Hotel 50 Bowery, part of Hyatt’s Joie de Vivre collection, is a boutique hotel located in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown. With a great location, thoughtful design, and welcoming staff, it’s become one of my favorite hotels in New York. I’ve now stayed here on four different occasions, so I thought I’d sum up my experience for those who are curious about this property.
The hotel does a great job of blending into its vibrant neighborhood and embracing the culture. This is reflected not only in the design but also in the neighborhood walking tours that are part of the hotel’s regularly scheduled activities for guests.
Of course, the location might not be ideal for folks who want to be in the center of the city and close to tourist sights like Central Park and Times Square. But if you appreciate being in the few remaining neighborhoods that still have plenty of locals living and working there, the Hotel 50 Bowery is a great choice.
Plus, it’s steps from Little Italy and within walking distance of public transportation. Without further ado, here’s a detailed 50 Bowery review based on my experience staying at this property.
Hotel 50 Bowery rates
Hotel 50 Bowery is a Category 5 Hyatt, requiring 17,000-23,000 points per night. However, the rates are pretty reasonable so it’s not the best place to redeem points.
The first three times I stayed at the 50 Bowery, I booked directly through Hyatt and paid less than $200 per night. When I stayed there with my family two years ago and applied a Hyatt Suite Upgrade award, I only paid $140 per night. This property is definitely a great option for budget travelers.
The last time I stayed here was in January 2025 and I booked a three-night stay through Hyatt Prive. The Prive rate was around $35 cheaper and included free breakfast, a room upgrade, and a $75 property credit.
Booking through Prive was easy. I just texted my travel agent friend Jon, and he made the reservation for me. He already had my card and Hyatt number on file from an earlier booking. He booked it quickly and the reservation soon appeared on my Hyatt account. And yes, I earned points and elite night credits from this stay.
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Bowery 50 hotel location
The Hotel 50 Bowery is located in Chinatown, close to great restaurants, attractions, and transportation. There’s a bus stop right outside and a subway station a few blocks away. I personally love the neighborhood. While it can be loud during the day, there is something so magical about walking through the winding streets of Chinatown at night.
A few of my favorite places to visit when I stay here include Doyers Street, with its vibrantly painted streets. Once dubbed “Murder Alley” for its rampant crime, Doyers is now a quaint street with boba shops and cafes. The street is always painted in vibrant colors and I love stopping by to see how the design has changed.
There is also a Xian Famous Foods around the corner from the 50 Bowery, serving up some of the best lamb noodles you’ll ever have. From here, you can easily walk to SoHo, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, and more. Plus, the Manhattan Bridge is steps from the hotel – perfect if you want to hop over to Brooklyn.
Check-in
The check-in process has always been seamless, with the welcoming staff setting a positive tone for the stay. The staff always acknowledged my Hyatt status (either Discoverist or Explorist) and thanked me for choosing to stay here again. Every time I’ve checked into this hotel, the staff has pro-actively offered late checkout, which is always nice. I tend to fly in early AM and leave at night, so this benefit is very useful.
They also do a good job of remembering to provide a welcome amenity, explaining any benefits that are included in the stay, and pointing out the weekly activity calendar. It includes fun things like neighborhood walking tours, puppy pilates, and martial arts classes – it’s a great way for the hotel to integrate guests into the neighborhood.
During my most recent stay, the agent gave me a choice between rooms on three different floors. I picked one of the 18th because I prefer to be high up (less road noise).
Hyatt Globalist benefits
As Hyatt Globalist members, I was greeted with four complimentary bottles of water and a detailed explanation of elite benefits. Here’s a complete list of benefits Hyatt Globalist members receive when staying at 50 Bowery:
- Complimentary breakfast
- Space-available room upgrades
- Early check-in/late check-out
- Welcome amenity (usually a bottle of water)
My bookings are pretty last minute, but on the two occasions when I booked in advance, I found a very nice note and gift from the hotel manager. That’s always a nice touch.
Regardless of whether you’re a Hyatt elite member or not, you can get extra perks by booking your 50 Bowery stay through Hyatt Prive. Some of the perks overlap, but you might also secure a $75 stay credit at no extra charge. It’s worth checking out!
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The rooms at 50 Bowery
The rooms at 50 Bowery are bigger than your average New York City hotel room. Most times, I’ve stayed in a standard room and received an upgrade to a higher floor. During a trip with my family, I applied a Suite Upgrade Award to the reservation and ended up in a Bowery Suite. This isn’t a standard upgrade, providing us much more room than an entry-level suite.
King room with Manhattan Bridge view
The rooms at 50 Bowery are thoughtfully designed with modern amenities. The ceilings are high, and the floor-to-ceiling windows provide views of the neighborhood. I can’t imagine many rooms having a “bad” view at this hotel, since the building towers over the neighborhood.
During my first stay, I was upgraded to a room with a view of the Manhattan Bridge, which was nice.
There are power outlets on just one side of the bed, which is a bit inconvenient. However, the alarm clock on the other side does have USB ports you can plug your phone into. The desks also have several outlets you can plug your electronics into.
Right next to the door is a large closet with ample storage space. These rooms are nothing if not spacious.
The bathrooms are also a good size, equipped with rain showers and stocked with Jonathan Adler amenities. I appreciate how the bathroom sink counter was large enough to spread out my skincare products. Plus, there’s a power outlet for my hair dryer – too many hotels don’t have these in convenient places like near the bathroom sink.
The Bowery Suite
During one stay at 50 Bowery, I scored an upgrade to a Bowery Suite on the 18th floor. The suite was 635 sqft and included a spacious living room, master bedroom, and a bathroom in between the two.
