There was just no way that my husband and I were going to take on the new school year without rebooting.
No. Way.
So we did what we always do when we need to get in touch with our more romantic, more fun selves. We left our kids for a night away in New York City.
We chose to escaped to the new citizenM hotel in Times Square, which opened only recently this past April 2014. The hotel may be new to Times Square but it isn’t new overseas, with a strong presence in Europe and with plans to expand around the world.
I can tell you right away that this is not really the kind of place you want to bring your little kids to because it is exactly the kind of place you come to get away from that. Granted, being NYC, part of the hotel’s guests are business travelers, but the funky, creative, colorful, fun spirit of this place lends itself to the entertaining, tech-savvy, laid-back traveler whether they are here for business or pleasure.
It quickly became one among my list of favorite hotels in the city for its fun decor, its tech-friendly ambiance, and the design of their very small rooms.
Now, when I say fun decor, I mean it. You see it before you even walk in through its doors. We spent a good 10 minutes just looking at all the details and taking pictures before we even made it to the lobby. And that lobby. You want to keep your cool when you walk in, but you will be tempted to let out a “wow” or two.
My favorite spots are the lobby bar (where we had some amazing drinks – the bartenders there are fabulous, definitely spend some time there) and cafe, the roof top bar, and the rooms.
View from the roof top lounge, for guests only. On a beautiful night, this is the place to be.
The rooms are standard NYC small, but they felt like those really well-designed, functional, well thought out hotel rooms I have experience and enjoyed in Europe. Every corner, every area was carefully planned out so that no space is wasted. Designer furniture, lighting, and a clean minimalist touch makes it easy to feel that, albeit small, the rooms have all you could need during your stay. Free Wi-Fi and free new released movies make this already affordable NYC stay even more so.
I thought the check-in process was easy, clever, and very tech-friendly. You walk in, wait for the next free computer screen, put in your card, find your reservation, and follow the few simple steps to check yourself in, as well as pay and check yourself out when you are ready to leave. Of course, there is always someone readily available to answer any questions and help you in any way, but being able to do this all on your own just makes the process quicker.
I honestly didn’t want to leave the hotel. I felt with just one night, we already had all we needed at our finger tips, I mean…free movies! But my husband wanted to eat out (we walked over to the ever-so-popular, always-so-busy, and incredibly delicious Ippudo NY only a few blocks away, and then went to the Top of The Rock, also only a few blocks away.
View from Top of The Rock.
After taking in the fabulous view of our beautiful city from the top of Rockefeller Center, exchanging some kisses, and taking some selfies, we went back to the hotel.
It’s NYC, so of course you’re going to want to get out, but this hotel isn’t a bad one to hang out in too, if you wanted to.
We watched movies, tried out the different mood light settings for our room, took long showers under the delicious rain shower in the bathroom, and enjoyed the city views from our wall-to-wall window next to our bed.
It was really romantic and a lot of fun. I loved spending time browsing through the book collection in the lobby and lounging on their comfy couches. My husband commented on how the hotel was made for Instagram, and I have to agree. It’s one of those places where you keep finding things you want to experience, but tell others about because of its cool but non-pretentious feel.
I’m excited about this new hotel addition to NYC and have officially signed up to become a citizen for future stays here in NYC and overseas.
To learn more about citizenM hotels visit www.citizenm.com.*
*Not sponsored.
thebritishberliner
The hotel looks fab. I particularly like the roof-top view. Very nice!