Let’s face it — when I used to go to New York on a frequent basis, whether that was for overnight jaunts on business when I lived in Boston or for a week or longer on a press trip or conference since I’ve been in San Francisco, clients usually had their favorite stays or had a deal with some hotel or another. On business, it was never less than a 4 star, mainly because 3 stars in New York City tend to be a little more dubious than many other cities or destinations in the world — the rooms are small, service is non-existent and attention to detail isn’t the best, including cleanliness. There are exceptions of course.
When I’ve stayed in five stars, it’s often been a chain of some sort or the Waldorf Astoria, so I was thrilled to be able to take a look at the Quin Hotel on New York’s East Side at West 57th and Sixth Avenue. Truth be told, we didn’t have a lot of time as we were passing through but unlike so many other trips, we had a car and usually I’m taking a cab in and out from La Guardia or JFK. And so, we had to valet, an interesting and expensive endeavor in New York, so if you can avoid it, take a cab from the airport and if you need a car for the rest of your trip, cab it to the rental car company and pick it up right before you’re ready to head out.
That said, we valeted our fabulous Buick Enclave, the ultimate in luxury family vehicles, which was a godsend for the remainder of our trip as we had two kids in tow. Given our exhausting drive from Baltimore, we didn’t have a lot of energy for painting the city red especially with an even longer drive the following afternoon, but we did explore the hotel, including the attached restaurant and bar where we had a quick drink before meeting up with friends.
The hotel itself is artsier than I expected it, each floor with its own unique masterpiece painting that adorned the wall as the elevator opened its doors. I loved the energy on our floor, which was a mixture of modern and Victorian.
The lobby is creative but sparse, focusing on the color and energy of the wall backdrop behind the main reception desk. Quin is all about clean, crisp lines and modern chic and sophisticated.
The lobby extends into a lounge sitting area, which is a great place for meeting people. There is also a book shelf and place to work if you wanted to get out of your hotel room space for awhile.
Below, the drawing room.
Another view of the lobby lounge area.
Above lobby shots courtesy of Quin Hotel. Shot of reception area desk and two wall shots by Renee Blodgett.
The front is elegant and there’s a door man to greet you in that oh so quintessential New York City kinda way. It’s only been open since 2013, so people are still learning about its cool factor. Deemed at the intersection of art, music, and fashion, the hotel has 208 room rooms and while on the East Side, it’s central to all mid-town activities, including theatre, shopping and nature — Central Park, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Fifth Avenue couture are all a stone’s throw away. Think of it as an establishment that melds modern opulence with artistic heritage.
Photo courtesy of Quin Hotel
They have an Executive Boardroom for 10, complimentary high speed Wi-Fi, an Apple-equipped Drawing Room—a relaxed and quiet study space, and the restaurant next door has a top notch chef and signature cocktails and wine. Sweet! Renowned architecture and interior design firm, Perkins Eastman, transposed a contemporary masterpiece on the classical foundation that was once home to cultural icons like pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski and artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
We had a slight upgrade, so were tucked away in the corner, which I believe meant a little more room and a better view. Below are a few different room types so you can get an idea of what they offer – our room was closet in style to the last shot of the four. Cosy, elegant and and chic with modern artistic influences throughout the hotel (and the rooms).
And, if you want room service, then by all means splurge. Since we were hosted, the “on-top-of-it” management and marketing folks sent up a l’il wine and cheese for sampling before we headed out to dinner that evening — frankly, given that we had been doing so many restaurant reviews the previous week and were planning to have a lighter night than normal, the timing was impeccable and just what we needed, so much so that I considered staying in.
For those of you who know how ideal the location is, you might be surprised, but I’ve spent so much time in the Big Apple that to have a luxury spot with quieter than normal air conditioning in a quieter than normal neighborhood was a delight. There’s no doubt I love the excitement of Tribeca and the lower east and west side, but when I stay downtown, I’m far too tempted to take in the night life and always pay for it the next day.
While we did end up venturing out for the evening, which included a late night walk and horsing around in front of monuments and buildings, our heads hit the sack by midnight, after a late cuppa mint tea to wind down. Ahhh bliss!
Before we set out on the road, we took in a cuppa Joe and hit the on-site gym, which had a few weight machines and free weights as well as a few treadmills and Elliptical trainers. They also had a basket of apples and a fridge with cold spring water so you didn’t have to think twice — just what we needed before we getting on our way. Our only wish was that we had time to have one of those long lazy nights in the restaurant including dinner rather than just a quick drink, but we’re egging to go back at a future time, so stay tuned. It’s a great spot when you need to be in mid-town — two thumbs up!
Above five shots of the inside of the hotel room and gym, all courtesy of Quin Hotel.
DETAILS:
Quin Hotel
101 West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
212.245.7846
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
