Editorial score of 8.5 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
What is Hotel 50 Bowery known for?
Hotel 50 Bowery is known first for its rooftop. The Crown, on the 21st floor, is an indoor and outdoor bar and lounge run by the Gerber Group, and its position at the corner of the Bowery and Canal Street gives it a downtown panorama that most Manhattan hotels cannot offer: the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River, the Lower Manhattan skyline and, on a clear evening, glimpses toward the harbour. That view is the single reason many guests book, and it is genuinely rare on the east side of downtown. The hotel opened in 2017 as the first New York property under the Joie de Vivre brand, now folded into Hyatt as JdV by Hyatt.
The rest of the hotel is a solid, design-led boutique rather than a full-service luxury address, and that framing matters. The 229 rooms are contemporary and comfortable, the service is friendly and capable, and the price sits below the SoHo and Lower East Side boutiques a few blocks away. What you do not get is a pool, a full spa or a signature restaurant, so this is a hotel for travellers who want a stylish base in New York's most culturally dense neighbourhood and a great rooftop to come home to, rather than a resort-style stay. On that brief, it delivers, and the location does a lot of the work.
Hotel 50 Bowery rewards travellers who want a downtown base with a view and are relaxed about full-service extras. If your New York is food, walking and the downtown east side, the Chinatown corner puts the best of it at the door, and The Crown gives you a rooftop that many pricier hotels cannot match. If you need a pool, a spa or a marquee restaurant inside the building, this is not the hotel for that. Book it for a design-minded couple, a group weekend or a solo trip built around eating well, and the rate leaves budget over for the neighbourhood.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a high-floor room on the Canal Street or downtown-facing side, because the view is what the tower's height is for. The 229 rooms follow the JdV by Hyatt contemporary boutique standard: clean modern lines, quality linens, rainfall showers and, on the upper floors, city and Chinatown views over one of the most layered streetscapes in Manhattan. Rooms sit toward the compact end of the market, which is normal for a downtown boutique, so the higher categories and the corner layouts are the ones that feel genuinely generous. If the view is the point, say so at booking and again at check-in.
One honest caveat: this is a busy, noisy corner of the city, and lower rooms can pick up street sound from the Bowery and Canal Street. The interiors are stylish but not lavish, and finishes are more high-street-boutique than five-star, which is fair for the rate. Book a higher floor for both the quiet and the outlook, use The Crown as your evening living room, and the room does its job as a comfortable base rather than the main event.
Time a drink at The Crown for late afternoon: go up before the sunset crowd arrives and you can still claim a rail spot facing the bridges. For dinner, the hotel sits in the middle of Chinatown's best eating, so ask the desk for their current dumpling and noodle recommendations within a block or two.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
The bar is the story here. The Crown, on the 21st floor, is the hotel's defining space: a Gerber Group rooftop with terraces and an indoor lounge, a rotating cocktail list, craft beers and wines, and DJ-driven evenings, all set against the downtown skyline. It draws a mix of hotel guests and locals, which gives it energy without tipping into a nightclub. As a place to start or end a night in Chinatown, it is hard to beat, and it is the amenity that lifts the whole hotel.
Is there a restaurant, pool or spa?
Set expectations here. The ground-floor Rice & Gold restaurant that opened with the hotel in 2017 has since closed, so the hotel does not currently offer a marquee full-service dining room under that name; check directly for the current breakfast and all-day options before you rely on eating in. There is a fitness centre, but no swimming pool and no full spa. Given the setting, that is a reasonable trade: you are in the heart of Chinatown, with the Lower East Side and SoHo minutes away, so the neighbourhood is your restaurant. Book Hotel 50 Bowery for the rooftop and the location, not for in-house wellness.
Signature amenities
At the corner of the Bowery and Canal Street
Chinatown, at Canal Street · near the Manhattan Bridge approach
What's nearby
- Canal Street subway
Most downtown lines2 min walk - Chinatown dining
At the door1 min walk - Lower East Side
Bars & galleries6 min walk - SoHo shopping
Boutiques7 min walk - Manhattan Bridge
Walk to DUMBO5 min walk
The tower, the rooms, the rooftop
Exterior
Guest room
The Crown
The viewHow does Hotel 50 Bowery compare with other downtown boutiques?
Against the field, Hotel 50 Bowery is the rooftop-and-value pick among the downtown boutiques, and the choice comes down to the neighbourhood you want to wake up in. The Bowery Hotel is the larger, more atmospheric option at the edge of the East Village, with a famous lobby bar and a stronger sense of occasion. The Ludlow Hotel sits on the Lower East Side with Dirty French downstairs and a nightlife-led crowd. 11 Howard is the SoHo design hotel at the Chinatown edge, more polished and pricier. Hotel 50 Bowery's own trade-off is that it is a lighter-service boutique without a signature restaurant, which is exactly why it comes in below the others on price.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel 50 Bowery | Chinatown rooftop boutique | The Crown, location, value | No pool or spa; lighter service |
| The Bowery Hotel | Atmospheric East Village | Lobby bar, scene, size | Busier, pricier |
| The Ludlow Hotel | Lower East Side design | Dirty French, nightlife | Livelier, less calm |
| 11 Howard | SoHo design hotel | Polish, restaurants | Higher rates |
Frequently asked questions
What is Hotel 50 Bowery known for?
Hotel 50 Bowery is known for The Crown, its rooftop bar on the 21st floor run by the Gerber Group, which delivers a wide downtown Manhattan panorama taking in the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, the East River and the skyline. It is a 229-room boutique hotel in the heart of Chinatown.
How many rooms does Hotel 50 Bowery have and when did it open?
Hotel 50 Bowery has 229 rooms and suites. It opened in 2017 as the first New York City property under the Joie de Vivre brand, now part of Hyatt as JdV by Hyatt, and sits at the corner of the Bowery and Canal Street.
Where is Hotel 50 Bowery located?
Hotel 50 Bowery is at 50 Bowery in Manhattan's Chinatown, at the corner of Canal Street and near the approach to the Manhattan Bridge. The Lower East Side is a short walk east, SoHo is a short walk west, and the Canal Street subway station connects most downtown lines.
Does Hotel 50 Bowery have a restaurant?
The hotel's dining centres on The Crown rooftop bar and lounge on the 21st floor, which serves cocktails, wine and light plates. The ground-floor Rice & Gold restaurant that opened with the hotel has since closed, so check the hotel directly for current all-day dining and breakfast options.
Does Hotel 50 Bowery have a pool or spa?
No. Hotel 50 Bowery is a boutique property with a fitness centre and in-room amenities, but there is no swimming pool and no full spa. The rooftop bar and the Chinatown location are the reasons to book rather than a wellness complex.
Other stays in New York
East VillageThe Bowery Hotel
Lower East SideThe Ludlow Hotel
SoHo