Discover New York’s Timeless Library Collection Hotels

New York City, a place filled with dreams, lights and skyscrapers is home to thousands of luxury hotels. From trendy locations in Soho to all-exclusive, elegant hotels on fifth avenue, there are so many to choose from. So, when the opportunity came for us to visit Manhattans, The Library Collection we just couldn’t resist.

The Library Collection consists of four New York boutique hotels, Hotel Elysee, The Library Hotel, Casablanca and the Giraffe Hotel, each offering their own distinct charm and unique style. The collection even ventures into two European destinations, Budapest and Prague.

The first hotel we visited was the midtown Elysée Hotel. Entering this enchanting 1920s building you feel like you could be stepping back in time. The Elysée is located between the world-renowned Madison Avenue and the exclusive Park Avenue and sits amongst some of fashions biggest flagship stores, from Gucci to Prada and is only a five-minute walk from 5th Avenue subway station.

Elysée Hotel

The interior décor, which includes unique antiques and original art pieces, could be described as a charming home from home ambiance. The fine, intricate detail of the guest-rooms, which includes marble bathrooms and gold bed frames, give this hotel a modern yet timeless feel, think 1920s glamour and class.

The Elysée Hotel is home to popular late-night spot, Monkey Bar, which is also a perfect choice for a pre-theatre dinner, offering a huge range of food choices from oysters to homemade pasta. One to recommend is their sensational Monkey Bar Burger accompanied with a seasonal cocktail, like the winter Chai Alai, a mixture of Chai infused aged rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, amaro and egg. You’ll be ordering your next before you have finished the first.

Named after its iconic views of the New York Public Library, The Library Hotel is home to over 6000 books and this one-of-a kind boutique hotel is one block away from Bryant Park, a must-visit spot on any New Yorkers visitors list. In the winter months, the park transforms to a magical winter village and in the summer period free outdoor movies are shown regularly.

The Library Hotel

After researching the hotel’s design, each floor was dedicated to one of the ten classifications of knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System and each guest-room has its own distinctive library of books complimentary for the guests to roam.

The Library Hotel is famous for their quirky hideouts which include the rooftop terrace, an intimate writers den and a poetry garden which transforms to a popular night time bar, Bookmarks Lounge. Which with its dim lighting, comfy sofas and real fire-place, make this bar the perfect place to warm up after a cold day out in the city.

Escape to the Poetry Garden at the Library Hotel

While the rooms may be on the smaller side, the individualism and passion of this hotel is prominent and if you are searching for some distinctive culture, the Library Hotel will be hard for you not to fall in love with.

Offering some fun and unusual literary-inspired cocktails is their famous Madison and Vine restaurant which hosts exceptionally efficient service, where no request is too extreme, however you definitely will want to book as this place is always buzzing with customers.

Featuring the most classic of feels yet hosting the best location, the Library Hotel’s, Casablanca sits just steps away from the beating heart of Times Square and in the Broadway theatre district.

Casablanca

The décor of this hotel is inspired by the true romance from the Hollywood movie Casablanca – a Mediterranean vibe crossed with a certain Moroccan glamour and flare.

One distinctive feature is the complimentary sleep essentials menu that is available in the guest-rooms, offering the perfect opportunity to customize your stay to fit every need, including SleepPhones, which being seconds away from Times Square definitely come in useful. Take the opportunity to escape the mayhem of the big apple and visit Casablanca’s 24-hour Ricks Café, offering complimentary refreshments all day and wine and cheese between 5pm and 8pm. Finally, nothing says luxury like a turn-down service and chocolate treats, something which after a fulfilled exploring day you will not take for granted.

Using one of the most beloved animals to inspire their architecture and design, Hotel Giraffe is a well-known and one a kind destination in the NoMad neighborhood. This effortlessly chic hotel, ranked number 7 in the Top Overall Hotels in the US in 2018, is a hit with the tourists and is always booked up months in advance.

Hotel Giraffe

With 72 contemporary yet classic guest-rooms, this hotel displayed the most modern décor of all; From the moment you check in, the intimacy of the delightful staff and elegant rooms shines through. If you are lucky enough to get a room on one of the top floors, the panoramic Manhattan views are utterly breathtaking.

Throughout our stay, we were fortunate to enjoy live piano music on their rooftop garden, an endearing and memorable feature adding to the visit. Their glamourous penthouse 1202, is part of the set used in Sex and The City: The Movie, so if you feel like letting your inner Carrie Bradshaw shine while you’re in the city this may just be the hotel for you. One perk of this hotel is the cosy, family-friendly, rustic Italian restaurant – Bread and Tulips. Well known for their handcrafted pizzas baked in their own brick oven, it is unquestionably worth a try.

Room service from Bread and Tulips

In New York, no two experiences are ever alike, but if you want to explore the things that this incredible city has to offer and stay somewhere luxurious yet Instagram worthy, The Library Hotels could be the perfect destination for you. You can find each of the hotel websites here: Elysée Hotel at East 54 street, Library Hotel at 41st Street & Madison Avenue, Casablanca at 43rd Street and Hotel Giraffe at East 26th Street & Park Avenue.