The Fashionable Frequent Flyers

When you think of New York City, a few things come to mind: the statue of liberty, the empire state building, Central Park, and, of course, Broadway! So many people dream of visiting the city and watching an illustrious Broadway show. Having watched several shows myself, its a worthwhile dream and activity if you’re ever in the city! And indeed, if you want to be close to the action, right on the proverbial doorstep of Broadway sits The Chatwal New York — a classic and historical hotel in New York that is actually themed around Broadway shows and the history of Broadway. In this review, I give my honest take of this hotel, based on my stay a few weeks ago. Here’s a recap video of my stay!!

It is no secret that when searching for a hotel, especially in New York City, location is of utmost importance. New York is a fabulous city and there’s so much to see–because of that, it is imperative that you select a centrally located hotel in the midst of all the action. The Chatwal excels as an option in that regard. Located at 130 West 44th Street, this hotel is a minute away from Times Square and right on the doorsteps of a couple of Broadway shows. If you’re a first time visitor, Midtown is the perfect location to have as your home base — you can go North and South with ease, exploring uptown, downtown, and the outer boroughs.

Let’s talk about the rooms. We stayed in the Topaz suite, which is one of the “gem suite” offerings at The Chatwal. It was a decent room, king size bed, beautiful terrace (although the lighting was pretty poor and there were no views), and the bathroom was quite opulent. In all, it made for a decent experience. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the suite actually was not a “suite.” It was in fact just a room with a terrace. The room had no living room area, which is necessary for either a junior or one-bedroom suite. (I point this difference out for accuracy, especially for other hotel goers who are particularly specific about the needs they seek from their accommodations). Separately, I should also point out that the rooms don’t have irons — you get butler service for two items to be ironed free of charge every day. However, if you require more than two items ironed, that incurs an additional charge. Candidly, I’d have much preferred having an iron in my own room and taking care of that myself given the limitation. (Something else to consider, especially for business travelers.) If you do decide to stay here, my recommendation is that you get one of the specialty suites with the large terraces.

Finally, let’s address the service! For the most part, the service at the hotel was solid, especially during morning and afternoon hours. I loved that there was a coffee offering every morning outside the elevators for all guests–it was a nice touch, and a valuable one, especially for business travelers. The bar staff, front desk staff, and house keeping staff were all great too. However, some things to keep in mind: (1) butler service is difficult to obtain after 10:00p, so if you have a late night and require service, you may not be able to obtain it; and (2) I struggled to get front desk assistance in the late hours too. In all, service at the hotel is wonderful, but the service does seem to dwindle late at night. In all, The Chatwal earns a rating of 3.5 stars.

Finally, note that the Chatwal NY has a sister hotel in upstate New York called The Chatwal Lodge. That property is absolutely stunning — read my review of the property here.