The Hotel Giraffe New York is our new favorite Manhattan hotel. Period.
We had no idea what we were getting when we selected The Hotel Giraffe in New York City. This theme could go in a lot of different directions. It could be cartoonish or classy. What we found was an understated contemporary hotel in the midst of an energetic neighborhood. The giraffe theme was incorporated subtly throughout the property – from a book on the shelf in our room to the modest giraffe engraving in the lobby.
Continuing with the safari theme, we expertly stalked our prey in the city. In this instance, we were hunting unique experiences and a romantic weekend in the city. After a romantic dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, we relaxed in our beautiful king bedroom suite.
The next day, we went sifting through history and foraging for culinary delights on a Lower East Side walking tour. This was the perfect hotel to escape the daily grind and be transported to a distant land.
The Hotel Giraffe
Special Bonus: The hotel provides a complimentary happy hour, complete with wine or Prosecco, cheeses, and a crudités plate. This is a great way to relax after a long day in New York. In fact, the Hotel Giraffe wine and cheese reception is one of the main selling points for the property.
The Restaurant: Bread & Tulips, a rustic Italian restaurant, is located on site and serves as the Hotel Giraffe restaurant. The restaurant provides the property’s room service options. While we didn’t eat here, the menu looked good. It’s also worth noting that the Mexican restaurant Dos Caminos is just up the street. It’s one of our favorite New York spots.
The Lounge: The property doesn’t have a bar or lounge. In the early evening, the complimentary happy hour in the lobby is great for a drink. Otherwise, Bread & Tulips serves refreshments or there are a number of other bars in the neighborhood.
The Concierge: There isn’t a concierge desk, however, the front desk was well versed in providing directions and assistance.
The Spa and Recreational Facilities: There is not an on-site spa or fitness center, but guests can get passes to a nearby New York Sports Club.
The Bedroom
The Bed: The room had a king-sized bed, which was extremely comfortable. Additional pillows and a pillow top mattress are available by special request before 4:00pm on the day of arrival.
The Rooms: Our room, 406, had a large, spacious bedroom and a separate sitting room. The room was very comfortable and a great place to relax. We usually experience some amount of street noise in most New York hotels, and despite our room being right on the corner of 26th Street and Park Avenue South, it was extremely quiet.
Many of the rooms in the hotel have views down Park Avenue towards Union Square or up Park Avenue in the direction of Grand Central. While there are lots of hotels with great views in NYC, we’re pretty partial to the view from the roof garden!
The WiFi: The free wifi worked perfectly.
The Television: There was a large TV in our sitting room and a smaller TV in the bedroom. However, who needs TV when you have the whole of New York at your feet?
The Safe: The room had a safe in the closet for valuables.
The Bathroom
The Bathroom: The bathroom was very sleek and modern. Bathrooms in Manhattan hotels tend to be a little cramped, but this one was a very comfortable size. The bathroom had slippers and robes for our lounging pleasure!
The Bathroom Amenities: The hotel features amenities by Natür from Sweden.
Hotel Details
The Cost: Being Manhattan, room rates are highly dependent on day of the week, the season and what events are in town. Our bedroom suite ranges in price from $247-$407. Around the time of our visit, the cost for our room was $279.
The Location: The Hotel Giraffe is located on the corner of Park Avenue South and 26th in the Madison Square/Flatiron neighborhood. There are a number of fantastic restaurants in this area and this is always one of our favorite neighborhoods to visit.
The Transportation: The property is well served by taxis and public bus. The closest subway is the Green 6 line at 23rd and Park Avenue.
The Airport Transfer: Given the unpredictability of New York City traffic, it’s always best to allow a little extra time. 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 be the simplest option.
The city is also well served by trains. New York’s Penn Station is a $13/15 minute cab ride from the hotel.
The Website: https://hotelgiraffe.com
Hotel Giraffe Review
The Hotel Giraffe offers a sleek, sophisticated lodging experience in Manhattan. This boutique hotel is in an amazing neighborhood filled with great restaurants and is centrally located to explore the city. Quite simply, this is our new favorite hotel in New York City.
Special thanks to 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.
John
Thursday 17th of April 2014
Nice hotel! useful post for travelers. Thanks for sharing.