4 Things To Know About the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel [Review]

The author was a guest of the I Love New York tourism board and the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither the I Love New York tourism board nor the Renaissance New York Harlem had any input in any part of this review.

In recent years, hoteliers have opened more points options in Harlem, such as Aloft Harlem, The George Manhattan, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton, and the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel.

I had the opportunity to stay at the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel as a guest of the I Love New York tourism board. The board brought together a handful of Black travel writers and content creators to explore and celebrate Harlem’s rich history and all that New York State has to offer.

My stay at the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel stood out for its food, comfortable room, and warm hospitality. If you’re looking for an affordable points hotel in a central location with all of the bells and whistles of a high-end hotel, you can’t go wrong booking a stay here.

Here’s what to know about the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel.

1. Guest Rooms Are Spacious (For New York)

New York City is known for its tiny rooms. While the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel’s rooms aren’t the largest, they’re still pretty spacious. 

I was booked in a king bedroom overlooking 125th Street. The room includes a small desk and chair, a bathroom (with a separate sink area), a small closet, and a full-length mirror

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A king bedroom.

The room was tastefully designed, with poured concrete flooring, mirrored walls, and dark decor. 

One of my favorite features was the quotes from the poet Langston Hughes, a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, on the ceiling and walls. 

2. It’s One of the Most Affordable Points Hotels in NYC

Anyone familiar with the New York hotel scene knows that hotels aren’t cheap, whether paying cash or using points. It’s not unheard of to fork over thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of points per night on a hotel in New York, particularly in Manhattan.

The Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel is affordable with cash or Marriott Bonvoy points. I envision booking this hotel for my family when they visit.

Cash rates can dip to around $115 per night, which is an absolute steal for any 4-star hotel in Manhattan, let alone a Renaissance hotel. Award rates start at around 50,000 points, which I consider an excellent deal, but average around 65,000 points per night.

Points redemption rates are considerably higher in the summer, especially around holidays like Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. For dates that require more than 85,000 points, Marriott also allows members to top off free-night awards with up to 25,000 additional points.

3. Good Amenities With an Excellent Restaurant

While the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel is a smaller hotel, it offers a handful of decent amenities. It features a small fitness center, a terrace, and a rooftop bar.

However, the star of the show is the food and beverage program. The Victoria Restaurant & Bar, which includes a lobby lounge, bar, and restaurant, is a must-visit.

Soul fusion cuisine blends traditional soul food with global flavors, including Caribbean and African. Bring your appetite for dishes such as gumbo yaya, chopped cheese spring rolls, and buttermilk biscuits. 

Upstairs, there is seating overlooking the bar and a private dining room.

The bar has a full cocktail menu, serving popular drinks like sidecars, and even uses Black-owned spirits in many of its cocktails. Even if you aren’t staying here, you can book a table for the live music nights.

There are nods to Harlem throughout, from the ceiling to the staircase.

Like many hotels in Manhattan, the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel has a daily destination fee of $25. However, it offers value exceeding the fee, including:

• A daily $25 food and beverage credit
• Daily bike rental
• Museum of the City of New York and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum tickets for 2 guests per stay
• Uptown Hop Off/Hop On bus tour for 2 people per stay
• High-speed Wi-Fi
• Daily evening cocktail credits for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite members and higher

4. It’s in a Prime Location, Rich With History 

The Renaissance brand is known for connecting travelers to the spirit of the neighborhood through bold designs and engaging dining, so it makes sense for Marriott to open an outpost in Harlem. There are several other Renaissance hotels in the Big Apple in neighborhoods visitors are often familiar with, including Times Square, Chelsea, and Midtown.

There’s nothing wrong with those neighborhoods, but when friends ask me where to stay on their trips, I constantly challenge them to branch out. Harlem has everything you’re looking for if you’re visiting New York, whether you’re a tourist visiting for the first time or a professional in town for business. 

The Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel opened in 2023 at the site of the former Victoria Theater on 125th Street. The hotel features 211 guest rooms, a handful of amenities, and many features that pay homage to the uniquely African-American experience that is Harlem.

Getting around is a breeze from the hotel, even for visitors unfamiliar with New York City. The hotel is directly on 125th Street, one of Harlem’s main thoroughfares. It sits between the A/C/B/D and 1/2/3 lines, just blocks away from them, making attractions such as Times Square, Broadway, Central Park, the Financial District, and SoHo just a few subway stops away. Columbia University is also less than a mile away.

Harlem is a particularly prime neighborhood for flying into the city from LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which is just 15 minutes away by car. If you’re flying into John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), you can hop on an express A train and get to the hotel in approximately 1 hour. Finally, if you’re arriving via Amtrak, you can get to the hotel in 30 minutes from Moynihan Train Hall.

I’ve lived in New York for several years now, but I don’t get up to Harlem as much as I should (I live in Brooklyn). Harlem is rich with history — culture, music, food, and more — and you can easily spend most of your vacation Uptown. 

On my tour with the I Love New York team, we started the day at the recently reopened Studio Museum in Harlem. Located just 2 blocks from the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel, the museum hosts over 9,000 works — including paintings, drawings, photographs, and mixed-media art — of artists of African descent. 

We spent hours in awe of the works of well-known artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Barkley L. Hendricks, as well as lesser-known artists. 

The hotel is just steps from other attractions, such as the Victoria Theater, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, plus parks, shops, and eateries. It’s also down the block from the famous Apollo Theater, which has hosted superstars such as Lauryn Hill and Patti LaBelle. The theater, currently closed for renovations, will reopen in 2027.

The Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel’s location is central to some of the best food available in New York City, and no trip to Harlem is complete without a hearty meal. We spent the afternoon at the famous Sylvia’s Restaurant, which has been open for more than 60 years. The restaurant — located just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel — serves soul food dishes such as fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and peach cobbler. 

It was fun being a tourist in my own city, and the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel is an excellent choice whether you’re visiting for the first time or are a local looking for a chic staycation.

Final Thoughts

The Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel is an excellent choice for travelers looking for superb amenities at an affordable price. The hotel’s location in Harlem offers seamless access to the neighborhood’s rich food and culture, as well as all of New York’s attractions at an affordable price.

If you want to be surrounded by Harlem’s rich history — and score a great deal with points — the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel is one of the best hotels you can book in the city.