HAUTE HOTELS: Whom You Know Highly Recommends The Library Hotel. All Four Henry Kallan Hotels Recommended by Whom You Know, They Are Among the Best in Manhattan
Whom You Know has reviewed nearly 150 books in just over a year, so it comes as no surprise that Peachy Deegan felt so at home at The Library! Of course it is right by the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue. The hotel is home to over 6,000 books, each title carefully picked at The Strand bookstore. From the minute the Whom You Know Haute Hotels panel entered the room, we were welcomed:
We actually were welcomed before we even entered the room. From the moment we stepped inside the door from 41st street, Alfred Bracero Jr. (A.J.) the doorman pleasantly greeted us and took our bags to 506. The daytime team, Nick Stofokik, Front Office Manager during the day, Igor Moraru, Chief Concierge, and Billy McAdams, G.S.A./Concierge are a great team that knows everything there is to know about The Library and deliver their knowledge with cheer. Billy is so dedicated he was there early for his shift, and he was joined at night by Michael del Castillo who is a bit of an unofficial historian of The Libary. Here are A.J., Michael and Billy:
A. J. is so attentive he even lent us his own umbrella when we went to dinner as the hotel umbrellas were all in use. (We may be doing a new umbrella feature from a distinguished English brand soon...) An excellent dvd collection is also at the front desk and we borrowed Sex and the City and Splash, since we were on Madison! (Madison is the name the mermaid names herself, after the street if you have forgotten.) We must say if you stay at the Library, do get a room ending in the number 06 because then you will get the special window view of Madison going north and it is just beautiful, day view:
or at night:
Visually the Libary is an extraordinary hotel. Everything about it is hand-picked, including your actual room. Every floor has six rooms and is organized according to the Dewey decimal system from the third floor's Social Sciences to the twelfth floor's religion, bearing Henry Kallan's stamp of creative genius. We understand they do pay an annual fee to use the Dewey decimal organization as it has legal rights to its name and system. With only 60 rooms, the Library offers a truly unique experience to each visitor.
On the second floor Reading Room, from 5 to 8 pm a wine and cheese reception is served and from 7 to 10am breakfast is served. In addition to the beautiful surroundings, the food is perfect, and we say this as food critics. Peachy Deegan is still in love with the bagels and does not mind being up at 7am to get one at its freshest.
The Reading Room also has newspapers and magazines that are up-to-date, organized and in neat stacks by the window, ready for your perusal. This really does feel like home! The cappuccino machine does a lovely job too and this, coffee, tea and fruit are available 24 hours a day. We met guests from England, Norway and Russia on our jaunts to the Reading Room. In fact, one couple decided to cancel their reservation at The Waldorf in favor of staying at The Library.
The Reading Room also has newspapers and magazines that are up-to-date, organized and in neat stacks by the window, ready for your perusal. This really does feel like home! The cappuccino machine does a lovely job too and this, coffee, tea and fruit are available 24 hours a day. We met guests from England, Norway and Russia on our jaunts to the Reading Room. In fact, one couple decided to cancel their reservation at The Waldorf in favor of staying at The Library.
We are very big on bathrooms at Whom You Know as we have reviewed 600 beauty products at this stage. The bathroom at the Library was big and spacious, and the lighting was good. The water pressure was excellent for both the bath and shower, and we were pleased to see everything sparkling clean. You see Peachy brought her fabulous Philips toothbrush:
The Library offers an exquisite boutique experience, and as you see, we were in Room 506 which is the Astronomy junior suite which was out of this world!
On the first floor, Madison and Vine is a lovely restaurant and on the 14th floor Peachy Deegan met Andy Markloff, Manager of Bookmarks bar. She enjoyed a lovely raspberry champagne infused cocktail there, which also has a poetry garden and roofdeck, which is perfect for the upcoming months. Peachy was not the only person who was pleased as punch with The Library Hotel though; the panel stated:
The Library Hotel located in New York City is a book lovers paradise! This gorgeous boutique hotel is located on fashionable Madison Avenue and 41st Street, conveniently one block from Grand Central Station and steps away from the famous New York Public Library. There are 10 guestroom floors at this boutique hotel, making it feel so intimate and relaxing. Each floor of the hotel is dedicated to each of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System.
Madison & Vine is conveniently located downstairs and caters to any room service order you may have. The Library Hotel felt more like a private club, than the usual city hotels other places make me feel. Each of the luxury rooms house an abundance of books that relate to the theme of that room and floors location. Very neat and unique ideas like this, make this hotel so very special. We stayed on the 5th floor, dedicated to math and science. The room oozed astronomy, books galore with dedicated wall decoration. The room in earthy tones felt very relaxing. A beautiful fresh orchid was so welcoming. With dark wood panels accenting the room and the beamed ceiling makes the room feel romantic yet cozy.
The Library Hotel's style of service would be difficult to match elsewhere. Every detail really is taken care of, it seems the whole hotel team is eager to please and ensure your stay is wonderful. On the front desk, both Michael and Billy made me feel like the most important guest in the hotel. Bellman AJ is there to assist in your every need.
