Moxy NYC Lower East Side Review: Amex Hotel Collection

Finding the right hotel in Manhattan is always a balancing act between location, price, and room size. For this trip, we checked out the Moxy Lower East Side. It debuted in November 2022, sits about 8 minutes from Chinatown, and is sandwiched between two subway stations, which is about as convenient as New York gets.

We booked a King Bed with a Partial City View for two nights through the Amex Hotel Collection (THC) for about $637 total. Here is our honest take on the room, the dining, and whether the Amex benefits made the stay worth it.

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The Room: Our Smallest Room Tour Yet

Let's just get this out of the way: this is probably the smallest hotel room we have ever reviewed in the United States. It immediately reminded us of the compact business hotels in Japan. Thanks to the Amex Hotel Collection upgrade, we moved from a Partial City View to a Full City View, though the footprint stayed exactly the same.

Storage: There is no separate closet. Instead, there is a pegboard wall where you can hang about 5 to 6 items of clothing, plus a luggage stand. The room safe is hidden in a pull-out drawer under the bed, which is a clever use of space but easy to miss on check-in.

Bed and workspace: The king bed is firm, which we both liked. USB and USB-C outlets are built into both sides of the headboard. There is a small chair next to the bed and a fold-out table if you need to get any work done.

Bathroom: The signature red sink is right in the entryway of the room, not in a separate bathroom. It is a design choice that works visually but does take up some of the limited floor space. The walk-in shower has a semi-waterfall showerhead with no handheld option, and the products inside are Muk hair care. Hot water pressure was great. One note: there was a surprisingly strong, unpleasant smell in the shower area when we first arrived. We are not sure if it was a drainage issue or something else, but it was noticeable. The toilet is in its own separate water closet, which is a genuine plus for a room this size.

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Amex Hotel Collection Benefits Breakdown

One of the biggest reasons to book this property through Amex THC is the ability to stack the hotel's daily destination fee credits on top of the Amex experience credit.

Amex Hotel Collection (THC):

Moxy daily destination fee inclusions (per night):

Between the $100 Amex credit and $60 in F&B credits, we had $160 to put toward food and drinks before paying anything out of pocket.

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Dining

The Moxy Lower East Side has five restaurants and bars on the property, which makes it a strong choice if you want to stay in and socialize rather than head out after a long day.

Breakfast at The Fix: The Fix is a grab-and-go cafe, not a sit-down breakfast spot. If you are expecting table service in the morning, you will be disappointed. The offerings are coffee, pastries, yogurt, and fruit. It is expensive: a single matcha is around $8 and most food items are $8.25 or more. With the daily F&B credit it is manageable. If you do eat here, get the ham and cheese croissant. It was worth it.

Dinner at Sake Noana: We combined our $100 Amex experience credit with the $30 daily F&B credit for a late-night dinner here. The menu is on the pricier side, but they offer a $20 happy hour menu that includes a drink and an appetizer or mini entree, which is excellent value for Manhattan. The fried chicken and skewers were crunchy and flavorful, though both ran a bit salty. Overall a solid dinner.

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Gym

The gym is on the SC level. It is small but well-equipped: TechnoGym machines, treadmills, free weights up to 50 lbs, a Peloton bike, and punching bags. There is also a full restroom with a shower inside the gym, which is genuinely useful if you arrive before your room is ready and need to freshen up first.

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Final Verdict

What we liked:

• Soundproofing: Despite being in the middle of the city, the windows blocked out street noise well. We both slept better than expected.
• Location: 8 minutes from Chinatown, two subway stops nearby. Hard to beat for getting around.
• Credits: Between Amex THC and the destination fee perks, we pulled a lot of value out of this booking.

What we did not like:

• The space: It is tight. If you are traveling with more than one medium suitcase or need room to spread out and get dressed comfortably, this room will test your patience.
• Service inconsistency: The doormen and check-in staff were genuinely friendly. But our Sunday morning checkout was a different experience entirely. The front desk agent was visibly irritated, completely dismissive, and did not offer a basic thank you or goodbye. It was an odd way to end an otherwise fine stay.

If you view your hotel as a place to sleep, drop your bags, and head out to explore, the Moxy Lower East Side works. It is stylish, well-located, and the Amex Hotel Collection benefits add real value. Just go in knowing the room is genuinely small, and book accordingly.