Meatpacking District has grown into a glamorous and trendsetting location. Here are just a few of the many reasons why we think the Meatpacking District is your next favorite spot.
- Hip hotels: This one’s a given. Hotels in the Meatpacking District are some of our favorites in the city. From vintage details such as exposed brick and beams to rooftop bars for mingling with locals, the hotels of the Meatpacking District always come to play. Whether you're looking for a glamorous, high-end hotel or a quaint boutique hotel, the Meatpacking District has hotels for all tastes.
- High Line: What does New York City do with an abandoned rail line? Turn it into a park, of course. This elevated green space goes right through the Meatpacking District and is perfect for an afternoon stroll, a morning coffee or an evening of people watching. Check out the many public art installations along the way and catch views of both the skyline and Hudson River.
- Modern art: In 2015, the Whitney Museum of American Art moved to this modern location in the Meatpacking District. The museum is a world leader of contemporary American art, focusing on the work of living artists. The collection, which comprises over 21,000 works, is known for featuring experimental, groundbreaking pieces.
- Food heaven: When you come to the Meatpacking District, you’re gonna eat, and you’re gonna eat well. Chelsea Market is a fancy food hall renowned for its wide range of restaurants and vendors. From chocolate to cheese, tacos to coffee, you will find something you can’t resist.
- Shopper’s dream: Some of the best high-end shopping can be found in the Meatpacking District. From big names like Diane von Furstenberg (her headquarters are upstairs — keep an eye out!) to under-the-radar boutiques like In Support Of, there are endless opportunities to get your fashion on.
What to Do in the Meatpacking District
Many of the former slaughterhouses and packing plants of the Meatpacking District have been transformed in places to see and be seen on the weekend or on any day throughout the week. Whether you're spending just a couple of days or a week or more in the neighborhood, make sure you put these spots on your to-do list.
- Jump into a virtual world: Want to see what augmented reality is really like? You can at Samsung 837, a playground for technology and art. It's not a store, but a cultural destination for art, tech and whatever else is hip.
- Marvel at contemporary art: If the art on view at the Whitney is a little too old-fashioned for you, check out Milk Gallery for its boundary-pushing photography exhibitions. The gallery is part of the Milk Group, which calls itself a "culturally conscious company." Along with studio space, a creative agency and a gallery, Milk also produces a cosmetics line and a digital fashion 'zine.
- Stroll along the Hudson: As much as we love the High Line, we've gotta admit it gets a little crowded, especially on beautiful weekends in the spring. So we're gonna let you in a little secret. About one block to the west of the High Line is Hudson River Park, a 550-acre park that stretches along the banks of the river all the way up to 59th street. It's the perfect, peaceful place to get in a run or a stroll while you're visiting the Meatpacking District. If you want to get on the water, you can stop off at one of the boathouses and rent a kayak.
- Buy a new investment bag: Jeffrey might be fair game for the comedy writers at "Saturday Night Live," but it's also the best place in the Meatpacking District to go if you're looking for a new designer handbag, designer shoes or fashion. The store uses personal shoppers who get to know your style and help you find the perfect pieces to add to your collection.
- Buy designer denim: One of the great things about the Meatpacking District is the creative repurposing of old spaces. British high-end denim company rag & bone has turned an old slaughterhouse into a flagship retail location. The store is in the same building as the label's NYC headquarters, so you might be able to spot a few designers and see what's coming next from the label.
- Head to the Beach: Visiting the Meatpacking District in the summer? Then you'll need to head to The Beach at Dream Downtown. Home to a large, glass-bottomed pool, the Beach is a club that regularly hosts events and is available for private events. While you need a pool pass to enjoy the water, the bar and grill section is open to the public.
- Never sleep again: Why go to the theater when you can become part of the theater? Sleep No More, an interactive, film noir-ish retelling of the Scottish Play (aka Macbeth for those of you who aren't superstitious), gives you a choose-your-own-adventure experience. Wander through the McKittrick Hotel, following the cast member of your choice and experience Shakespeare like you never have before.
