Ace Hotel New York: Stylish Hotel in Midtown Manhattan
Approximately a4minute read
If you’ve followed my blog or my Instagram for a while, you may have noticed my affinity for the Ace Hotel brand. I am drawn to their combination of stylish interiors, artsy ethos, and top-notch customer service. So far, I have stayed at both Ace Hotels in California (Palm Springs and LA), plus their original two outposts in Seattle and Portland. Last spring I was able to add another Ace to my (imaginary) punch card: Ace Hotel NYC; their Manhattan, New York location.
The first time that Doug and I visited New York together, we were 22 and broke. We stayed in a tiny hotel on the Upper West Side so unimpressive that I can’t remember the name of it. The room was so small that the door opened into the corner of the bed. This time, I was determined to stay at a hotel that was stylish and conveniently located. Midtown is not one of New York’s more quaint neighborhoods, but for a traveler like me the location is great. This hotel is 5 blocks from Madison Square Park and the Flatiron building, 4 blocks from the Empire State Building and 5 blocks from the 34th St. Subway station which we used most frequently.
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Ace Hotel New York Room Review
Determined not to repeat my tiny room experience of NYC 2010, I selected the medium queen room. We were on the 11th floor (out of 12). We were at the end of the hall, far from the hustle and bustle of the elevator.
Unheard of in NYC, our room had ALL of the following: A queen size bed, a desk, a couch, and spacious bathroom with French doors and a full-size bathtub. Oh, and a door that opened all the way. Everything was pristine and clean. As usual for Ace Hotel, the bed was seriously comfortable with smooth linens and fluffy down (or down-alternative) pillows.
The bed in this room was quite close to the floor; something to keep in mind for travelers with limited mobility. The view from our room was fine, looking out behind the building. It would have been nice to look out onto Broadway, but this was quite private and, I imagine, quieter.
When entering the lobby, check-in is to the right, and straight ahead is their spacious common area, bar and restaurant. The soaring ceiling and historic columns evoke true old New York architecture. The Lobby Bar food is American-pub style such as burgers, charcuterie, and brunch in the mornings. A new French restaurant has opened on the premises called Koloman which looks WOW… very sad it was not open when we stayed. In the basement, there are gathering rooms and a gym with the standard options of various machines and weights.
On the ground level around the corner, you will find the famous Milk Bar (cult-favorite addictive cookies), Rudy’s Barbershop, Juice Generation, and Black Seed Bagels. (The bagel sandwich I got at Black Seed was really good, but I found a just-as-good and cheaper one down the road at a true Jewish deli).
Even though I headed into my NYC trip already leaning towards Ace Hotel New York, the shortlist of hotels I was considering includes The Standard (High Line) and Arlo (Midtown).
These are good options and a little less expensive:
I’m a fan of Best Western (Soho) for a consistently high-quality (if somewhat bland) hotel experience.
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