ModernHaus, New York hotel review: Slick looks and a high-spirited rooftop in trendy SoHo

In a nutshell: An unstuffy skyscraper hotel in a neighbourhood packed with low-key eating and drinking options, this hangout delivers maximum style and scene while letting you come and go in peace.

The neighbourhood

Once you’ve seen Midtown – the holiday-brochure bit of Manhattan that’s all about skyscrapers, wide numbered avenues, Broadway theatres and Central Park – SoHo is where you want to be. Or in one of its downtown neighbours, anyway – here, the West Village, East Village, Tribeca and Lower East Side are where Manhattanites come to eat, drink and be merry. So if you’ve minimal Midtown sightseeing on your list this trip, staying at ModernHaus means you can slip out of the door and stumble straight into fabulous brunch spots, trattoria terraces, locally-owned craft brew bars and concept stores. You’ll still have iconic skyline views, especially if you book one of its huge-windowed corner rooms. Our south-facing one had a glossy tiara of Financial District towers, topped by One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the US at a dizzying 1,776 feet.

The vibe

Breezing through check-in with a youthful and friendly team, you quickly get the feeling that this is where the cool kids stay. Young couples and leisure travellers whirr bright wheelie cases in and out of the polished wooden lobby accented by oversized, primary-coloured art; young creatives bat around ideas over coffee on the wooden-deck Back Bar terrace; and in summer, groups of tipsy twenty- and thirty-somethings queue by the lift for rooftop The Jimmy, where the party awaits. Compared to the old, gilded grand dame hotels of Midtown, this place is high on style while remaining utterly unpretentious – think of it as your elegantly-kitted-out apartment block from which to dip into one of the zestiest dining and shopping areas in town.

Bed and bath

Rooms are just as smooth and sleek as the wood-panelled lobby, with tall windows making your view the main event. Design is kept pleasantly clean with just crisp white beds, buffed wooden floors, dove-grey curtains and the odd pop of colour courtesy of a Bauhaus art print (the ‘Haus’ behind the hotel’s name) or a royal blue chaise. Bathrooms are moody-glam with dark, coppery tiling and flatteringly-lit round mirrors. White sheets and fluffy towels are refreshed daily, along with refillable glass bottles of water (sustainability, tick), a smart pod coffee machine, and refillable full-sized toiletries by cult New York…