Stay Here, Not There: Labor Day in New York

With so many reviews of so many different hotels, scanning our city guides can sometimes lead to information overload—so our new series, Stay Here, Not There takes the guess work out of finding the right hotel for your trip. Today we’re looking at where to stay to best enjoy the last gasps of summer in New York.

The Trip: Labor Day weekend in New York to celebrate the unofficial end of summer.

The Demands: A rooftop deck, easy access to tourist sites and a party atmosphere.

The Options: The Meatpacking District’s Hotel Gansevoort and its “much-talked-about rooftop pool” or the “hangout for the hip, beautiful, and famous” that is the Gramercy Park Hotel.

The Breakdown: The Hotel Gansevoort may no longer be the most buzz-worthy property in New York, but its open air rooftop pool and bar continues to welcome professional partiers by night. On sweltering days, families share the deck with recovering clubbers, dipping in and out of the pool as necessary, while snapping photos of the New York skyline. The one downside is that while the neighborhood is packed with shopping, it’s a long, sweaty subway ride from midtown tourist attractions. A deluxe room for two, September 4-7, is $1155, plus tax.

The Gramercy Park Hotel is even more sceney than the Gansevoort, but its enclosed rooftop deck lacks one summer essential: a pool. Marooned in the midst of a residential neighborhood, tourist attractions like shopping and nightlife are a hike away—hardly a good thing when the pavement’s melting. The one bright spot is that the GPH’s keys to shade-filled Gramercy Park offer a great way to escape the heat—and inspire envy in Gansevoort guests who don’t get access to the famously cloistered space. Still, you’ll pay for the privilege: A Deluxe room for two, September 4-7, is $1545, plus tax.

Our pick: If a last toast to summer is the plan, the Hotel Gansevoort is the pick for $390 less than GPH.