For most New Yorkers, walking around Midtown is more of a crowd-induced nightmare than a dream, but the original Dream Hotel location does its best to combat this limbo-of-Manhattan stigma.
Conveniently located (for tourism and business trips) on 55th Street and Broadway, the hotel is just a ten-minute walk from most Broadway theaters and Theater District restaurants, as well as the blindingly brilliant Times Square—but the Dream’s aura is all downtown chic. The first thing you spot in the hotel lobby—besides a line of people waiting for the elevator up to the hotel bar and lounge, PHD Terrace—is a cylindrical fish tank stretching from floor to ceiling brimming with saltwater fish that looked like they were plucked from Finding Nemo. The walls and furniture throughout the hotel maintain a plush green and purple color scheme, reminiscent of the colors of The Wizard of Oz on speed. After a friendly check-in you’ll be taken to your room, which is decidely bigger than the majority of bedrooms you’ll find in miniscule New York City apartments. Take a load off and stare at the psychadelically-patterned canopy-style headboards while sinking into the comfy beds (do bring earplugs: New York City never sleeps, as they say), then freshen up to hit the scene.
At dinner at downstairs Serafina, you’ll hear a lot of Italian spoken from both dining guests and your waiters while drinking wine and devouring delicious dishes like rich lobster ravioli, pizza and white wine branzino (get extra foccacia bread). For a few well-made drinks, take a seat in the Rickey, a loungey but upscale-looking (plush green walls and vintage gold tables) craft cocktail bar. And if you want to see and be seen, get in that elevator line and step hit the rooftop, where PHD Terrace keeps the party going on multiple floors late into the night with rotating DJs (and $17 cocktails).
If you never miss a morning workout, be aware there is no in-hotel gym, though hotel guests have free access to the nearby Crunch gym on W. 54th Street. But you’ll likely be too busy running around the city to need any extra cardio.
Time Out tip: There’s incredible comedy going on every night of the week at nearby Caroline’s on Broadway. The legendary comedy club hosts everyone from Hannibal Buress to Bill Maher, so check who’ll be hitting the stage while you’re in town.