Luxury Stay in Midtown Manhattan

When I vacation in New York City, my hotel selection process is different than with other locations. I generally spend most of my time traveling around the city, so I look less for amenities and more for location. The New York Palace, where I stayed on a recent family trip to NYC, offers both luxury accommodations and a fabulous location.

The New York Palace, an iconic hotel popularized by the TV show Gossip Girl, is located right across from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and just steps from Rockefeller Plaza and Fifth Avenue. Our room had a gorgeous view overlooking the Cathedral. The hotel’s 909 rooms and suites have been recently renovated, and the hotel now offers 176 luxurious Tower rooms and suites on the 41-54th floors. Our Cathedral-view room had a 42-inch plasma television, minibar, comfortable king-sized bed, Molton Brown toiletries, and a marble bathroom. WiFi is available for an additional fee, although we did have some difficulty connecting to it, and needed to call tech support. I definitely would have been frustrated if I really needed the WiFi. The rooms at the Palace are larger than those at other New York hotels, and the the lobby and courtyard are both luxurious and stunning.

Service at the New York Palace is wonderful. From the front desk staff to the cleaning staff, everyone is helpful and friendly. Although we did have to request our rollaway bed twice, the staff member who delivered it was so helpful and even refreshed our towel supply while he was there. The concierge was incredibly helpful in offering suggestions for kid-friendly activities and restaurants in the area, which really helped us have a great experience in the city. The doormen were also friendly, and aided us numerous times with both cabs and walking directions.

While the famous Le Cirque restaurant at the Palace closed in 2004, the New York Palace still offers high-end dining. Their newest restaurant, Villard Michel Richard, is from Chef Michel Richard. They also offer in-room dining, as well as several other restaurants and bars. Of course, hundreds of restaurants are located right outside the hotel too, and the concierge can easily offer suggestions and make reservations.

To learn more about the New York Palace hotel, visit their website. You can also compare prices and book online at Hotels.com or Booking.com.

Article and photos by Jodi Grundig of Family Travel Magazine.