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FILE
UB-NYC-051
SUBJECT
SOHO GRAND HOTEL
REGION
NEW YORK CITY
OPENED
1996
UPDATED
2026.06.03
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CASE FILE · SUBJECT PROFILE

Soho Grand
Hotel.

MODERATE · CONFIRMED
KEYS
353 rooms
PRICE
$$$$
ARCHITECT
William Sofield (Studio Sofield)
OPENED
1996
DISTRICT
SoHo, NoHo & Nolita
RESTAURANT
Multiple
AIRPORT
JFK · 45 min
FEATURED IN 5 MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
Soho Grand Hotel
EXHIBIT A · NYC · NORTH AMERICA
● LIVE · 65K
William Sofield's Gilded Age meets 1970s gallery district on West Broadway, still holding 353 rooms of lineage three decades on.EXHIBIT A
FEATURED IN 5 MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
ASSESSMENT
43
RANK#68of 88
UNBOOKABILITY · / 100
DEMAND
20
SCARCITY
60
CRITIC
50
SOCIAL
20
SEARCH
20
GUEST
90
DESK NOTE
The Soho Grand is the hotel SoHo was built around, not the other way round. Three decades in, it still holds the neighborhood's architectural argument better than anything that has opened since.
Filed by UB DESK · MENA
5 critic reviews
§ 01 · PHOTO ARCHIVE · EXHIBIT A
The evidence.
@SOHOGRANDHOTEL · IG EVIDENCE
EX · A
FEED-NYC051 · @sohograndhotel
§ 02 · CRITIC DOSSIER · 5 INDEXED
What they
filed.
4 / 5 · CONSENSUS TIER-2
EXHIBIT · F1
MICHELIN Guide
TIER-1 · MAJOR
2024
"It's easy for that much hipness to be intimidating, but the Grand, despite its name, is warm and happy. Maybe it's the pet friendly atmosphere — Fifi can munch on a biscuit at the…"
EX · F1READ SOURCE →
TIER-1 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · F2
Oyster
TIER-2 · AUTH.
2024
"With chic decor and a youthful, almost-nightly party atmosphere in the lounge, the Soho Grand Hotel NYC offers an authentic but accessible taste of the hip downtown scene. Rooms…"
EX · F2READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · F3
The Hotel Guru
TIER-2 · AUTH.
"Sumptuous and elegantly designed - the 1870's Gilded Age meets 1970's luxury - catering to the ultra-chic New Yorker."
EX · F3READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · F4
Fodor's
TIER-2 · AUTH.
"The stalwart Soho Grand has defined the neighborhood for decades, and as new properties crowd the field, the Grand's low-key sophistication continues to stand out. The Grand Bar…"
EX · F4READ SOURCE →
TIER-2 SOURCE
EXHIBIT · F5
A Hotel Life
TIER-4 · WRITER
2013
"The staff are knowledgeable and helpful and many have been there for years. Always a warm welcome when you arrive."
EX · F5READ SOURCE →
TIER-4 SOURCE
§ 03 · THE READ · ON & OFF BOOK
THE READ.
DESK ASSESSMENT · TWO ANGLES
THE OFFICIAL READ

Yes, if you care about design lineage and want a hotel that shaped the SoHo aesthetic rather than chased it. The Sofield interiors have aged into the building rather than out of it.

THE OFF-BOOK READ

The Gallery at Soho Grand has rotated original art since 1996. Most guests walk straight past it to the bar; the exhibitions are genuinely curated and free to view from the lobby.

§ 04 · ANGLES OF APPROACH · THREE
Three
angles.
REDACTIONS · 0
ANGLE · 01

Sofield's Source Material

William Sofield built the interiors around two eras of SoHo history: 1870s Gilded Age masonry and 1970s gallery-district luxury. Bottle-glass staircase, cast-iron columns, chocolate and champagne palettes, Saul Steinberg wall coverings in the bathrooms. It is the design template other SoHo hotels have been referencing for 28 years.

FIELD · 001EX · A
ANGLE · 02

The Club Room and the Bars

The Club Room runs live music and DJs Wednesday through Saturday in an Art Deco lounge with gilt bar and velvet booths. Grand Bar and Lounge handles the earlier crowd, Gilligan's does a summer garden service. The hotel functions as a SoHo after-work spot for people who work in the neighborhood, which is the real test.

FIELD · 002EX · B
ANGLE · 03

353 Rooms Means Availability

Most SoHo boutiques run 60 to 120 rooms. At 353, the Soho Grand actually has inventory even on peak weekends. It is the reason the hotel stays booked year-round without the scarcity mania of newer, smaller openings. You can often get a room here when The Mercer is fully committed.