- Check out experimental art: If experimental theater isn't enough for you, spend some of your visit to the Meatpacking District taking in some alternative art. White Columns sits on the border between the West Village and the Meatpacking District and is the oldest alternative art space in NYC. The gallery is open to the public 11 months out of the year and is completely free.
- Travel to the Himalayas: The Rubin Museum of Art is the first museum of its kind. Dedicated to the art of the Himalayas and nearby areas, the museum has an extensive collection. While some of its pieces date back 1,500 years, a few are much more modern and from contemporary artists. It's open six days a week, closed on Tuesdays, and stays open late on Fridays, until 10 p.m.
- Wish you were a dancer: The Joyce Theater is a dance theater created by dancers. Every season, it presents performances from some of the most well-known dance companies in the world, as well as from up-and-comers in the dance community. The Joyce is committed to making dance and performance accessible to all, so tickets to some of its shows can be yours for as little as $10.
- The only type of fleas you'll want: Need something vintagey, something no one else will have? Then you need to visit Artists & Fleas at the Chelsea Market. Calling itself a "marketplace of makers," Artists & Fleas is where you'll find handmade items, vintage goods and other stuff that's truly unique.
- Get some friendly wine advice: If you wish you knew more about wine, but were afraid to ask, let the friendly staff at Chelsea Wine Vault guide you. Although the wine world has a reputation for being snobby and maybe just a bit standoffish, the staff at Chelsea Wine Vault loves what they do and want you to enjoy and love wine as much as they do.
- See what's standard: Part of the Standard Hotel, Standard Plaza is an open-air public square that regularly shows off new works of art and new dining concepts. If you're about to explore the High Line, you can start from Standard Plaza — it's at street level.
- Visit a fort: Fort Gansevoort is an art gallery and event space located in a three-story Greek Revival rowhome. The gallery emphasizes experimental work, so you're sure to see something there that you've never seen before.
What to Eat (and Drink) in the Meatpacking District
Whether you've spent your day looking at art, strolling the High Line or Hudson River Park or have just had the theatrical experience of your life at "Sleep No More," you're going to work up an appetite. Luckily for you, the Meatpacking District is full of award-winning restaurants, relaxing watering holes and some of the tastiest, sweetest desserts you'll ever encounter. Here's where to eat and drink during your visit:
- Enjoy a beer garden: The Standard Biergarten is tucked underneath of the High Line and is the place to go when you want to pretend you're in Germany for the day, without having to leave NYC. The beer garden is open year round, so you can enjoy tasty, larger-than-your-head soft pretzels and beer anytime you're in the Meatpacking District. Come to the beer garden in the summer for a special treat — three taps built into the table, so you can pour your own beer. Bottoms up!
- We all scream for ice cream: Ample Hills Creamery gets its name from a Walt Whitman poem, but you don't have to like poetry or Whitman to enjoy the Brooklyn-based ice cream company's creative flavors. Ample Hills has a shop inside Bubby's High Line location. Get there early to try out the newest flavor creations.
- Drink a creative cocktail: Head down to the basement of Chelsea Market to find The Tippler, a cocktail bar and restaurant. Once inside, order one of the unique libations from its menu and sit back and take in your surroundings. The Tippler's decor owes a lot to the nearby High Line — much of the furnishings are made from reclaimed train rails and the wood from an old water tower. Worried you won't get a spot or a table? We recommend getting there early or going mid-week. The Tippler doesn't take reservations, is first come, first served, and gets crazy-crowded after 10 p.m.
- Dance on the roof: Rooftop bars are to NYC summers like ice skating rinks are to NYC winters. That is to say, if you're in the Meatpacking District, and it's summertime, you'd better find your way to a rooftop bar. Located on top of the Standard Hotel, Le Bain is a discotheque and rooftop bar. You'll find the hottest DJs there in the summer, as a well as a plunge pool and dance floor. Not everyone gets into Le Bain, so dress to impress.
