Are These the "Ten Best" Hotels in Brooklyn? Nah.

I'm generally skeptical of travel writers' advice on Brooklyn, because they tend to treat the borough as a single organism, rather than a set of neighborhoods best grasped in clusters, thanks to walkable proximity or easy public transit access.

(I'm omitting taxi/Uber/Lyft, though I know that's a "normal" choice for many visitors because, well, I think 20-30 minutes in Brooklyn traffic is a waste of time and money.)

So when I saw 10 best Brooklyn hotels for views, luxury and boutique stays, from The Independent in London, I was taken aback by the writer's certainty. 

As I've suggested on my Picking a Hotel in Brooklyn page, the threshold question for me is LOCATION--proximity to walkable attractions, restaurants, shops, and parks, as well as public transit.

So this article, by failing to truly address that key question, falls short.

Location questions

It says the location depends on what you want, so Williamsburg is great for ""a vibrant nightlife scene with bars, trendy restaurants and street art." Actually, there's not much street art left, but Williamsburg offers easy L train access to Brooklyn's street art capital, Bushwick.

Though five (!) of the ten hotels listed were in Williamsburg, you shouldn't choose that neighborhood unless your focus is North Brooklyn, not "Brooklyn." It does not offer the access to Brooklyn's great walkable "brownstone" neighborhoods, while hotels in Downtown Brooklyn--some better than others--and even Gowanus do so. (You can make a quick trip to DUMBO by ferry.)

"For a more relaxed vibe without compromising on a creative culture," the article states, "consider Greenpoint, home to a lively food and drink scene, waterfront access and a break from the chaos of Manhattan."

Greenpoint's a terrific neighborhood, but it's very far from most of Brooklyn, with no public transit access--and a long drive--to key attractions like Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Brooklyn Museum. One of the two hotels they recommend is at the northern tip of Greenpoint, far from even some attractions in the neighborhood.

"And for iconic views of the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO is hard to beat," the article states. "As well as offering easy access to Brooklyn Bridge Park, you can also find galleries and boutiques to browse."

But DUMBO is a must-see for nearly every visitor to Brooklyn, and there's only one hotel there, the One Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. So unless you want to pay for the most expensive hotel in Brooklyn, why not figure out other ways to get there? 

Hint: DUMBO, and even the Brooklyn Museum, may be an easier trip from some hotels in Manhattan than in Brooklyn.

Map of the ten hotels listed by The Independent. The map is cut off before reaching Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum.

Consider the "at a glance" list at the top of the article.

• Best hotel for families: Box House Hotel
• Best hotel with a view: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
• Best hotel with a swimming pool: Arlo Williamsburg hotel
• Best luxury hotel: The William Vale hotel
• Best boutique hotel: Wythe Hotel

Putting aside the failure to address location, the list still fails.

Three of the five "best" hotels are within two blocks of each other: the Arlo Williamsburg, The William Vale, and the Wythe Hotel. (Another hotel on the list, The Hoxton, is also within that two-block area.)

More quibbles
Then it's easy to quibble with the distinctions. While I haven't tested what hotels have the best swimming pool, but I can confidently say that the best hotel with swimming pool is the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, as suggested by its cost: more than three times that of the Arlo.

Is the 1 Hotel, clearly the most luxurious hotel in Brooklyn, the best hotel with a view? Yes, but is it the "best view"? The ten-story hotel offers great views of Lower Manhattan and the financial district. But hotels in Williamsburg like the 22-story William Vale, have great views of midtown Manhattan and rooftop bars with a much bigger vista.

Is the William Vale the best luxury hotel? Well, the 1 Hotel costs 72% more, so maybe that's the hint.

Is the Wythe Hotel the best boutique hotel? Probably, but only if you're planning to focus on Williamsburg. 

Is the Box House Hotel the best hotel for families? Well, it does offer larger rooms.

But the claim that it has a "fantastic location among restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, and boutiques" is ridiculous. It's at the northern tip of Greenpoint, far from even some of the great attractions of north Brooklyn, like McGolrick Park in Greenpoint and Domino Park in Williamsburg, and a long way from, the rest of Brooklyn.

Heck, the Box House Hotel actually offers good access to Long Island City in Queens, which has museums like MOMA PS 1 and a terrific waterfront park. There's also new waterfront open space in Greenpoint, walkable from the hotel.

For Williamsburg, the question is price. When I tested bookings, The Penny Williamsburg--not mentioned in the article--was less expensive than the cluster of hotels near the water, which makes sense, because, well, it's next to a highway and farther from the neighborhood's attractions. The Pod Hotel Brooklyn, unmentioned in the article, is better located, and less expensive, but the spaces are small, as the name suggests.

Of the hotels listed, only the EVEN Hotel and the Ace Hotel Brooklyn are in Downtown Brooklyn, my recommended location. They both offer good access to the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, as well as the DeKalb Market Hall food court and the classic deli-diner Junior's.

But they don't offer quite as good access to neighborhood Brooklyn, such as Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights, than some Downtown Brooklyn hotels a bit to the west. (This is a question of degree, not a deal-breaker.) That said, Fort Greene, just past the Brooklyn Academy of Music, is within walking distance of the EVEN and the Ace, at least if you cross the barrier of Flatbush Avenue.

There are a lot more hotels in Downtown Brooklyn that weren't mentioned. If you want to see "Brooklyn," it offers a lot of options. Also, if you want to go to Coney Island, a must-visit in warmer months, Downtown Brooklyn offers a lot better access than does North Brooklyn.