What it’s like staying at the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg

What is the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg?

Located right on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg neighborhood, the Marriott-affiliated Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg is only a block away from the iconic Williamsburg Bridge, making it easy to explore quintessential Big Apple neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Tribeca. It’s also a 10-minute walk to the Subway L line’s Bedford Avenue station, which helps connect visitors to the entire city.

How to book the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg

The central location is ideal for work or leisure

Whether you’re staying at the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg while in town on business, or just a quick vacation, you’ll be well connected to the city due to the hotel’s location. The property is surrounded by dozens of trendy restaurants and bars if the four on-site food and beverage venues aren’t enough for you, and it’s only a block from the start of the Williamsburg Bridge.

Rooms are trendy but spartan

Walking into my City View King room, I was immediately drawn to the sleek industrial design of the space. Black metal framed the window and the bathroom entrance, and matching details on the bed’s headboard and desk chair created a cohesive look throughout the small but efficiently laid-out room. I especially liked the warm wood, sage green and black color palette.

As expected, room amenities were limited. While a large flat-screen TV across from the bed and a rotary-style telephone were provided, the room was otherwise sparsely furnished. Rather than have a traditional closet, the tiny 158-square-foot accommodation had the brand’s signature peg wall with a few pegs for hanging items, plus a small alcove with four hangers next to a flip-down desk barely wider than an airplane tray table.

The bed itself was perfectly comfortable, but the noise from the surrounding streets made it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Despite being eight floors up, I could hear every truck and train that went by, along with plenty of sounds from inside the hotel, including every loud conversation and door opening in the hall. However, the stunning view of the Williamsburg Bridge and lower Manhattan helped soften the blow of poor soundproofing.

While I loved the glazed bathroom tiles, which were a fun nod to the Subway, and the Greek takeaway coffee cups that replaced traditional water cups by the sink, I wasn’t a fan of the partially see-through doors for the shower and toilet. The design looked great from the outside but wasn’t worth the lack of privacy. The fact that the sink was in the main room just inside the door, was also a downside, especially if you like a little privacy while brushing your teeth or shaving.

The only bath products available in the bathroom were a bar of hand soap by the sink and two wall-mounted bottles of Muk, one for conditioner and another for a combined shampoo and body wash concoction, in the shower. Though perfectly adequate, the setup did not feel at all upscale.

The restaurants and bars feel refined

Moxy hotels dial up their food and beverage offerings beyond what you’ll typically find at standard city hotels, and the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg is no exception. The main restaurant, Mesiba, serves contemporary Levantine cuisine in a swanky, lively space inspired by Tel Aviv.

I visited Mesiba one night for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed everything I tried. The Frena bread with sour cream and spicy shatta sauce ($9) was delicious, and the charred octopus ($26) was one of the most tender and flavorful versions of the dish I’ve ever had. My favorite was undoubtedly the lamb neck ($72), a mouthwatering dish large enough to share with a small group.

To wash down my meal, I ordered the citrusy, refreshing Limonana ($19) and the Turkish Old Fashioned ($20), a twist on the classic libation featuring a subtle Turkish coffee flavor. Both paired nicely with Mesiba’s food.

For something lighter in the morning or late at night, there’s Bar Bedford next to the check-in area. This impressive lobby bar dishes up coffee and pastries in the morning and craft cocktails and appetizers in the evening.

During my stay, I enjoyed visiting the bar to try the Catskills Carrots cocktail ($19) and watch passersby on Bedford Avenue. Before I checked out the following morning, I also went to the bar for matcha ($8) and a pain au chocolat ($6.50), which were both lovely but not life-changing.

Two other drinking establishments — the seasonal Lillistar indoor-outdoor rooftop bar and the retro recording studio-inspired Jolene Sound Room lounge — are also available on-site.

To my disappointment, Lillistar was rented out for private events on both nights of my stay, so I was not able to check out its highly touted city panoramas. However, the intimate Jolene Sound Room was a cool, inviting space, though it was completely empty when I stopped by at 9 p.m. on a Wednesday. Try visiting on the weekend or later at night, as I imagine it’s much more animated during typical nightlife hours.

Facilities are otherwise limited

As is typical with Moxy properties, the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg lacks on-site facilities. Other than its food and beverage outlets, the only other area available to guests is a 24-hour fitness center.

Inside the gym, which has a bold pop art-style mural on one wall, you’ll find a variety of equipment, including free weights, Pelotons, treadmills, yoga mats and ellipticals. There are even a punching bag and a jump rope, should you prefer to partake in a boxing-inspired workout routine.

Reasons the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg might not be for you 

The Big Apple is packed with hotels, so while I for the most part enjoyed my stay at the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Here are a few reasons why you may want to consider a different property.

Accessibility

The Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg offers accessible rooms in most accommodation categories for those in wheelchairs and with hearing impairments. Available accessible features include roll-in showers and visual alarms.

In the public spaces, you’ll find easy access to the ground-floor venues — Bar Bedford, Mesiba and the Jolene Sound Room — as there are no stairs to traverse to enter these areas. The hallways and elevators are wide, too, providing more room for wheelchair users than many New York City-area hotels.

Alternatives to the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg

New York is full of phenomenal hotels, so you’ll find plenty of options if you decide the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg isn’t the right fit.

Checking out

If you’re hoping to explore the Williamsburg area or be close to Manhattan without the bustle of staying downtown, the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg is a good option worth considering.

This Moxy is bold and brash but with a more elevated setting than you might find at its sister properties. One major downside, though, is its higher-than-average rates during peak travel dates. While somewhat expected given the popularity of New York City, the departure from the brand’s often low price points can be a shock to the system, especially when you factor in the bare-bones approach to amenities in and out of the rooms.

I’ll definitely keep the Moxy Brooklyn Williamsburg in mind for my next hotel stay in New York, depending on the cash rates, but I’ll likely be returning to Mesiba for dinner no matter where in the city I choose to hang my hat.

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