Many complimentary amenities are offered for use throughout your stay. The complimentary breakfast includes an array of pastries, muffins, fruit and cereal to ensure you start your day off on a great note. Each evening complimentary wine and cheese if offered from 5pm to 8pm. The value alone of these two amenities is worth the stay. In addition should you wish to workout they will offer you complimentary passes to the nearby New York Sports Club. Throughout the day you have direct access to complimentary coffee, tea, juices and cookies....they honestly make it very difficult for you to ever want to leave. Should you need to catch up on your emails, complimentary wi-fi is included.
Not mentioned, but should be is the added benefit that after forgetting to pack my phone charger I was delighted to find the alarm clock radio had an iPhone dock, so all was not lost and I was able to juice up my phone for the following day, lifesaver!
The wealth of amenities above offer such value, particularly in New York City, where even the finest of hotels seem to nickel and dime you. Turndown service includes leaving a card to advise the weather forecast for the following day, every detail is what makes this the most amazing hotel in new York city!
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Designed to feel more like a private club than a hotel, each of the Library’s elegantly appointed accommodations have been individually adorned with a collection of art and 25-100 books based on one distinctive topic. The topics are organized throughout the hotel based on the Dewey Decimal System, with floors dedicated to the ten major categories including The Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and Language.
Location
Located on Madison Avenue at East 41st street in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Library Hotel is just steps away from the New York Public Library, Bryant Park and the exquisitely renovated Grand Central Terminal. The Library is perfectly situated for either business or pleasure, being close to major offices, attractions and restaurants, while also being within walking distance to Fifth Avenue shopping, the Times Square theater district and sightseeing locations.
In the Reading Room guests are invited to relax with complimentary refreshments served throughout the day including a lavish continental breakfast buffet daily and a wine and cheese reception every evenings
Madison & Vine, the hotel’s first floor American Bistro and International Wine Bar serves lunch & dinner. Casually elegant, it’s sure to become one of the neighborhood’s most popular spots to enjoy a quick bite and a glass of wine or an exquisite meal.
Madison & Vine's savory cuisine can also be ordered as private dining for in room enjoyment.
Accommodations
Each of the Library Hotel New York City’s guest room floors are dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System*: Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math & Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, The Arts and Religion. Personal service goes one step further as guests may request their room based on their interests such as the Literature floor, featuring subjects from Poetry to The Classics to Erotic Literature. Such intriguing room themes offered on the Math and Science floor are Astronomy and Botany. Law, Eastern Religion, Money, and New Media are also among the eclectic themes available on the room menu at The Library Hotel. Each of the sixty exquisitely appointed rooms have been individually adorned with a collection of art and books relevant to one distinctive topic within the category of the floor it belongs to. Choose your favorite or explore the unique delights of each room, one visit at a time.
Guest room features
100% cotton Egyptian linens and towels; minibar stocked with alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments; 8-foot granite desktop (double rooms feature two desktops); iHome MP3 Dock / Alarm Clock Radio; umbrella; personal safe; iron and ironing board;; flat panel television including premium movie channels; DVD player; complimentary bottled water; chocolates at nightly turndown; down blankets; plush terrycloth bathrobes and waffle-weave slippers; blow dryer; cordless telephones; dataports; complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access; dual-line speaker phones with voicemail; Thymes bath products; lighted make-up mirrors in the bathroom and freestanding makeup mirrors on the desks in all suites.
Guest services
HKHotels signature amenities include Complimentary Continental breakfast buffet served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Complimentary cappuccino, espresso, café au lait, tea, gourmet coffee, cookies, and fresh fruit available free of charge to guests throughout the day. A selection of wines, Prosecco and imported and domestic cheeses are served every evening from 5pm to 8 p.m. Self parking is available. Other services and amenities include: a 24-hour concierge desk; business center services; free CD and DVD library; babysitting services; same-day laundry and dry cleaning; and meeting and party planning assistance. Complimentary newspapers, magazines, and books are available at all times. The hotel’s multi-lingual staff offers personalized assistance for every need including airline reservations, baby-sitting, sightseeing, current attraction tickets, business services and much more. Health Club
Hotel guests receive complimentary passes to the New York Sports Club at 36th Street and Madison Avenue. Hours are Monday to Thursday from 5:30a.m. to 11p.m. (10: 00 pm on Friday) and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Awards
The Library Hotel's list of honors and awards include:
· #1 Boutique Hotel by DK Top Ten New York City Guide
· Top 50 Hotels in New York City- Michelin Guide 2009
· Voted Top Three Hotels in New York by members of TripAdvisor.com
· 2007 Best of CitySearch Honors:
~ Top Ten Best Romantic Hotels
~ Top Three Best Luxury Hotels
~ Top Five Best Tourist Hotels
~ Editorial Winner - Best Hotel Staff
HKHotels Signature Style of Hospitality and Value
At HKHotels guests enjoy great value, with all rates including the following amenities at no extra charge:
*Bountiful European style breakfast buffet
*Selection of coffee, tea, juices, cookies, and fruits throughout the day
*Wine & cheese reception evenings from5pm-8 pm
*Complimentary wireless high speed Internet access
*Evening turndown service
*Complimentary passes to nearby New York Sports Club
Address
Library Hotel
299 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Telephone (212) 983-4500
Facsimile (212) 499-9099
Website www.libraryhotel.com
US toll-free (877) 793-7323
Owner HKHotels/ Henry Kallan
General Manager Petr Jurecka
Director Sales & Marketing Yogini Patel
For reservations, call Library Hotel at (212) 983-4500 or visit www.libraryhotel.com