FIELD · 003EX · C
§ 05 · CAVEATS · FILED UNCLASSIFIED
Real
talk.
UNEDITED · DESK COMMENTARY
△ CAUTION · UNCLASSIFIED
△ CAUTION · UNCLASSIFIED
01POINT · SCALE

353 rooms since 1996: leonard Stern Hartz Mountain SoHo bet that wrote the vocabulary every SoHo hotel has borrowed since (William Sofield Studio Sofield interiors, glass-bottle staircase, cast-iron detailing). 1996 bones show on lower floors.

02POINT · AUDIENCE

No published Instagram signal. Sofield interiors aged into building rather than out plus 30-year SoHo template lineage pull design-history-priority architectural-pedigree readers. Less Instagram-cliff than Sofield-vocabulary loyalists.

03POINT · VARIANCE

353 rooms: loft North Penthouse (1,600sqft interior + 1,200sqft terrace with Empire State views + full cocktail bar, 2 bedrooms + separate living room) is why you book over newer hotel. Standards on lower floors show wear.

04POINT · COMPETITION

At $$$$ in SoHo, Soho Grand competes with Mercer ($$$$$ Liaigre) and Crosby Street ($$$$$ Firmdale). Wins on 1996 SoHo-template-original plus Sofield design lineage at $$$$ rate, not on Liaigre minimalism or Firmdale Kit Kemp pattern.

§ 06 · WHERE IT SITS · PROXIMITY
The ground,
mapped.
3 ANCHORS · ON FOOT
COORDINATES
40.7220° N · 74.0043° W
DISTRICT
SoHo, NoHo & Nolita
REGION
New York City
NEAREST AIRPORT
JFK · 45 min
FIELD BRIEF · PROXIMITY
AnchorOn footDistance
Ghostbusters Headquarters· Tourist Attraction4 min321m
Color Factory NYC· Tourist Attraction5 min430m
Trader Joe's· Market5 min421m
PROXIMITY PLAN · ON FOOT
CULTURAL ANCHORS · WALKING DISTANCE
§ 07 · SUBJECT BRIEF · FIELD NOTE N°051
On the
record.
1 MIN BRIEFING · LAST AMENDED 2026.05.17
FOUNDED
1996
ARCHITECT
WILLIAM SOFIELD
KEYS
353 ROOMS
TIER
MODERATE
AIRPORT
JFK · 45M
INSTAGRAM
65K
DISTRICT
SOHO, NOHO & NOLITA
◉ FILED · UB-NYC-051
DOSSIER-OPEN
SUBJECT · SOHO GRAND HOTEL
SOHO, NOHO & NOLITA · NEW YORK CITY
CLEARANCE · PUBLIC
¶ SUBJECT BRIEF · OPEN FILE

The Soho Grand opened in 1996 when SoHo was still finding its footing as a neighborhood for anyone but artists and gallerists. Leonard Stern of Hartz Mountain Industries made the bet, William Sofield of Studio Sofield did the interiors, and the glass-bottle staircase and cast-iron detailing wrote the vocabulary every SoHo hotel has borrowed since.

At 353 rooms it is larger than most boutiques in the area, which is exactly why rooms still open up mid-week when everything else downtown is gone.

EOF · SUBJECT BRIEF— THE EDITORS, UB DESK
§ 09 · TRANSMISSION LOG · CHATTER
What came
across the wire.
6 ENTRIES · ROLLING 90-DAY
TIMESTAMPCHANNELENTRY
2026.04.14 · 11:54ZPRESSThe Hotel Guru review filed
2026.04.14 · 11:54ZPRESSFodor's review filed
2026.04.14 · 07:13ZSYSTEMAdded to Unbookable index
2024.01.01 · 00:00ZPRESSMICHELIN Guide review filed
2024.01.01 · 00:00ZPRESSOyster review filed
2013.06.01 · 00:00ZPRESSA Hotel Life review filed
ROLLING LOG · LATEST 5-8 SHOWN · RETAINED 90 DAYS
§ 10 · CONDITIONS REPORT · CLIMATE & DEMAND
On the
ground.
12-MO WEATHER RECORD · DEMAND CYCLE
NEW YORK CITY · SEASON CYCLE

Late April–early May beats Met Gala. First two weeks of September beat UNGA. Anything SepDec needs 60–90 days of lead time.

