I’m back! This is probably the longest break I’ve gone from blogging and I’m feeling a bit more inspired after returning from my Disney World and New York trip. I still have thousands of photos to sift through, so bear with me in the speed of getting posts up! I used my vacation as an excuse to take a prolonged blogging break, as I felt a bit overwhelmed by things lately. Anyways, whatever, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
I stayed in two hotels that are part of The Library Hotel Collection in New York. The first one was Hotel Elysée at 60 E 54th St. This location is to the Uniqlo flagship store (does that help with choosing which hotel to stay at?) 😉
Hotel Elysée was built in the 1920’s, and though it isn’t the biggest hotel, it feels quaint, cozy, and charming. Upon (a very late, past midnight) arrival, we were greeted warmly and had the best service in having our luggage brought upstairs and having some late night tea delivered. ALSO – this was the first time I’ve gotten a kettle that boils hot water, and not one of those coffee makers and then you make coffee flavoured hot water. I was quite a happy camper already with legit hot water.
I stayed in the Deluxe Queen Room with 1 Queen bed. I love how there’s a list of essentials (that one shown on the bed photo above) and if you are missing something such as toothbrush, toothpaste you can request it. My friend and I wanted some deodorant and they had these cute, mini Secret ones. Cute enough that deserved a photo. The room is small, but very comfy and I didn’t feel constrained in anyway. For a 300 square ft room, there’s also a flat screen TV (that we never used,) a decent closet, desk, cupboard (for all our airplane snacks,) and a desk. We also got two free bottles of water per day.
Any marble fanboys and fangirls will knock yourselves out in the washroom. Marble walls, gold finishings – it is SO gorgeous. I want a bathroom like this! I wish there was more surface space to lay out my skincare products, but I managed by organizing it on a shelf (albeit I was a bit too short for it.) Funny story time: I closed the door and while the window was open in the bathroom, and the door slammed shut. For some reason, it must have locked itself but I couldn’t unlock it and was trapped in the bathroom for around 5 minutes. After fiddling with the knob, I managed to get free (we almost did call hotel front staff.) Make sure the door closes gently in the hotel!
One of the highlights of Hotel Elysée is the complimentary breakfast every morning and wine/cheese reception in the evenings. For breakfast, there are teas, juices, and coffee accompanied with fruit, toast, bagels, yogurt, cereal, boiled eggs, and mini pastries. For someone who likes to be on the go, having breakfast gives me more time to explore around New York AND cut costs. Sometimes I grab it and bring it back to my hotel room so I can do the whole ‘having breakfast in bed’ thing. Note – breakfast in bed can be SUPER messy.
And for those who love alcohol, there’s a wine reception daily in the evenings and it’s pretty much all you can drink wine. My tolerance did not let me enjoy that, but I did try to eat my worth in crackers and vegetables.
Other than being close to Uniqlo, the hotel was in a very convenient location in Midtown Manhattan. It’s a 5 minute walk from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA,) Rockefeller Centre, and a short Uber or subway ride to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I felt right at home during my visit at Hotel Elysée due to attentive staff and charming decor. It isn’t a loud hotel near parties and such, which is fine with me. This is probably one of the coziest places to bring a book and snuggle with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. I’m so glad to have picked a boutique hotel to stay in during the portion of my trip (yes I DID switch to another hotel part of the boutique collection and a post will be coming soon!)
And did I mention – marble bathrooms?! Instagram-worthy instantly. 😉
Follow Me, Tweet Me, Befriend Me!
{ Instagram ; Twitter; Facebook; BlogLovin‘}
Disclaimer: Media rate for the hotel was provided, all opinions are my own.
