Empire Journal | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade hotels
Best Hotels on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Route (2026)
Every hotel on the parade route, listed in the order you would pass them walking from the 77th Street start line down to Macy's Herald Square.
Thanksgiving morning in New York is the one day of the year when your hotel address decides your entire experience. Three and a half million people line the route. Cross streets close. The subway still runs, but walking across the parade is impossible for hours. If you are on the route, you wake up and you are there. If you are six blocks east, you spend the morning negotiating police barricades with a stroller.
This is the full list of hotels on the 2026 line of march, in the order you would pass them walking the route north to south.
The 2026 route, in one paragraph
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade steps off at 8:30 a.m. The line of march has been the same shape for years: it starts on Central Park West at 77th Street, runs south along the park to Columbus Circle, turns east onto Central Park South, turns south onto 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), and runs all the way down to 34th Street, finishing in front of Macy's Herald Square. Every hotel worth booking for this holiday sits on one of those four stretches.
Central Park West and Columbus Circle — the start (77th down to 59th)
This is where the balloons come around the corner still tight and the crowd is deepest at the curb. It is also the most expensive real estate on the route.
- Mandarin Oriental, New York — guest rooms and suites sit between the 45th and 52nd floors above Columbus Circle, which is why it is the most requested parade-view hotel in the city.
- Trump International Hotel & Tower New York — directly on the Circle itself, where the route makes its first turn.
- 6 Columbus – A Central Park Hotel — small, design-led, steps from the Circle.
- Jazz on Columbus Circle — the budget end of this cluster.
- The Empire Hotel — across from Lincoln Center, a short walk up to the start line.
- Da Vinci Hotel — West 56th Street, quiet, walkable to both the park and 6th Avenue.
- Moderne Hotel NYC — compact rooms, strong location for the price.
Central Park South — the turn (59th Street)
The route leaves the park here and swings onto 6th Avenue. Balloons pivot in front of you, which is the shot everybody wants.
- JW Marriott Essex House New York
- The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
- Park Lane New York
- Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites New York Manhattan/Central Park
- Hilton Garden Inn New York/Central Park South-Midtown West
- Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park
- Courtyard New York Manhattan/Central Park
- The Manhattan Club
- Dream Midtown
- WestHouse Hotel New York
- The Carnegie Hotel
6th Avenue, 59th down toward Times Square — the long stretch
This is the widest, longest part of the route and the easiest place to find space at the barricade if you are out early.
- 1 Hotel Central Park (58th)
- The Quin (57th)
- Warwick New York (54th)
- New York Hilton Midtown (53rd–54th) — the biggest room count anywhere on the avenue.
- Ameritania at Times Square Hotel
- Park Central Hotel New York
- Washington Jefferson Hotel
- Romer Hell's Kitchen
- Luma Hotel Times Square
- Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Times Square
Lower 6th Avenue toward Herald Square — the finish
The balloons end their run here, in front of the Macy's flagship.
- Bryant Park Hotel (40th)
- Refinery Hotel (38th)
- Marriott Vacation Club Pulse, New York City (37th)
- Hilton Garden Inn New York/West 35th Street
- Eventi, a Kimpton Hotel (30th)
One honorable mention off the route
New York Marriott Marquis on Broadway is not technically on the line of march, but it is the hotel best known for selling a multi-night stay bundled with a reserved indoor viewing spot on 6th Avenue. Availability and terms come and go — check directly with the hotel before you plan around it.
How to choose in one minute
- You want the balloons at their freshest and you do not mind the price: Central Park West.
- You want the turn, the classic New York Thanksgiving picture: Central Park South.
- You want room availability, elevators that work on a crowded morning and a real chance at a curb spot: 6th Avenue in the 50s.
- You want the finish line, Macy's windows and the shopping: Herald Square.
Book it — the whole stay in one place
- Expedia — hotels, flights, cars and activities in one checkout. This is where to price the route hotels side by side, because most of them are Marriott, Hilton and independent properties that do not share a single booking site.
- Hilton Honors — for New York Hilton Midtown and both Hilton Garden Inns on the route.
- World of Hyatt — for Hyatt properties a few blocks off the line of march if the route hotels are sold out.
- IHG One Rewards — Kimpton is an IHG brand, which covers Eventi near the finish.
- Luxury Escapes — packaged rates at the higher end, worth checking against Expedia before you book Mandarin Oriental or the Ritz.
Flying in: JetBlue for East Coast routes, Southwest for domestic with two free bags, United through Newark, Alaska from the West Coast.
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