Review: Hotel 50 Bowery New York, JdV by Hyatt

I needed a quick one-night stay in New York as part of a work trip in December 2021. Since I needed to be around the Tribeca area, I decided to look for Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt hotels in the surrounding neighbourhood.

I ended up picking the Hotel 50 Bowery in Chinatown, a part of the JdV by Hyatt boutique lifestyle brand.

Short for joie de vivre, JdV by Hyatt properties are designed intentionally to capture the originality, inclusivity, and personality of each hotel’s immediate neighbourhood. The Hotel 50 Bowery would be my first stay within the JdV collection, so I was looking forward to checking out the brand.

Hotel 50 Bowery New York – Booking

For my one-night stay at the 50 Bowery, I was able to book at a cash rate of US$175. 

Standard rates for a one-night stay at the hotel fall in the US$155–$185 range. As a Category 5 hotel with World of Hyatt, a free night redemption would have cost me 20,000 World of Hyatt points. 

We value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point (USD), so the equivalent cash value of redeeming 20,000 points would have been US$300, much higher than the going cash rate. I went ahead and paid cash, opting to earn points from the stay and boost my Hyatt balance instead.

Hotel 50 Bowery New York – Location

The hotel resides in Chinatown on the iconic Bowery Street, one of New York’s oldest streets, just across from the entrance of the Manhattan Bridge. Many of New York City’s most vibrant neighbourhoods are just around the corner.

Within walking distance are popular neighbourhoods such as the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. Additionally, you can easily explore Chinatown, visiting unique spaces such as Chinatown’s oldest tea parlour, Nom Wah, and the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

Other destinations such as Little Italy are a five-minute taxi ride from the hotel, while top shopping destinations, such as the SoHo neighbourhood, are approximately 10 minutes from the hotel.

The main airports are all within reach for those travelling to the hotel after a flight into the city. I was able to take a 30-minute taxi ride from Newark Airport; however, the trip was rather expensive at US$80. New York JFK is roughly the same travel time from the hotel, while LaGuardia is closer at a 20-minute ride. 

More affordable methods of travelling around include city buses and subway systems. There are nine subway lines within walking distance of the hotel, making it an excellent location for urban exploration, with Canal Street on the J/Z lines the closest station nearby.

I found it quite a nice change of pace to stay in a new neighbourhood this time compared to my usual stays in Midtown or Times Square. 

Hotel 50 Bowery – Check-In

I arrived around 10pm after a long travel day from Vancouver, and was looking forward to checking in and heading up to my room.

The lobby featured an array of modern light fixtures that hung from the ceiling and plenty of seating for incoming guests. A brick accent wall pays tribute to the city, while fine details within the artwork incorporate elements of Chinatown. 

I had emailed the hotel in advance and mentioned my Hyatt Globalist status, asking if I might be able to get a suite upgrade to the top-tier Bowery Suite.

To my delight, it was granted – the manager said that premium suites are technically unavailable for Globalist upgrades, but since he happened to have one available, it was mine.

Hotel 50 Bowery New York – Bowery Suite

I was assigned Room 2018, located on the 20th floor. The hallways leading to guest rooms were atmospheric with subtle lanterns and bold artwork. 

The red doors represent good fortune and joy – one of many homages to the predominant Chinese heritage of the surrounding area.

The Bowery Suite is the largest suite type in the hotel, with floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views of New York City. Upon entering, the living room and bedroom branch off in separate directions. 

The living space includes a wide plush sofa facing two leather slipper chairs and a work desk against the wall. The room features hues of grey, orange, and subtle blues.

Various materials are incorporated throughout, from reclaimed wood to industrial materials. Additionally, original Chinatown-inspired artwork is placed throughout the suite.

Over in the bedroom, the king-sized bed is fitted with luxe white linens and a signature hand-plastered headboard. A grey and red accent rug is the centrepiece of the room, another reminder of the neighbourhood downstairs. Additionally, a free-standing flatscreen TV is situated in the corner.

As you can tell, much of the hotel’s guest room decor is inspired by its Chinatown location, and I really liked all the creative reminders of the ancestral home. 

The bathrooms were modern and sleek, with white tiling lining the bathroom walls. You can find a unique textured wall and rain shower head within the shower.

Furthermore, the main bathroom features a single sink and a contemporary two-sided LED mirror, along with designer bath amenities and robes are also provided for additional comfort.

There was a second two-piece bathroom located in the suite, complete with another toilet, a sink, and LED mirror.

Further additions to the suite include a fully stocked pantry and a mini-refrigerator offering sweet, salty, and healthy treats for guests. A personal handheld steamer is available, and vintage Bluetooth wireless speakers allow you to connect your devices.

It’s not often you find a hotel with so much character, and I’d depart my Bowery Suite after a 4pm late checkout with very favourable impressions of the JdV by Hyatt brand on my maiden stay.

Hotel 50 Bowery New York – Breakfast

The hotel recently launched a new virtual room service and daily to-go breakfast. The program is powered by 2ndKitchen to create a local and authentic solution to pandemic-induced dining restrictions. I found this to be an innovative concept that I thought could work well for boutique hotels without a full-service restaurant.

The menus read as follows:

In case you aren’t in the mood for takeout breakfast, Chinatown is also known as an excellent neighbourhood for dining, so there are plenty of unique food choices nearby.

As a Globalist member, I received a coupon code for US$40 off breakfast, so I ordered quite a bit of food. 

Quality-wise, it’s what you expect of a neighbourhood diner via delivery: quite average and not quite on par with what a higher-end hotel might serve up in the restaurant or via in-room dining. Still, it worked for my unfussy breakfast needs on this one-night stay.

Hotel 50 Bowery New York – Other Facilities

The Hotel 50 Bowery offers a co-working space on the second floor, where I got quite a bit of work done, including after I had to check out of my suite at 4pm on the second day.

There was complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day, plus hot chocolate during the holiday season. The co-working space also had a few interesting exhibits dedicated to the Chinatown neighbourhood.

On the 21st floor is where you can find the hotel’s rooftop bar and lounge, The Crown. The space is about 5,000 square feet and includes an outdoor terrace with seating with impressive views of the New York skyline.

The hotel also has a 24-hour fitness centre on the basement level. 

The facility can be accessed via key card. It’s jam-packed with equipment considering its small size, offering ellipticals, treadmills, Peloton bikes, and free weights.

Conclusion

The Hotel 50 Bowery, part of the JdV by Hyatt brand, is a boutique hotel filled with a sense of character that’s true to New York’s Chinatown neighbourhood.

I very much admired and appreciated all of the tributes paid to the local heritage, such as the Chinese-style door handles and area rugs and the in-house historical exhibit in the second-floor co-working space.

All things considered, I was pretty happy with my first stay at a JdV by Hyatt hotel. 50 Bowery was generous in its elite upgrade, while its staff were friendly and approachable throughout our dealings. 

Throw in the reasonable price point, and I would definitely consider returning on my next New York trip if the location were right for my needs.