TOURIST DEMAND BY MONTH
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
LowShoulderPeak
WEATHER IN NEW YORK CITY
101010121111131110109114°5°9°15°21°26°29°28°25°19°12°7°JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC
RAIN · DAYS/MOAVG HIGH · °C
JAN-FEBLowCold value window

Demand drops to 45-50 across January and February as overnight lows fall to -4°C and Manhattan visitors thin out for the post-NYE stretch. NYC Restaurant Week in January and NY Fashion Week (Fall/Winter) in February provide cultural anchors, but the broader calendar runs unusually soft for a major destination. Hotel rates fall noticeably below peak across most categories, and properties that rarely discount run winter promotions during NYC Hotel Week in mid-January. For travelers tolerant of single-digit cold and willing to layer, this is when New York runs as a working city without the visitor compression of every other month.

MAR-APRShoulderSpring transition

Demand climbs from 60 in March to 75 in April as temperatures rise from 9°C to 15°C and outdoor New York becomes physically possible again. The St. Patrick''s Day Parade (March 17) compresses Midtown for a day; Easter weekend and MLB Opening Day drive booking pressure across Manhattan and Brooklyn in April. Lead times for Very High-tier properties (Baccarat, The Bowery Hotel, Wythe Hotel) sit at 3-4 weeks outside the parade and Easter compression dates. April second half is where temperature, daylight and pricing align before the Met Gala / Memorial Day events trigger May''s peak structure.

MAY-JUNPeakEvent-driven spring peak

Demand jumps to 90 in May and 85 in June, driven by an event calendar that compresses inventory across distinct one-week windows rather than spreading evenly. May compresses around Met Gala, Frieze NY and Memorial Day weekend; June stacks NYC Pride, Tribeca Festival and Tony Awards in the back half. Temperatures climb from 21°C in May to 26°C in June, before the July humidity locks in across Manhattan and the East Coast. Lead times for Very High-tier properties (Baccarat, The Twenty Two, Gansevoort) tighten to 6-8 weeks during event compression weeks and 3-4 weeks otherwise.

JULShoulderSummer heat dip

July demand drops to 65 as Manhattan residents flee the city for the Hamptons, Hudson Valley and the Jersey Shore, opening inventory across central neighborhoods. Highs hit 29°C with 20°C overnight lows, with humidity and 13 rain days producing reliable afternoon thunderstorms across Manhattan. Independence Day week pulls one short demand spike (fireworks over the East River, July 4 weekend), but the broader month runs as a value window for non-residents. Wildflower Farms (Auberge, Hudson Valley) and Wythe Hotel (Williamsburg) absorb spillover travelers seeking summer atmosphere with lower August-style booking pressure.

AUGLowSummer slump

August demand bottoms at 55, the softest reading for any month outside February, as the city empties of residents and business travel pauses. Highs hold at 28°C, similar to July, but the absence of resident and business demand opens the cleanest direct-channel inventory window since February. US Open Tennis begins in the last 10 days of the month and pulls demand into Queens (Flushing Meadows) and Midtown hotels with USTA partnerships. Outside the US Open weeks, August reads as a value window for travelers willing to work around the heat-and-humidity combination.

SEPPeakAnnual maximum

September is the year's annual peak at demand 100, driven by the simultaneous arrival of UN General Assembly and NY Fashion Week into the same compressed two-week window. Midtown specifically locks down as UN diplomatic delegations, security shutdowns and Fashion Week buyers converge; Baccarat, The St. Regis and The Twenty Two require 8-12 weeks of lead time. Highs hit 25°C with 10 rain days, physically agreeable for outdoor Manhattan activity, but the booking pressure cancels the comfort entirely. First two weeks of September (before UNGA) are the only soft window: late August into early September captures fall weather without the diplomatic-event compression.

OCTPeakFoliage and Comic Con

October demand stays at 90 as Hudson Valley foliage pulls weekend trips upstate and NY Comic Con (mid-month) compresses Midtown across a four-day stretch. Highs drop to 19°C and rain holds at 10 days, the autumn weather window that foliage-trip operators and Hudson Valley packages plan around. Booking discipline matches September''s: 60-90 days lead time at Very High-tier, longer for Comic Con weekend specifically (Wythe Hotel and Brooklyn properties absorb adjacent demand). Wildflower Farms in Hudson Valley peaks here as the foliage destination of choice for travelers blending NYC and upstate; book by August.

