SmarterTravel Spotlight: NU Hotel Brooklyn

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "A week in a bamboo beach hut on India's Andaman Islands."

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Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window—best view in the house."

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Finding an affordable boutique hotel with a decently sized room in New York City is no easy feat. The NU Hotel Brooklyn ticks all these boxes and more, with bespoke perks like a partnership with the Brooklyn Museum. It calls itself “Brooklyn’s original boutique hotel,” and it really is just that; the 93-room hotel doesn’t skimp on service or amenities.

The Location

NU Hotel has an ideal location in downtown Brooklyn and is surrounded by four distinctive neighborhoods: Cobble Hill, Boreum Hill, Park Slope, and Brooklyn Heights. A long walk, quick subway ride, or bike ride will get you to Manhattan, Prospect Park, and Barclays Center.

The Rooms

Hammock in urban suite nu hotel — Nu Hotel

The rooms are large and spacious for the NYC area and actually let you unpack and relax. The hotel has a fun, artistic concept with its Perspectives Project, which is a series of rooms that each have a wall mural painted by a local artist. For some of the Brooklyn Museum’s special exhibits, the institution even commissions a room; I visited the hotel just before the closing of the Frida Kahlo: Appearance Can Be Deceiving exhibit and saw the colorful work by Miguel Ayuso in the Frida Kahlo room. There is also a room with a David Bowie mural from the David Bowie Is exhibit as well as rooms with iconic NYC landmarks. And the unique rooms don’t stop there: NU Hotel also has an urban suite complete with a cozy hammock, and a bunk bed suite that’s ideal for groups or families.

Extras

NU Hotel has a friendly staff, free Wi-Fi, a surprisingly large gym, and free continental breakfast featuring Brooklyn bagels, a water tap to refill your water bottle, and La Colombe coffee and tea. The lobby is also a lounge and bar area serving light bites from nearby purveyors plus local beers and cocktails. Outside is a small but welcoming patio area, as well as bikes for guest use. Plus, the hotel is pet-friendly.

My favorite amenity is the hotel’s partnership with the Brooklyn Museum. Guests can purchase special-access, untimed VIP tickets from the front desk for exhibits, which allow you to skip the line. This is an especially awesome perk for when popular exhibits sell out online (like the Frida Kahlo exhibit) since you can still get tickets by staying at the hotel.

Price and How to Book: Rates start at $208 and can be booked on TripAdvisor and NU Hotel Brooklyn’s website.

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Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

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