If you’ve been following Marriott Group recently you’ll see that there’s a new chain of hotels that they have been adding to their roster, named the EDITION hotels.  These have been marketed alongside the Ritz-Carlton group, and can be booked via Ritz-Carlton’s app and website.  They are, from what I can tell, the younger more fashionable outgoing sibling of the family.

One of my first stays at the EDITION happened in New York recently.  Located at 24th and Madison, on the East side of Madison Square Park, the New York EDITION Is smack dab in lower midtown just above East Village.  The location is pretty nice if you are looking to spend some time in downtown, and some time in uptown but want to avoid the mess that is known as Times Square.  The hotel itself is a beautiful affair.  When you walk in you’re greeted by a sunken lobby built in marble hurricane candles (at night), and uplighting built into the ground.  The feeling is sultry, sexy, and modern.  Modern couches are draped in faux fur, and the far end of the lobby is adorned by a fireplace, giving the whole lobby a warmth and homey feel.

The elevators are also pretty unique, in that they’re electronic.  You enter your floor number and an elevator bank is assigned to you, some might say it feels a bit corporate, but I think it makes waiting for an elevator something of the past in this place.  The rooms are on the smaller side, and extremely modern.  I appreciated the decor but felt that the rooms were a little cold.  You would think with the wood floors, the luxurious textures, and the small space they would feel cozier, but I think the use of all the off-palette white and tan resulted in a colder feel.

The second floor lobby is really a different affair in itself.  It oddly looks nothing like the rest of the hotel, but hosts some incredible mixologists and a cool restaurant which I never got a chance to dine in.  The bar itself is called the “Gold Bar”, which made no sense other than through the indication of portraits with gold frames.  The common room space next to it with the pool table was also an odd choice for this hotel, but only because in my mind the hotel was supposed to be an offshoot of a Ritz-Carlton.

Overall, my experience was almost exactly what I expected it to be.  It was as if I was staying at a Ritz that wasn’t quite a Ritz, but could’ve been one with a little more grandeur and magnificence.  All said, I’d love to check out more of these in the future!

PROS:

• Marriott Group rewards and benefits!
• Price wise, it’s a little more affordable than a comparable Ritz-Carlton in the area
• Very chic and modern, it felt like a luxe nouveau-riche hotel in a city that is constantly reinventing itself

CONS:

• The rooms felt a bit cold and austere to me

SECRETS:

• It is very easy to miss the bar which is on the third floor, and I highly recommend visiting it for a drink and a snack

THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:

• This one is kind of a no-brainer.  You have to visit the extremely close Shake Shack, which is in Madison Square Park right next to hotel less than a stone’s throw away.  This is a New York burger staple and one of my favorites!

Lets just start by saying that there are a LOT of hotels in New York, just as there are a lot of people/restaurants/cars/pick your item here.  I’ve managed to stay in approximately a dozen different ones but always seem to come back to the same handful.  The London in New York is in that handful.

What makes this hotel unique amongst the sea of possibilities really is the simplicity of it.  You know you’ll get modern accommodations, great service, and no frills.  Some might call it austere, but I call it New York.  Most of the times you choose a hotel in NY based on where in town you want to be.  This one is great if you’re spending time uptown or midtown.  Its prime location near MOMA, Times Square, and Central Park make it a holiday time favorite of mine.

What I love the most about the London, though, are the views.  It’s one of the tallest buildings in midtown, and with that comes some pretty epic straightline views all across the city.  Make sure to ask for the highest room possible when staying here.  The rooms themselves have these beautiful aged wood floors, and simple modern furnishings.  I wouldn’t call this the plushiest hotel, but the simplicity of it sits well in my book.

PROS:

• The Epic views
• The location puts you in midtown without putting you next to Times Square
• Did I mention the views?

CONS:

• Not a lot of frills at this hotel, what you see is what you get

SECRETS:

• The best views IMO are of Central Park so look for that north facing room if you can!

THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:

• There’s too many things to mention in NYC, but one of my first stops is always one of the MomoFuku chain of restaurants.