NOV-DECPeakHoliday corridor

November holds demand at 80 with NYC Marathon and Thanksgiving Day Parade, and December climbs to 95 on Rockefeller Tree, holiday markets and NYE pressure. The corridor compresses inventory across all sub-regions, but Midtown specifically locks down for Rockefeller Tree visitors, Times Square holiday-window shoppers and NYE pressure. Lead times extend to 60-90 days minimum at Very High-tier; The Bowery Hotel and Ace Hotel see 4-month leads on the week between Christmas and NYE specifically. Overnight lows hit 0°C in December with single-digit daytime, but the festive infrastructure (markets, lights, store windows) is the explicit draw.

§ 11 · LEAD-TIME INTEL · ENTRY WINDOW
Plan the
approach.
DEMAND CYCLE · BOOKING-LEAD INDEX
MODERATESOHO GRAND HOTEL

Book 2-3 weeks ahead for Fashion Week and Sep-Dec weekends; weekday and August stays available within the same week.

DESTINATION DEMAND · 12-MONTH
PROPERTY PRESSURE · AWAITING DATA
PEAKHIGHSHOULDERLOWOFF
NOW
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
PEAKHIGHSHOULDERLOWOFF
CHECK AVAILABILITY
§ 12 · KNOWN OPERATIVES · 3 FIELD NOTES
Tradecraft
briefing.
3 OF 3 · DESK-VERIFIED
OPERATIVE · 01UB-NYC-051
BEST ROOM.

Loft North Penthouse: 1,600 sq ft interior plus a 1,200 sq ft terrace with Empire State views and a full cocktail bar. Two bedrooms, separate living room. The corner penthouses are why you book here over a newer hotel.


  • LOFT NORTH PENTHOUSE
  • 1600 SQFT INTERIOR
  • 1200 SQFT TERRACE
OPERATIVE · 02UB-NYC-051
THE WORKAROUND.

Mid-week in February or late August opens up standard rooms under $400. The hotel runs a 'Soho Grand List' email with direct-booking rates that beat the OTAs by 10 to 15 percent if you sign up two weeks out.


  • FEB OR LATE AUG MIDWEEK
  • SOHO GRAND LIST EMAIL
  • DIRECT 10–15% UNDER
OPERATIVE · 03UB-NYC-051
LOCAL TIP.

Walk five minutes to Balthazar for breakfast or Lucien for late dinner. The JFK run is 45 to 60 minutes by taxi depending on traffic; the AirTrain from Jamaica to Penn Station plus a cab from Penn is often faster at rush hour.


  • 60 MIN FROM JFK
  • BALTHAZAR FIVE MIN
  • LUCIEN LATE DINNER
§ 14 · DEMAND INTELLIGENCE · THE SIGNALS
What the
signals say.
4 OF 9 SIGNALS · LIVE · REFRESHED 1D AGO
DOMINANT ON GUESTS · FIRM ON BOOKING · FIRM ON CRITICS
INSTAGRAM DEMAND
65K
QUIET
followers on file
CRITIC CITATIONS
5
FIRM
reviews on file
BOOKING DIFFICULTY
55/100
FIRM
availability pressure
GUEST SCORE
9.0/10
DOMINANT
from guest reviews
§ 15 · COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT · 6 DIMENSIONS
How it
stacks up.
#67 OF 88 · NEW YORK CITY
#67IN NEW YORK CITY · OF 88
#276GLOBALLY · OF 405
Room Demand
2/10
TOP 86%
Booking Difficulty
6/10
TOP 57%
Search Demand
2/10
TOP 92%
Critic Score
5/10
TOP 69%
Guest Score
9/10
TOP 15%
Viral Reach
2/10
TOP 94%
PERCENTILE COMPUTED LIVE · 405 ACTIVE PROPERTIESMETHODOLOGY · /HOW-WE-RANK
§ 19.7 · SIGNAL MONITORING · PAST MONTH
Signals
holding.
18 SNAPSHOTS · DAY 18
Composite Unbookable Score · 17-day trace
43 0from 43
Room Demand
2 0
Booking Difficulty
6 0
Search Demand
2 0
Critic Score
5 0
Guest Score
9 0
Viral Reach
2 0

Signal stable — composite holding within ±2 points over 17 days (currently 43). No single dimension moved more than the rest.

§ 18 · FILE CLOSED · UB-NYC-051
Final
assessment.
CONFIRMEDDESK SIGN-OFF

File closes at MODERATE. Book direct two to three weeks out for Fashion Week and September through December weekends. Skip the standard rooms in peak; the corner penthouses are why you book here.

FILED BY V. BRANSON · UB DESK · NEW YORK CITY · 2026-05-17
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§ 19 · ALSO ON FILE — NEW YORK CITY
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