Coming to visit NYC? No idea where to stay and afraid that you will end up in an old rent-by-the-hour Times Square hooker establishment? Well fear no more!
Below you will find a guide I recently sent my friend who wanted to find someplace hip and affordable. Actually it's emails like this one that made me realize that I should just put all of my amature travel guides in one place for all to enjoy.
"You came to the right girl, my friend! There are a lot of places that are overrated hip hotels i.e. The Hudson/The Gansevoort and if you like the more chill downtown vibe of the Bowery, I have a few ideas.
I am very fond of Ace Hotel. It's just becoming big on the scene, the lobby and downstairs living room are becoming hotspots, they have some celeb chefs, but not pretentious. Love the look of this place - especially for 29th street! Sorry, I had to examine this hotel for my community board so I know a lot about it. :)
Other places that are fun these days:
The Standard (I was banned from the one in LA, so I haven't bothered going to the one in Meatpacking yet but I hear it's fun)
Hotel Empire- Across from Lincoln Center and has the hottest roof bar in town. I am a big fan! I hear that some Kardashian may move in there so better go there soon before it gets over-run with paparazzi and wannabes who saw it on some crappy Bravo show.
Gramercy Park Hotel: LOVE the decor of this place. It was the Bowery Hotel before the Bowery opened. The bar there is private for members and hotel so it's pretty legendary. I have been dying to get in but never know anyone staying there...so if you do can you take me? Pretty please? :)
INK48: It's on 11th ave and 48th st so it's a little out of the way but it's roof bar has been used a lot lately for fashion events etc, so I bet this would be fun during fashion week.
Actually anything in Kimpton Hotel chain has a pretty good reputation for being hip.
Speaking of hotel groups, Morgan Hotels (Mondrian in LA, Hudson here) invented hip, boutique hotels but I am over most of them. The Royalton isn't too lame though. "