- Meet the neighbors: Sometimes you want to glam up and break out the glitter. Other times, you're looking for something more relaxed. Just because you're staying in the Meatpacking District doesn't mean you don't want to go someplace a little quieter. On those occasions, you'll want to check out the Brass Monkey, which calls itself the "only neighborhood bar in the neighborhood." Think "Cheers," but instead of Boston, you're in the middle of NYC. Brass Monkey is open for lunch and dinner and weekend brunch.
- Visit a high-end food court: When you're visiting NYC with a group, whether it's your family or friends, it can be difficult to agree on where to eat. Heading to Gansevoort Market solves that problem. A food court with a variety of different vendors, you're going to find something to please everyone at Gansevoort Market. There's pizza, tacos, Thai food, waffles — you name it, you're gonna find it. Although the market's gotten a facelift and a new location in recent years, it's been a mainstay of the Meatpacking District since the 19th century, when it was a bustling, open-air food market.
- Get a sugar rush: Need a lot of sugar and need it ASAP? You need to go to the Sugar Factory, a 9,000-square-foot restaurant and store that's dedicated to all things sweet. A highlight of the Sugar Factory is its signature drinks, served in giant goblets and available with or without alcohol. Not into drinking your sugar? You can enjoy classic desserts such as NYC cheesecake or Red Velvet cake. And, if you're worried about getting too much of a sugar rush, don't worry — the Sugar Factory also has plenty of non-sweet items on its menu, such as burgers and salads.
- Meet your inner coffee snob: If for you, getting a cup of coffee means putting a pod into a machine or heading to the drive-through at Starbucks, get ready to change your life. Kobrick's has been serving coffee to New Yorkers for nearly 100 years. Order a coffee there and expand your universe. On the menu, you'll find cortados, cortaditos and the more expected lattes and cappuccinos. The coffee shop also has nitro and cold brew on tap for those days when you can't deal with a hot beverage. Drop by Kobrick's in the evening for coffee-inspired takes on classic cocktails.
- Mangia: Back when it opened in 2010, Del Posto earned a four-star review from the New York Times, the first Italian restaurant to do so in about 40 years. We can't say we're surprised. The team behind Del Posto is a powerhouse trio when it comes to Italian cuisine — Lidia Bastianich, Joe Bastianich and Melissa J. Rodriguez, who's the current executive chef. If you want a delicious meal in a swanky setting, then make a reservation at Del Posto during your trip to NYC.
- Dig into comfort food: Sometimes, you need something comforting, a reminder of home even if you're hundreds or thousands of miles away. When that time strikes, and you're in the Meatpacking District, you need to head to Bubby's High Line location. Bubby's has been serving comfort food to New Yorkers and wanna-be New Yorkers since 1990. Its menu is full of classic American comfort food items, such as pancakes, biscuits and pie.
- Transport yourself to the French Mediterranean: Bagatelle in the Meatpacking District is a place to see and be seen. It's a place to go for a decadent, hours-long brunch where the bubbly is sure to be flowing, and you're sure to make lots of new friends.
- Dine while looking at art: Say what you want about museum restaurants, but when you've spent a few hours checking out modern art and you're hungry, they are often your best (and nearest) bet. Luckily, if you happen to get hungry while browsing the Whitney, you have Untitled from Danny Meyer to help pull you through. Located on the side of the museum and featuring large windows, Untitled has a bright and airy setting. The menu is vegetable-forward and designed for sharing, so make sure you have a friend or two with you.
Where to Find the Best Hotels in the Meatpacking District, New York City
Looking for the best last-minute hotel deals in the Meatpacking District? HotelTonight lets you book amazing hotels tonight, tomorrow or beyond at incredible rates. Whether you need a modest business hotel, an expansive suite hotel or something mid-range for the whole family, HotelTonight has curated hotels to help you find the right hotel for you. Just search Meatpacking District, New York City with HotelTonight and find a great hotel at an even better price.
