Attention Broadway lovers!
Where else can you lounge in a posh hotel lobby flanked by the world’s biggest Tony Award in a Wall of Fame of original Broadway posters — knowing all the while there’s an exclusive suite waiting with a Tony Award winning theme?
Try the Sofitel New York.
This debonair swath of luxury situated in the heart of Midtown Manhattan is steps from the blazing Broadway lights that come Tony Awards time, offers Broadway loving guests a theater-themed hotel experience like no other.
The “Ah-ha” moment starts upon arrival. An original art poster from The Lion King, 1998’s Best Musical hangs immediately at check-in. By the glammed out lobby lounge guests immerse in the pop-up Fraver Art Gallery, an ode to Broadway posters created by Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo. The artist impresario created over 300 art posters for Broadway, off-Broadway and international productions over his long career. There’s even a corkscrew staircase that affords patrons who ascend the top steps a bird’s eye view of L’Oiseau (French meaning, the bird) by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon, one of the original art pieces in the hotel’s collection.
And then there are the rest of us who like to sneak that close-up picture with the ginormous Tony Award.
While a new build in NYC’s Club Row district, the 30-floor property radiates an Old World meets New World charm which doesn’t upset its Ivey league neighbors down the street. Located between Fifth and Sixth Avenue on 44th Street, you can find fashionable private clubs like the New York Yacht Club and the Harvard Club (notable members were John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt) sharing zip codes with the Algonquin Hotel and other heritage properties.
The 398-room hotel also emits a boutique-style ambiance which translates into a quiet sanctuary that never screams busy nor is it over-ridden with unwieldy out-of-towners.
The highlights:
No wonder the Sofitel New York is the official hotel partner of the Tony Awards. There’s enough razzle here to dazzle you. Next year marks the third consecutive year the luxury hotel, which is part of the AccorHotels group, will roll out the red carpet in high Manhattan fashion in this celebratory nod to the Tony Awards.
To boot, being a French-owned luxury hotel chain expect French-inspired frills in this Tony Awards universe. Guests staying at the Tony Awards Suite enjoy various perks with the special elite hotel packages.
The Suite Pluses:
Located on the 24th floor, there’s only one Tony Award themed suite in the city so this Sofitel location has a lock on the showstopping theme. The Prestige Terrace suite morphs into Broadway central for the months of June through mid-July. I like nostalgia and nods to the past so the Tony Awards memorabilia on display in the suite get high marks. Leaf through the 1992 Playbill and imagine which winning actors would go to covet the Tony award the following year. In 1993, acclaimed Canadian actor Brent Carver won the best leading actor in a musical for his role as Luis Molina in the Kiss of the Spider Woman. Photos, menus, and programs from the early years are another fan favorite.
A private terrace leads to a fabulous Manhattan skyline view. Inside, watch highlights of past shows and iconic acceptance speeches in a loop on the flat screen TV. The king-sized Sobed, meanwhile, epitomizes the notion of sleeping on a cloud. Air France uses the same Sobed in its First Class premier cabins.
Amenities: Nothing beats the Hermes toiletries in the Tony Awards Suite. Guests staying enjoy seeing a Tony songbook, award-winning scripts, opening number photography, programs, invitations and Playbills from 1960.
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Dining: The hotel’s anchor restaurant, the Gaby Brasserie Francaise, provides a French brasserie atmosphere alongside the bespoke service. A 3-course fixed prix theatre menu for a reasonable $38 is available pre or post show.
Overall Impression: Get your groove on for the ultimate Broadway slumber.
Booking
You can make your reservations directly through the Sofitel New York website. For the Tony Awards Themed Suite nightly rates start at $2,000 and are available through July 15, 2018. For summer rates, standard rooms are from $199 based on double occupancy. Check prices at Booking.com to compare rates. You can also book through the parent company, Accor Hotels.
Photography courtesy of Sofitel New York, Getty Images
Ilona Kauremszky was a guest of Sofitel New York and did not review the story.
