Blakely New York Review

Several years ago my family and I were part of a group that stayed at the Blakely New York, a Manhattan boutique hotel on 55th Street, between 6th & 7th Avenues. We were pleased then, and it was close to where I wanted to be, so I stayed there again for two nights this week. I couldn't have been treated better.

My room was the "standard" size, the smallest they offer, but nevertheless had a king bed, a kitchenette, and plenty of space to walk around. The entry area, which included the bathroom and kitchenette, was all marble with a hardwood floor, and the remainder of the room was tastefully decorated. All of it was spotlessly clean. The kitchenette area lacked a stovetop (hence kitchenette, not kitchen), but did have a microwave, small refrigerator, sink, cupboards, dishes, and flatware. The work table was large, and the flat-screen TV was plenty big enough for the room. They also provided terry bathrobes, one of which I used and enjoyed. It cost $315 per night. I'm not a regular NYC hotel shopper, so I don't really know how competitive that is, but I did just a little checking around and it seemed to be in the ballpark.

Best of all was the way that they treated me. I arrived Tuesday at 11:30 am, and went to the front desk expecting to be told to wait for a room. But the front desk clerk said "Oh, we'll check you right in if there is a room ready." And their was. Better yet, when it was time to go, they allowed a very late checkout, 4:00 pm, very rare in my experience. Of course a person can't count on that, but I am SO going back there if I have a chance.