When you live in NYC, it’s New York or Nowhere. But sometimes, we’re really craving nowhere—or, rather, literally anywhere where sirens aren’t wailing, where you don’t have to walk 25 mph to narrowly avoid throngs of tourists, and where the stenches of the subway can’t quite reach us.
There’s plenty of great accessible weekend trips from the city, from the Hudson Valley to the Hamptons, with options to travel via train or rental car. But sometimes what you really need is a vacation that doesn’t come with the headache of departing from Grand Central, renting a car in New Jersey, or sitting in hours of mindnumbing Long Island traffic.
We are believers in the power of a good staycation. These are our favorite spots to take a sojourn from the city and reset without ever leaving.
WHERE TO STAY(CATION):
Our favorite hotels to Staycation in the city (that won’t cost you as much as a flight to an actual vacation):
Hotel Chelsea: a nyc icon! Famous for the many artists that once resided there (Madonna, Bob Dylan, Mark Twain, and Andy Warhol, to name a few), the historic hotel went under a massive 11 year renovation and reopened in 2022. The design was reimagined by BD hotel group and the interior design firm Studio Sio, taking the hotel from gritty to glam while still honoring its creative history and a completely preserved art catelouge. The design was a process of "deliberate archaeology", - uncovering and restoring the 1880s Victorian Gothic architecture and blending it with a new form of eclectic elegance: Grandma-chic meets Rock & Roll meets Michelin-Key level hospitality.
lobby bar at the hotel chelsea | photographed by Annie Schlechter A perfect hotel for a staycation is one that you never need to leave, and Hotel Chelsea checks all the boxes. Between the four on-site restaurants and bars: cafe chelsea (art-deco French-American bistro), el quijote (high-end Spanish tapas under original ceiling murals, operated inside the hotel since 1955), teruko (sleek new Japanese spot), and the lobby bar (grand lounge with tableside martini service), you can easily spend an entire weekend on property. The 11th floor houses a light-filled penthouse spa sanctuary, where every treatment comes with access to a cedar sauna, aromatic steam rooms, marble soaking tubs, a fireplace lounge, and private rooftop garden terrace, if you need any more convincing.
PUBLIC hotel: for nightlife lovers. As opposed to an escape from the city, this is a hotel to make you fall in love with NYC all over again. Conceptulized by the legendary hotelier Ian Schrager, (Co-founder of Studio 54) and designed by Herzog and De Meuron and John Pawson, this is a design forward hotel that invites you to exlore all of their third-space concepts, including multiple F&B venues, (popular: Peruvian cuisine by Chef Diego Muñoz + cantina, pisco cocktails and Latin street food, two fifteen: film-noir inspired cocktail bar right off the iconic neon escalators, and louis: their bakery, coffee bar, and all day cafe, equipped with a fresh juice bar + all essential hangover cures) and two of the hottest places to dance in the city, the roof and ARTSPACE. The latter is an avant-garde club featuring underground club sets by resident and world-class guest DJs. Hotel guests recieve complimentary admission to the club, bypassing the typical long lines and ticket prices.
For a reset after a big night, the hotel also offers complimentary daily fitness classes such as pilates, yoga, stretch, meditation, and breathwork, which take place on the 17th floor overlooking Manhattan. The rooms at the public are compact but chic, with floor to ceiling views of the city. They often feature seasonal discounts on rooms, including their current promotion: Summer in the City for stays from 6/8 - 9/7, featuring 35% off all rooms and a $50 food and beverage credit.
PUBLIC hotel The Standard - High Line: Straddling the high line next to the Hudson River, The Standard - High Line is another great option for quintessential nyc nightlife, but with more expansive rooms to relax in than at the PUBLIC. Rooms feel airy and luxurious, explicitly designed for you to lounge around in all day. Be sure to book a room with one of the huge, freestanding soaking tubs and a view overlooking the river for the full experience. There’s no shortage of options to eat and drink without leaving the hotel, but if you do, you’ll find yourself in the cobblestone streets of the meatpacking district with direct access to the high line park (during the day, the park is full of tourists, but at night the elevated park makes for a perfect quiet walk above the city, open until 10pm).
