Being a full-time traveler means I’ve slept in my fair share of hotel rooms, but I seldom find a stay which hits every mark: spacious rooms, niche and well-preserved history, a good location, incredible dining, and top-notch service. But the Shelburne Sonesta New York is as well-rounded a hotel as you can get.
Located just steps from Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building, this hotel is close enough to be a visitor’s playground, but has dining options where you’ll be sat side-by-side with locals. The 1929-built building has plenty of apartment-style rooms, giving you the chance to step back in time and live in old New York, and these are especially ideal for families seeking more space. But what I learned staying here is that they can cater to every type of traveler.
Why stay at The Shelburne Sonesta New York?
It’s rare that I’d encourage you to book a hotel specifically with the incentive to not leave it, but the Shelburne Sonesta New York has everything you need for a one or two night stay. Their onsite restaurant, Take Care Bistro, opens early and has a full barista bar, and as the hours throughout the day pass, their veggie-forward menu makes for one of the best lunch and dinner options in the area.
There’s a traditional USPS mailbox located in the lobby, which, despite being nearly a century old, is still functioning. You’ll find plenty of comfortable space to catch up on work, and if you forgot your laptop, there are two computers available to use with printers in tow. The hotel is dog-friendly with specific dog-friendly menus, and the rooftop, Vintage Green, has a near perfect five-star rating on Google for good reason. There’s a 24-hour gym on the second floor with Peletons and treadmills, and if you happen to somehow get injured during your stay, there’s even a medical practice on the first floor. Who needs the outdoors, anyway?
What are the rooms like at The Shelburne Sonesta New York?
The 325 rooms here provide a plethora of options, from traditional hotel rooms to apartment-style suites. There are guest suites, guest rooms, studio apartments, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments. Around a fifth of the rooms have a kitchenette, which, as someone who travels quite a bit on business and needs to find slivers of normalcy throughout living on the road, I enjoyed. This is also a nod to the hotel’s history since, prior to being a hotel, it was strictly residential. I personally wanted to take advantage of having the kitchen and feeling like I was ‘at home’, so I swung by the Union Square Farmer’s Market (roughly a twenty-minute walk away) to grab some fresh produce.
The One-Bedroom Empire Suite where I stayed, which had an incredible wraparound balcony with glistening views of the Empire State Building, was stellar. Despite having lived in New York all my life, even I still have pinch-me moments when I’m up close and personal to some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, and this was quite the knockout view to be greeted with.
What is the food and drink like at The Shelburne Sonesta New York?
Of all the hotel’s features, its gleaming crown jewels were the dining options. The Shelburne Sonesta has two restaurants on site, Take Care Bistro and Vintage Green, and in their own way, each contradicted the stereotype of underwhelming hotel dining.
Take Care Bistro offers simple but well-executed dishes, utilizing creative twists on typical bistro fare. I was wildly impressed how everything was cooked – tender sprouts doused in a sticky sauce, tots completely smothered in ranch but which stayed deliciously crispy, and a gochujang sauce on the crispy chicken sandwich all made for a lip-smacking meal.
Vintage Green left me equally as pleasantly surprised. I’ve frequented plenty of rooftops in New York and two things are fairly consistent amongst them: the service often lacks, and the food and drinks tend to be of pretty average quality. Neither are the case here: this place offers fun specials, like ‘The Lemonade Stand’ where you can order a pitcher of lemonade spiked with your choice of booze, and The Hot Dog Stand, featuring six Pat LaFrieda all-beef hot dogs on toasted butter brioche buns, accompanied by truffle and parmesan fries and a variety of pickled veg from The Pickle Guys. My personal favourite? The chicken katsu sliders, as per my waitress’s recommendation.
It’s the second largest rooftop bar in New York, offering sweeping views of the city, and is completely covered in florals and greenery. Make sure to head up here for golden hour.
What is the service like at The Shelburne Sonesta New York?
Throughout the hotel, service was warm and welcoming, but it stood out most prominently at Vintage Green. I went on a particularly sweltering hot day, and the team was quick to swap my table inside once I had enough of the scorching sun, without it seeming like a big deal at all.
After my trip to buy ingredients, I needed cutlery and received rolls of silverware within 10 minutes. The people at the front desk were kind, from check-in to check-out, and after I accidentally left a bag at the hotel, they called me as soon as they found it and held it for me until I was able to pick it up.
What are the facilities like at The Shelburne Sonesta New York?
The facilities at the Shelburne Sonesta New York are some of the most unique and strangely comprehensive I’ve ever seen at a New York hotel. The lobby is spacious, with plenty of spots for working, lounging, or even playing at their ping-pong table (a great way to kill time if you’re early for check-in). Toward the back, you’ll find a medical center and a USPS mailbox, which hasn’t changed a wink since the building was built in 1929.
Speaking of 1929, the decor in my room (namely, the carpet) felt a little dated, but that was compensated for with the kitchenette, decked out with swish modern appliances.
There’s a 24-hour gym on the second floor with treadmills, Peletons, and ellipticals. Though there’s no spa on site (a fairly standard commonality in New York hotels) you can head down the street to The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York, and as a guest of the hotel, you’ll receive a 25% discount off all services.
What’s the area like around The Shelburne Sonesta New York?
Shelburne Sonesta is located in Murray Hill, which has a bit of a ‘bro’ reputation in New York. While you certainly won’t feel that energy at the hotel itself, don’t be surprised if, once you step out, you run into a good amount of frat-like groups.
That’s not to say the area doesn’t have its benefits, though, particularly given it’s on nestled nearby some top New York attractions, like Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, and Bryant Park. If you’re craving Times Square or Hudson Yards, the 7 train is less than a ten-minute walk from the hotel, where a five-minute train ride will take you to either. Benjamin Steakhouse Prime is just around the corner, and will give you that quintessential New York experience.
Why you should book a stay at The Shelburne Sonesta New York
This hotel is great for just about everyone: if you’re a family, the option to stay in an apartment-like suite is ideal (alternatively, you can ask for two guest rooms to be connected). For business travelers, the conference room is spacious at 1,205 sq ft., the WiFi is plentiful, and as mentioned, there’s a massive area in the lobby with two computers and a printer. If you’re traveling with a furry friend, the Shelburne Sonesta is dog-friendly with just a $75 pet fee per stay (and you can bring up to two). And lastly, if you’re someone like me who loves the convenience of having top-notch dining right at your fingertips, Take Care Bistro and Vintage Green will be enough of a reason to book your next stay.
DETAILS
Address: 303 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Price per night: Guest room rates begin at $298 per night, apartments begin at $361 per night
Closest transport: 4, 5, 6, 7 Trains at 42nd St-Grand Central; Grand Central Terminal is less than a 10-minute walk away; LaGuardia Airport is a 20-minute drive; John F. Kennedy International Airport is 50 minutes by train or a 45-minute to an hour drive
Book now: via Booking.com
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