Most tourists stay in midtown when they come to New York City, but even if you’re not in town for business, you might want to consider staying in other areas of Manhattan, including the Financial District. This area is where you’ll find the current World Trade Center and Trinity Church, where Alexander Hamilton among other luminaries is buried.
You’ll also find the Artezen Hotel, dubbed the newest 4-star property in the Financial District. It’s located on John Street near the subway and across the street from a convenient drugstore. It’s a small nondescript property from the outside, but once you’re inside, it’s lovely and chic.
My room was small, as is true of most Manhattan hotels, but very comfortable. I was also surprised by how quiet it was, even in the morning on a weekday when the area gets busy with people going to work.
The amenities include a welcome snack, a Lenovo tablet with a Bluetooth speaker dock, two bottles of Fiji water, Nespresso Coffee Maker with pods and sugar, safe, complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, and access to a gym and yoga room. All local and domestic long-distance phone calls are free as well, which is unusual, but not as necessary these days since we all have cell phones.
There are no minibars in the rooms, but there was a mini-fridge. There was a nice Frette bathrobe and slippers. I find that 4-star properties rarely supply slippers. This one also provided a steamer rather than an iron, but an iron and board were available upon request, as was a tea kettle. The TV was 49″.
The bed was very comfortable with a pillow top mattress and Frette linens. The bathroom had a shower only but nice Egyptian cotton towels and C.O. Bigelow toiletries.
The rooms span from 150 square feet to 250 square feet. Some of the larger rooms have a terrace.
Artezen is 100% non-smoking, and it only allows service animals. So it isn’t pet-friendly. It does have ADA-accessible rooms, however.
The staff was very friendly and helpful. I was especially impressed with how welcoming the staff was when I entered its enclosed rooftop bar, which also has sliders and other food. I enjoyed the decor and ambience there.
If you’re comfortable using the subway or don’t mind spending some money on taxis or Ubers, I recommend staying downtown when you visit NYC and checking out the Artezen.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 39 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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