The F&B offerings range from casual street-level spots (standard grill: go for the raw bar, the standard biergarten: outdoor garden space with German classics, the current pop-up this summer standard soda shop: for nostalgic diner classics, to the famous rooftop nightclub le bain (plunge pool really is on the dance floor), and the iconic boom boom room (rebranded as BOOM) with its glowing central bar in the glam 1970s space designed by Roman and Williams —complete with live jazz and panoramic city views.
the standard - high line If you opt for one of the hotels that doesn’t have a spa onsite, or if a hotel stay is out of the question, book a treatment at Spencers Spa and you’ll experience next level relaxation and escapism.
SPENCERS SPA
Spencer’s is redefining the luxury spa through a design lovers lense. The layered, chic interiors in both Soho and Williamsburg prioritize comfort, style, and impeccable hospitality, with top-notch treatments that are actually worth the price. Without a doubt, this spa is the most calming space we’ve ever experienced in the city. The arrival welcome ritual begins with you swapping your shoes for plush slippers and complimentary branded cashmere socks, before being sat in the lounge and offered a warm hand-cleansing towel paired with a soothing cup of tea (green or Hojicha). You’re invited to decompress before and after treatment, lingering with your citrus water and a great collection of books.
The founder saw a gap in the nyc spa scene that only offered extremes: minimal and clinical or wildly overpriced and exclusive. At Spencer’s, 45 minute massages and facials are $199, with 60 minute treatments at $249. They offer a monthly membership that saves you 10-30% off depending on treatment types and length, and if you sign up for texts they are always offering great discount bundles throughout the year, such as the 2 for $229 (two 60 minute treatments for less than the price of one!) Use our referral link for $30 off your first treatment at any location.
We’ve tried both the Essential and Signature massages and the Essential and Moisture Lock facials, the latter of which focuses on circulation, tension release, and lymphatic drainage. Each experience was so incredibly holistic and restorative, from the hush that falls the moment you walk in the door to each highly considered step of the treatment.
SOHO
The bright Soho loft space feels like a beautifully curated home that your coolest friend is hosting you in, drawing from Japanese Ryokan and retro Italian resort influences, with low slung velvet striped sofas and vintage treasures in every corner.
WILLIAMSBURG
The paired back Williamsburg space takes signals from life in Japan and southern Europe, with a focus on texture, sculptural shapes, and ryokan inspired treatment rooms.
For our friends in LA, Spencer’s has just opened its first location outside of NY in West Hollywood, in a 1920s sun-soaked residence once owned by Sidney Poitier that takes cues from the south of France, exuding Provençal charm.
DAYCATION FERRY TRIPS
Nothing breaks the staycation illusion like taking the subway! The ferry boats are nyc’s most underrated form of transit— only $4.50 and such a convenient way to get around on nice days.
Ferry to Governers Island:
to QC spa (free on your birthday if you bring a friend!) Also great in the colder months since their pool is heated. The spa is not the most luxurious, but you can’t beat the view from the pool!
to Theodora Beach Club, the summer pop-up from Theodora in Fort Greene, famous for their Mediterranean dry-aged seafood and live-fire cooking, comes to Governors Island. The restaurant is on a sandy, waterfront oasis with a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline, taking over the old Gitano beach club space. Tickets for the tasting menu experience can be secured through RESY! (PS there is also a taco stand operating there seasonally on the days Theodora isn’t having their tasting events!)
Ferry to Rockaway Beach in Queens (stay with me!) for the newly opened Rockaway Hotel and Spa. You can book a day pass on resort pass and spend your day at the pool escaping the city heat, overlooking the beach.
Ferry to Williamsburg to go to Spencers Spa and/or the William Vale Pool (also available on resort pass)
Check out other pools on resort pass and use our referral link to get $20 off !
Happy staycationing! xx, sojourn