You could easily drive up to the Royalton and not realise you are outside the little boutique hotel. There are no major signs or grand entrances and the main door is more like an entrance for a dodgy disco tech styled club that could be found somewhere in Europe and not uptown New York City (NYC). All that was missing was a peek hole where you expect a bouncer to pop his head through and check what you are wearing before opening the door.
Entering the Royalton Hotel NYC after a seven-hour flight from London is a shock to the system at 1 am. The lobby is empty and there is funky jazz music pumping out at a level, you would not expect at this time of the day; especially when there is not a soul to be seen. The décor is classy, refined and supported by some low mood lighting, similar to that of the popular UK based hotels Mal Maison.
As you walk down the lobby, an open fire encased within glass welcomes you. The live flames look amazing within this low-lit entrance and it rather takes your attention away from the rest of your surroundings. Beyond the fireplace and in-between two pillars, hidden from your eye, is the reception desk – where you will be greeted by a member of staff dressed in black.
The staff are friendly; no matter what the time is they are quick and responsive to your every request. Staying in the junior suite on the fifth floor, you soon forget you are in NYC as the amount of room available within the suite is more than the norm in a cramped city where the cost of a good night sleep seems to keep going up and up.
Guests are provided with a Bose dock for your music in the room, an iPad to: surf the web, order room service and even details on how to contact the concierge. The sofa is long enough to fit two people on it, – from head to toe, and there is a 5ft bathtub with shower in the bathroom. If you get bored, you can order a courtesy Xbox, for your entertainment, and if you have left anything at home – simply order it on the Royalton iPad app and housekeeping will wiz up your request. Five minutes is the longest I had to wait.
We really enjoyed our stay at the Royalton. The front desk manager Jenny is a pleasure to deal with and the concierge Jessica really knows her stuff. Even the person behind their twitter account provided me with all the information I required.
