I was utterly spoilt by James when he took me to New York for my 30th birthday present. We stayed from the 23rd- 28th December, and it was beyond magical spending actual Christmas in the big apple.
The boutique hotel he picked was a surprise, so I couldn’t wait to land on the JFK runway and see our base in the concrete jungle for the next 5 days. Let me just tell you, Hotel Hendricks didn’t disappoint!
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Hotel Hendricks Location
We stayed at the super stylish Hotel Hendricks in midtown Manhattan on 25 West 38th Street. A boutique hotel which first opened its doors in June 2019, it was only a mere 6 months old when we stayed.
The location of Hotel Hendricks is fabulous, it was right in the heart of our holiday must do’s. Only a 10-minute walk and you’re at the base of the Empire state building. Another 5 minutes on and you’ll find yourself at the Rockefeller, admiring the humongous Christmas tree. Or, head 10 minutes in a different direction from the hotel and you’ll be in bright lights and bustle of Times Square.
Everything was so easy to walk to from here that it worked perfectly for us. I also liked that it wasn’t right in Time Square, meaning it was a little quieter. Mind you, be prepared to hear lots of sirens from the emergency services wherever you are in NYC!
Boutique hotel rooms in NYC
The rooms in Hotel Hendricks are safari styled, with different animal prints above the headboards. All softly lit, creating a cosy space to relax after a busy day exploring the city. Our king room was leopard print with a spacious Kingsize bed.
The rooms had hard floors, luxe brass fixtures, and touches of glossy mahogany adding a warmth to the room. The bed had crisp white sheets, with the hotel’s logo embroidered on the pillows in gold thread.
The brass touches continued into the bathroom, with brass taps and shower-heads. There was a handy little shelf under the large mirror which held the fun safari themed toiletries. It felt very luxurious with large white marble tiles from floor to ceiling. The only thing that let it down slightly was it had a shower curtain opposed to a door. Having said that, the shower was large, so you didn’t have the problem of a shower curtain persistently trying to wrap itself around you. Ick!
A hotel that comes with a view of the Empire State Building
When we checked in, the receptionist let slip that James had booked a room with a view of the empire state building – wow!
I dragged my suitcase behind me, and pretty much ran to our room. Heading straight to the window to try and spot this iconic building somewhere in the distance. What I didn’t expect, was to see it so close to us! So close in fact, that you could see into the windows.
It was dark when we arrived, and the Empire state building was all lit up with its green & red Christmas lights. A moment I’ll never forget.
That was an amazing surprise, and I definitely recommend booking a room with an Empire state view if you can.
What else is in the room at Hotel Hendricks?
The room at hotel Hendricks also had a good-sized desk with a zebra print chair. A flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi, wardrobe, full-length mirror and a small safe. Super handy to keep your passports and cash locked away securely. It was also equipped with an iron and hair dryer.
Some rooms in New York are absolutely tiny, but this was plenty big enough for the 2 of us to relax and get ready in without being in each other’s way. You have to pay a lot more money if you want a large spacious room in NYC!
I can’t fault the cleanliness either, everything was spotless. The shower was hot & powerful, and the bed was really comfortable. We both slept great and woke refreshed, ready for another day of site seeing.
The only thing I’d note is that the rooms are quite dark. All the lighting is very dim which creates a beautifully romantic cosy space. However, it can be a little too dark at times when you’re trying to get ready or do your makeup.
NYC hotel roof top bar at Hotel Hendricks
This is the one thing that we regret never getting around to doing. We crammed so much site seeing into our days, that come the evening we were far too tired to get dolled up and head to the roof top bar.
The one at Hotel Hendricks has a clear view of the empire state building so I can only imagine how impressive it is! I’m sure it’s a lovely spot to enjoy a cocktail whilst admiring the twinkling skyline of New York at night.
We loved our trip to New York, and this hotel was the perfect choice for us. If you’d like to see all the stuff we got up to, check out my post ’17 Things To Do in New York in December’.
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