Staying at the Family-Friendly Kimberly Hotel in NYC

We just had the most luxurious weekend with an overnight stay at the Kimberly Hotel in New York City, located on 145 East 50th Street.  Staying in the city was a luxury we don’t get very often, and it’s something that we’ve never done as a family.  I lived in the city for nearly ten years before moving out to the suburbs, so it was certainly a treat to spend 24 carefree hours in a beautiful hotel that happens to be an ideal location.

We took the train into the city and walked the short walk from Grand Central to the hotel.  Upon entering the lobby, it was clear that we were in for an elegant experience.  The lobby is opulent, with marble floors, Persian carpets and elegant flower arrangements.  The rooms have been fully renovated in recent years, and they have been also decked out with grand European-style, traditional English-French furniture.

The hotel is very comfortable, and certainly very child-friendly.  It’s perfect for families like us, or extended-stay visitors planning to stay for long periods.  The hotel offers 192 rooms with diverse prices.   They have studios, one room suites, two room suites.  The location is really central, too, and perfect for a trip to Times Square, Central Park or anywhere in the city.

We were immediately shown right to the 30th floor to our two bedroom family suite.  The suites have plenty of child-friendly features, such as kid’s TV channels, lots of room to play, an eat-in kitchen, comfortable beds and a balcony with sweeping views of the city.  We had two nice-sized bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basic kitchen, a living room and a south facing balcony with great views.  The sheets and duvets are of the highest quality and make for a good night’s sleep, which we all had.  Our beds were topped with down pillows.  We also had WIFI access, iPod players with docs and 42-inch plasma TVs.  The kids instantly liked their room; we took the larger one.  We unpacked our bags and put our clothes in the dresser drawers and spacious closets.  The kitchen had a microwave, small refrigerator, dishes, a coffee maker and a table with two chairs.  The living room has a sofa with two arm chairs and a sofa, which made spending time together really easy.  They have European art on the walls to complete the traditional decor.  Here are some shots of the rooms:

One of the two bedrooms

Kitcheonette

The living room

The view from our balcony

After spending some time gazing at our fantastic view on the balcony, we walked the four short blocks to the American Girl Store on 49th Street and 5th Avenue.  We splurged and had my daughter’s American Girl Doll’s hair done and ears pierced.  It’s not something that I ever thought we would do, but the look on my daughter’s face made it all worthwhile.

Other family-friendly locations nearby the Kimberly include FAO Schwarz, the Empire State Building, Central Park, the MOMA, Radio City Music Hall, Dylan’s Candy Store and Toys R Us.  It’s also easy to jump on a subway or hop in a cab and go to the Upper East Side, Upper West Side or straight downtown.

That night we took a picnic and blanket to Central Park and watched an outdoor screening of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan.”   It was quite an amazing night, taking me back to the days before we had kids and I used to be a culture vulture let loose in New York City.  Our children even managed to let us watch the movie, a feat for us, and proof that life is getting easier as they are getting older.

The breakfast buffet ($15.95 a person, kids eat free) at the roof-top restaurant called Upstairs was a surprising delight. First of all, the space is beautiful, and the buffet has something for everyone, from pancakes to french toast to eggs and bacon.  We ate outside on the hotel’s terrace on plush pillows, drinking espresso.  The service was excellent up there.  Upstairs, The Kimberly’s rooftop bar and lounge, opened in 2010 and serves drinks as well as appetizer-sized plates. Heated floors warm the 3500-square-foot space year-round, so you don’t have to worry about missing the panoramic Midtown views during the winter months.

The Kimberly offers a free two-hour yacht cruise around the city.  It docks at the Skyport Marina at East 23rd Street and FDR Drive.  It’s a scenic cruise along the Hudson River, with views of the bridges that cross the East River, the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline.   We went on the Family Brunch Cruise which offered bagels, quiche, salads and coffee.  My son sat in the cruise ship deck with the captain who let him steer the boat.  Needless to say, he was in heaven.  It was a really lovely boat ride, smooth sailing all the way, with stunning views of the city.  We felt like were far, far away and came to experience the city that we’ve lived in for years in a new light.  The cruise runs in conjunction with the New York Health and Racquet Club.

The Kimberly has a partnership with the NY Health and Racquet Club.  The nearest location is on Madison Ave and 50th Street.  It offers superb work-out facilities, as well as an indoor swimming pool.

We all had a terrific 24 hours away from home.  We left the Kimberly Hotel with smiles on our faces.  There’s nothing like a night in the city, especially when you’re staying on the 30th floor of a grand hotel such as the Kimberly.

The rooms at the Kimberly Hotel range from $265-$1450.  You certainly can’t beat rate for this kind of hotel in New York City.

Disclosure: We were given a free one night stay at the Kimberly Hotel, with no requirement or agreement of review requested in turn.  The opinions expressed in this post are all my own.

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