Editorial take
Who should book The Maritime Hotel?
If this is your first New York trip, shortlist The Maritime Hotel for a practical reason: Design and architecture, couples, downtown dining. The name, star rating and lobby photos matter, but the real test is whether the location helps your days feel easier.
It is less compelling if you need large rooms or a midtown sightseeing base. Before booking from the UK, compare the final price after taxes and property fees, check the exact room setup and make sure your airport arrival route is not needlessly awkward.
Location and map
Where is The Maritime Hotel?
West 16th Street at Ninth Avenue sits between Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, a couple of minutes from Chelsea Market and the High Line.
Nearby
Chelsea Market, the High Line, Chelsea galleries, the Meatpacking District and Hudson River Park.
Closest subway
14 St and Eighth Av
Hotel facts
What to know before booking.
First-timer context
Why The Maritime Hotel might feel special.
What it is known for
- The building was completed in 1967 as the Seamen's Training School and Dormitory for the National Maritime Union, designed by the New Orleans architect Albert C. Ledner.
- Its facade is pierced with five-foot diameter porthole windows, and the front wall slopes at eight and a half degrees like a ship's hull.
- Every room faces west, so each porthole looks out over the Hudson towards New Jersey.
New York moments
- Ledner designed three buildings for the National Maritime Union in the 1960s, all white and all using portholes; the nearby Dream Downtown occupies another of them.
- The hotel opened in 2003, early in the Meatpacking District's shift from industry to fashion and nightlife.
On screen
- The porthole facade is the building's signature and appears constantly in photographs of the area.
Review questions
What travellers keep asking.
Are the porthole windows as small as they look?
They are five feet across, so considerably larger than they appear from the street, and each one frames a west-facing view over the Hudson.
How does it compare with Dream Downtown?
They occupy two of the same architect's National Maritime Union buildings and sit directly behind one another. The Maritime is smaller and quieter; Dream Downtown is larger with a pool and a bigger nightlife scene.
Booking checklist
Check these before you reserve.
Total price
Look beyond the nightly rate. Check taxes, destination fees, breakfast and cancellation.
Room layout
For New York, room size, bathroom privacy, bed type and storage can matter more than star rating.
Arrival route
Match the hotel to your airport, luggage and arrival time, especially after an overnight UK flight.
Sources and update notes
Last updated: 17 August 2026. Hotel rates, fees, rules and transport details can change.