The Hotel Elysee New York City offers French charm in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. While its central Midtown location makes it a hit with business executives and theater goers, we found this to be the perfect hotel for a long weekend getaway!
In New York City there are many older hotels with rich histories – and the Hotel Elysee is one of them. Marlon Brando lived here. So did Tennessee Williams, who also died here. And a host of other notable celebrities have also claimed temporary residency here over the years.
Yet, unlike other hotels with such backgrounds, this property is not a wax museum to days gone by. It is a grand boutique hotel that has been meticulously renovated with every modern convenience and appeals to the most demanding of travelers. Everything at the Elysee is done first class.
We came for long, romantic weekend in the city and a New York food tour. However, we also spent a fair amount of time just relaxing in the second floor lounge for daily complimentary happy hour. It gave us the opportunity to people watch as numerous couples came in, all dressed in their finest getting ready to take in a show. This was the perfect hotel for our romantic weekend getaway.
The Hotel Elysee New York
Special Bonus: The hotel provides a complimentary happy hour, complete with wines, cheeses, crudités plate and fresh fruit. After a long day in the city, this was a perfect way to relax before hitting the town for a night out! The same second floor lounge also has a complimentary continental breakfast in the morning.
The Restaurant: The Monkey Bar (both a bar and restaurant) is located on the lower level. While we did not eat here, we did look inside and took in the vibe of this piano bar.
The Lounge: For an evening nightcap, the Monkey Bar on the first floor has ample ambiance. The Monkey Bar NYC is actually one of the top bars in New York City.
The Concierge: We didn’t see a concierge desk, however, the front desk was well versed in providing directions and assistance.
The Spa and Recreational Facilities: The property does not have an on-site spa or fitness center. Complimentary passes are available to a gym three blocks away. For the ladies, there is skin treatment/spa facility across the street and a discount is provided.
The Bedroom
The Bed: We slept like babies in the large comfortable king-sized bed! Additional pillows and a pillow top mattress are available by special request before 4:00pm on the day of arrival.
The Rooms: Our room had a large outdoor patio with two chairs and a small table – an amazing space for New York City. Unfortunately, in the middle of winter, we weren’t able to make use of it. In our room, there was a small sitting table to do work and a nice large-screen TV to relax. The room was very comfortable! We usually experience some amount of street noise in hotels in Manhattan, but we didn’t hear so much as a single car horn in our room.
The WiFi: The free wifi worked extremely well throughout the whole property.
The Television: There was a medium-sized TV at one end of our room and we were able to watch some of The Olympics after coming back from a night out on the town.
The Safe: There is a safe in the closet which can accommodate most valuables.
The Bathroom
The Bathroom: The bathroom was on the small side, but didn’t feel cramped or tight. The shower had an unusual configuration that took us a minute to figure out, but delivered fantastic water pressure.
The Bathroom Amenities: The hotel features Gilchrist and Soames amenities.
The Hair Dryer: This is an important consideration for Laura and our room actually had two hairdryers. There was one mounted to the wall next to the light switch. A second hairdryer was hanging in a cloth bag on a hook on the bathroom door.
Hotel Details
The Cost: Being Manhattan, hotel rates are highly dependent on day of the week, the season and what events are in town. Around the time of our visit, we found mid-week rates from $275 and weekend rates from $350.
The Location: The property is centrally located in Midtown Manhattan’s business district. It is very popular with theater visitors given its close proximity to Times Square and the Theater District. This is one of the best hotels near Central Park and Fifth Avenue for shopping.
The Transportation: The property is on 54th between Madison and Park Avenue. It is well served by taxis and public bus. The closest subway is the E/M train at 5th Avenue and 53rd. The 4,5, 6 subway is also convenient.
The Airport Transfer: Given the unpredictability of Manhattan traffic, this is a tough one to answer. By cab or car service, LaGuardia airport (LGA) is ~45 minutes, JFK airport (JFK) is ~75 minutes and Newark airport (EWR) is ~ 40 minutes. There is a New York airport shuttle from Manhattan to each of the three major airports. It’s also possible to get to all of the airports via various combinations of subways and then bus/train, but we’ve found a cab or car service to the simplest option.
New York City is also well served by trains. Penn Station is 15 minute ($13) cab ride.
The Website: http://www.elyseehotel.com
The Hotel Elysee Review
The Hotel Elysee reminds us of the classy business hotels of Europe. This boutique hotel is a great pick if you’re in the city on business, visiting the theater, or looking for a romantic weekend getaway. We would stay here again on a trip to New York City.
Special thanks to The Hotel Elysee New York City and The Library Collection for hosting us. As always, all views are our own.
Lance Longwell is a travel writer and photographer who has published Travel Addicts since 2008, making it one of the oldest travel blogs. He is a life-long traveler, having visited all 50 of the United States by the time he graduated high school. Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia.