What it is

An artful and stylish retreat in the Rockaways, with airy ocean view rooms, an outdoor pool flanked by cedar saunas, serene spa and two buzzing restaurants.

What it isn't

Blah. The art collection here is pure New York, including pieces by Herbie Fletcher (made with clay from Waimea Bay) and Ivan Forde.

What we think

When the most stylish New Yorkers started weekend treks to the Rockaways, in Queens, some declared The Hamptons to be over. They were wrong, yet the Rockaways is something it wasn’t before: a magnet for Manhattanites. Guest rooms here are everything even the most hardened urbanite could want from a beach vacay, including custom teak headboards, soaring windows with water views and blonde wood floors. We love the Standard King Ocean View with Terrace for its (yep) terrace, which also makes up for its cozy 190 square foot floor plan with Hill House Home bed linens, a glass-walled walk-in shower, and the feeling that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

You're here because

The hotel hosts wellness classes in everything from vinyasa yoga to yoga fusion, and you always need those moments of R&R.

The Moment

After a swim in the pristine pool, you bolt straight for Margie’s, the sceney restaurant on the ground floor. No wonder it feels like everyone from the borough is here: the brick chicken was cooked under a heavy slab of Himalayan salt, and the fries are drizzled with parmesan and truffle oil. Call Margie the Queen of Queens.

Restaurants & Bars

Margie's - serving simple American classics with reinvented twists on seaside favorites

The Rooftop - serving snacks, shared plates, and raw bar options

The Pool House - signature all-day and brunch menus, raw bar options and cocktails

Location

A one block walk from the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, and within a quick stroll of all the topnotch restaurants that first started luring surfers here (don’t miss Rockaway Beach Surf Club, also known as Tacoway Beach, for the bourbon bloody mary’s with housemade brine.)