Brooklyn boutique hotel review

Wythe Hotel

A converted 1901 factory on the Williamsburg waterfront, and still the definitive Brooklyn hotel.

Williamsburg$$$$ price pointUpdated 17 August 2026For UK travellers
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Editorial take

Who should book Wythe Hotel?

If this is your first New York trip, shortlist Wythe Hotel for a practical reason: Skyline views, design, repeat visitors, food and nightlife. 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 it is a short first trip built around midtown sights. 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 Wythe Hotel?

Wythe Avenue at North 11th Street is a block from the East River, which is why the upper floors and the rooftop look straight back at Midtown Manhattan.

Nearby

Domino Park, the East River waterfront, Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn Brewery and McCarren Park.

Closest subway

Bedford Av on the L, about ten minutes on foot

Hotel facts

What to know before booking.

Address80 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249
OpenedBuilding completed 1901; opened as a hotel in 2012
Rooms70 rooms
Price point$$$$
Known forThe converted barrel factory that made Williamsburg a place people fly to rather than move to.
SubwayBedford Av on the L, about ten minutes on foot

First-timer context

Why Wythe Hotel might feel special.

What it is known for

  • The building went up in 1901 as a cooperage, making barrels for the sugar refineries along the East River.
  • It opened as a hotel in 2012 and is generally treated as the first Brooklyn hotel to be built around the borough's own identity rather than as an overspill from Manhattan.
  • The Ides, its rooftop bar, has one of the most photographed views of the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn.

New York moments

  • The hotel's opening is a fixed point in most accounts of how Williamsburg changed during the 2010s.
  • Reynard, the ground-floor restaurant, was part of the wave of Brooklyn dining that drew Manhattan diners across the river.

On screen

  • The Ides and the waterfront outside are heavily used in fashion and editorial photography.

Review questions

What travellers keep asking.

Is the Wythe worth it over a Manhattan hotel?

For a second trip, often yes: you get a larger room, a genuine neighbourhood and the skyline view rather than being inside it. For a packed first trip it adds a subway journey to almost everything.

How far is the subway?

Bedford Avenue on the L is about ten minutes' walk, and one stop from Manhattan. Check for weekend engineering work on the L before you rely on it.

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.

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