New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [230]
All the rooms at the Library Hotel (Midtown East and Upper East Side) have an inviting charm that makes them a good choice for a romantic weekend away, but if you’re looking for a little mood reading, ask for the Erotic Literature room or the Love Room, curated by Dr. Ruth.
KIDS IN TOW
Many New York hotels go out of their way to accommodate families, with special amenities and family-size rooms. However, a hotel claiming that it’s child-friendly doesn’t always translate to true kid-welcoming style. Ask if cribs come with linens, whether there are high chairs and children’s menus in the dining room, and if there are in-house babysitters. Some hotels will even clear out the minibar (for bottle or baby-food storage), baby-proof a room, or provide baby-proofing materials. Here are some of the top picks for traveling with kids.
SUITE LIFE
Space is at a premium in New York hotels, and if you have more than two people in a standard room, you’ll really start to feel the squeeze. The answer? A suite, where you can spread out in style. With renovated, spacious suites, Affinia 50 (Midtown East and Upper East Side) is the family hotel of choice on the residential East Side.
PURE PAMPERING
Just because you have children in tow doesn’t mean your dream of a pampering vacation needs to go down the drain. Several top New York hotels go out of their way to accommodate families. The Ritz-Carlton’s two hotels (Lower Manhattan and Midtown West) offer special healthful children’s menus, rubber-duck-filled baths, and toy menus from FAO Schwarz. The Mandarin-Oriental (Midtown West) offers complimentary kids’ DVDs and video games, and free coloring books, and crayons for kids.
FUN FLAVOR
Room Mate Grace (Midtown West and Chelsea) might make the perfect respite if you have teens in tow. There’s a funky lobby pool, a kiosk that stocks sweets with which to fill the in-room refrigerators, and rooms with bunk beds that levitate out of the walls and have their own plasma TVs. At the hip Hotel on Rivington (East Village and Lower East Side) a special family suite has two full bedrooms, one with two sets of bunk beds and a big bin of toys. Bonus points: the hotel is across from Economy Candy.
KID KARMA
Family-friendly Le Parker Meridien (Midtown West and Chelsea) has a large pool, a restaurant that serves decadent breakfast foods such as chocolate French toast, and a casual dining spot that serves nothing but burgers and shakes.
KID-SIZE
At the 70 Park, kids get their own mini-size animal-print robes (also available for purchase) so they can feel just like their grown-up travel companions.
LODGING ALTERNATIVES
APARTMENT RENTALS VS. SUITE HOTELS
For your trip to New York you may want a little more space than the city’s typically tiny hotel rooms provide. Some travelers consider apartment rentals, but we tend to recommend hotel suites instead. Why? Unfortunately, apartment-rental scams are prevalent. In some published reports, potential guests have arrived to find that the apartment they rented does not exist, or that they are paying for an illegal sublet. In some cases travelers have lost their deposit money, or their prepaid rent (note: never wire money to an individual’s account).
There are a few reputable providers of short-term rentals, noted below.
Local rental agencies that arrange rentals of furnished apartments: Abode Limited (Box 20022, | New York, NY | 10028 | 800/835–8880 or 212/472–2000 | www.abodenyc.com). Manhattan Getaways (Box 1994, | New York, NY | 10022 | 212/956–2010 | www.manhattangetaways.com).
BED-AND-BREAKFASTS
B&Bs booked through a service may be either hosted (you’re the guest in someone’s quarters) or unhosted (you have full use of someone’s vacated apartment, including kitchen privileges). Reservation services: All Around the Town (270 Lafayette St., Suite 804, | New York,NY | 10012 | 212/675–5600 or 800/443–3800 | www.newyorkcitybestbb.com). Bed-and-Breakfast Network of New York (134 W. 32nd St., Suite 602, between 6th and 7th Aves.,