I am a creature of habit, especially when traveling. As much as I love discovering new things, there’s something great about going somewhere comfortable & familiar. When traveling to NYC for leisure or business, I stay in one of a handful of hotels (usually the Library Hotel or 70 Park). So when B & I decided to extend business trips to enjoy the city over the weekend for the holidays, we thought we’d try somewhere new.
Kimpton, one of my favorite hotel brands, has several properties in the city & their Eventi Hotel is particularly well located, so we thought we’d give it a shot. Located on 6th & 30th, it’s smack between Midtown & the Madison Square/Union Square area I love. The hotel opened in 2010, the fourth of Kimpon’s properties in New York City. The 292 room hotel (including a whooping 53 suites!) has stunning, trendy design which fits in perfectly with Manhattan. The stunning new lobby, which just reopened about three weeks ago, is dark, moody & full of books.
Staying in Comfortable Luxury
To celebrate the holiday season, we were upgraded to a Premiere One Bedroom Suite. Situated on the 7th floor, our room overlooked rooftops & water towers (such a NYC view!) & the Big Screen Plaza – a green space right next to the hotel with a giant LED screen showing movies, sporting events & holiday specials. The seating area of our suite was perfect for lounging, with a big leather club chair & two smaller high back chairs.
The bedroom was big & comfortable with a palatial California King Bed. For someone who sleeps in a very small queen bed at home, this bed was pure heaven. The room was very user-friendly with bright, adjustable reading lights on each side of the bed & a soft throw which was perfect for cuddling up & watching the giant TV hanging on the wall.
If you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for hotel bathrooms (probably because our house only has one very tiny bath) & this one did not disappoint. Marble for days, it featured a huge walk-in rain shower & a deep soaking tub. The double sinks felt especially luxurious. In usual Kimpton style, the toiletries were high end, the towels were fluffy &, much to my pleasure, the hair dryer was full sized, hot & fast!
A Stylish Bite to Eat
Kimpton’s famous wine happy hour takes place every night from 5-6pm in the hotel. I was only able to attend Friday night because I left work much earlier than normal – my only complaint about this tradition is that I wish it went later into the evening, especially during the week!
<em>(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved</em>
On our way out of the hotel, we stuck our head in the Eventi’s restaurant & were immediately disappointed that we hadn’t made time to visit there during our stay. Located on the second floor, this sprawling space has a covered outdoor terrace (overlooking the giant screen on the plaza – what a great place to watch football!) & a long wooden bar, which was decorated for the holidays with travel-themed decorations. I will definitely be stopping by here on future trips (because I will definitely be staying at the Eventi again!). The hotel also has a sprawling veranda on the fifth floor, looking straight down 6th Ave. Unfortunately it was closed for the winter, but I have high hopes for the space – & its views of the new One World Trade Center building – during the warmer months.
Kimpton Rocks Again
The highlight of our stay was Kimpton’s legendary customer service. We were constantly greeted with smiles & great customer service. While the Eventi isn’t my normal Kimpton hotel in NYC, it will definitely be high on my list in the future. Next time, I want to splurge & stay in the Eventi Suite, which has a giant wall of books in the living room & a balcony with sweeping Manhattan views.
If you go, know…
– If you’re there for a special occasion, ask at the front desk to see if there are upgrades available or if you can get a better view. I overheard several guests at check in being upgraded (we were upgraded as well).
– Bring your workout clothes because this ain’t your typical hotel gym! It’s one of the larger hotel gyms that I’ve seen in quite a while.
– While there isn’t an in-room coffee maker (one of my biggest hotel pet peeves!), there is fresh coffee in the lobby each morning. If Kimpton coffee isn’t your thing, there’s a Gregorys Coffee (a great local chain) right across the street.
– One of the reasons I’m so in love with the Eventi is its dynamite location. 20 minute walk to Union Square (& the ever fantastic Union Square farmers market), 5 minute walk to Herald Square, 10 minute walk to Times Square, & a 5 minutes (or less) walk to the 1/2/3 & N/Q/R & 4/5/6 subway lines. It’s also a very easy walk to Penn Station, which is hugely helpful when you’re dragging a suitcase to the train.
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