A vibrant painting greets guests as they enter the suite. The master bedroom was off to the left, while the living room was to the right.
The suite had a living room with enough space for our group to gather every night. It would have been even nicer if the living room had a dining table, since we often ordered meals. However, the hotel also has a public lounge with plenty of seating for group gatherings.
The living room had large windows on two sides, providing lots of natural light and incredible views of the city. Day or night , we were treated to stunning views. We almost didn’t want to leave the room – we could just watch the city from our living room, eating takeout and relax.
The views continued on to the bathroom, which was right outside the master bedroom. The bathroom was spacious and featured a small window overlooking The Bowery. The bottom half of the window glass was frosted…in case someone with binoculars pointed them several stories up?
The master bedroom had windows on two sides, offering a glimpse as far as the Hudson River. The room had a large TV above a console and two nightstands on each side of the bed. Next to the TV console was a closet for extra storage.
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Hotel 50 Bowery food and beverage
The Bowery 50 has a few food and beverage options on-site. If you’re opting to have breakfast at the hotel, you can either order room service (and take your meal to the public lounge) or go to The Crown for a small buffet breakfast.
Breakfast is definitely a weak spot for this hotel. I’ve tried it at The Crown, and I’ve ordered it through room service. It’s hardly edible and often cold (at both venues).
At one point, Bowery 50 partnered with a nearby Lebanese restaurant to deliver meals to guests at the hotel. During my stay two weeks ago, this partnership seems to have ended because I didn’t see the QR codes in the room or lounge.
Room service breakfast
The 50 Bowery has always partnered with an off-site restaurant to provide breakfast. In the past, it was from a place called Two Bridges. The food was decent. However, they seemed to have switched vendors last year, and I haven’t had a good breakfast since.
For example, the avocado toast is served with avocado slices (even though it’s advertised as “avocado mash”), and the bread was often stale. The rest wasn’t much better either. One morning, I ordered the mushroom omelet, and the potatoes were raw. Another morning, I found a hair in the overnight oats.
The process for getting your breakfast voucher is also unnecessarily complicated.
Every morning, around 5 a.m., guests will receive their breakfast voucher (s). You’ll then go to the designated website, place your order, and provide the voucher code (which does not cover tips). It then takes between 25-45 minutes for your order to be delivered to the lobby. So even though it’s called “room service,” it’s not. A few issues with this entire process:
- You can’t pre-order breakfast the night before. You have to wait until the ordering window opens. This isn’t ideal if you’re leaving early in the morning and don’t want to wait 25-45 minutes for your food to be delivered.
- Some mornings, the restaurant runs out of common breakfast items, like the egg platter, overnight oats, and shakshuka.
- There is no fruit on the menu, which sucks for those who want healthier breakfast options.
- The checkout page didn’t specify when our food would be ready. Sometimes the staff called my room to notify me the food had arrived.
- You can’t make adjustments to a breakfast order once it’s placed. Communicating with the staff and vendors can be challenging.
The Crown rooftop bar at 50 Bowery
The Crown is 50 Bowery’s rooftop bar with high ceilings and incredible views of the city. It’s open for cocktails between 4 p.m. and 12 a.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m.-2 a.m. on weekends.
The hotel recently began offering an on-site breakfast at The Crown. It included hot items like scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal, fruit, and other basic breakfast items. The first time I tried it earlier this month, the food was cold and not very flavorful. Even though I’m not a fan of the room service breakfast (which is delivered from an off-site restaurant), I would avoid The Crown during breakfast.
The Living Room
The hotel has a lounge called The Living Room that is open to all guests. Located on the second floor, this large space provides tons of indoor and outdoor seating, along with free coffee, tea, and water. There’s also a microwave, so you can Doordash meals and relax while taking in the incredible views on the patio.
Free coffee station
Guests can enjoy free coffee and tea in the public lounge. When the lounge is occasionally closed for private events, the free coffee station gets moved to the hotel lobby.
Related: A complete list of Hyatt Prive hotels
Service and amenities
The 50 Bowery hotel has thoughtful amenities to improve the guest experience.
50 Bowery gym
The hotel offers an on-site gym that is well-equipped, though the space was a little claustrophobic. I can’t say I used it or that I’m much of a gym rat, but I feel like it was sufficient for a workout.
There were two Peleton bikes, treadmills, weights and all the basics.
Free neighborhood tours
The Hotel 50 Bowery offers free guided tours of Chinatown, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the local culture and history. Guests can also take part in activities like yoga classes, martial arts, and others.
There’s a weekly schedule at the front desk outlining the week’s complimentary activities.
Service at 50 Bowery
The service at Hotel 50 Bowery is one of its strongest attributes. From the welcoming check-in experience to the staff’s willingness to assist and make your stay more comfortable – the team goes the extra mile to ensure guests feel cared for.
During one stay, I left my laptop charger in a rideshare and couldn’t get it back. I called the front desk to see if they had one they could loan me. After extensive searching, they informed me one of the staff members would be happy to lend me their personal charger.
Any time there has been a minor issue, they’ve been quick to address it. The approach is casual yet professional. Because of this, 50 Bowery has become like a second home to me and my preferred hotel in Manhattan.
Accessibility
The 50 Bowery has several accessibility features, including ADA-compliant guest rooms with wide doorways and mobility features. Most of its public spaces are wheelchair accessible, including the public entrance, registration and concierge desk, and gym.
Final thoughts
Hotel 50 Bowery is one of my favorite Hyatt hotels and one I keep coming back to. It does an excellent job of blending into the neighborhood and encouraging guests to do the same. The rates are very reasonable, the location is good, and the rooms are large (and well-maintained. I’ve stayed here four times now and would recommend it to anyone.
