A Quick but Wonderful Trip to NYC + My Favorite Boutique Hotel Ever

I don’t know about you guys, but for me a comfy bed is a must after a long international flight.

Which is why I was so glad that when Amanda, Jessica and I landed in New York, we had a bed at The Library Hotel waiting for us.

I had read about The Library Hotel a while back on Young Adventuress, and flagged it for a later stay in NYC. As an avid reader, I loved the idea of a hotel made for bookworms.

The Library Hotel is quite literally a library- each floor represents one of the ten categories of the Dewey Decimal System, and each room represents a different subsect of that category. Just look at the lobby!

Library Hotel NYC

We stayed on the Math and Science floor in the Astronomy suite. Astronomy was present in every detail of the room: from the tiny statue of Galileo to the shelves full of books about journeys into space.

Library_Hotel_NYC

Astronomy aside, the room was absolutely dreamy- a spacious corner suite with a huge bathroom and softest bed ever.

Library_Hotel_NYC_Astronomy_Room

Another perk at the Library Hotel is you can rent DVDs for free. So when we checked in we grabbed Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, inspired of course by our trip to Jordan.

Despite our best intentions, we could barely get through ten minutes of Indiana Jones before falling fast asleep.

When we finally awoke, we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast of pain au chocolat and lattes- a welcomed change from the hummus and labneh we’d eaten every morning in Jordan.

Lattes in had, we went upstairs to the rooftop to enjoy early morning in NYC and snap some photos.

Courtesy of Curiosity Travels
Courtesy of Curiosity Travels

Next, we headed to nearby Ess-a-Bagel for bagels. I go to Ess-a-Bagel every time I’m in New York because it’s SO. GOOD. We waited in line for 45 minutes (no joke), and by the time I received my bagel my hands were shaking.

But the wait was well worth it- I loved my a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, onions, capers, cucumbers and piles of smoked salmon. Bliss.

Essabagel

Bellies full, we then walked over to Grand Central Station, where I attempted (and failed) to make a time-lapse video. Mainly we just stared up at the gilded ceiling.

Grand_Central_Ceiling

Then it was time to say goodbye to my favorite travel buddies- so sad! They headed off to Brooklyn but I returned to my king-sized bed at the Library Hotel before flying back to Denver.

Although our stay in NYC was short it was also wonderful. And you can guess which boutique hotel I’ll be staying at upon my return.

Are you a bookworm too? Would you like to stay at the Library Hotel?

I received a complimentary stay at the Library Hotel as part of their Writers-in-Residence program. As always, all opinions are my own. 

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About Ashley Fleckenstein

Ashley is a travel and lifestyle blogger who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since college she has au paired in Paris, backpacked the world solo, and lived in Uganda. Her work has been featured by Buzzfeed, Forbes, TripAdvisor, and Glamour Magazine.

16 thoughts on “A Quick but Wonderful Trip to NYC + My Favorite Boutique Hotel Ever”

  1. I would usually crash at a friend’s home when I visit NYC, however this hotel looks fabulous!

    As a bookie and a Maths geek, I’d have been in paradise being anywhere on the floor you were on!

  2. Now you’re talking. A library hotel for book lovers! And in New York city,
    My favorite city. What isn’t to love in that fabulous city! If papa Lou and I were
    Visiting that fair city that is where we would stay—your descriptions
    Make it sound so intriguing to bibliomaniacs such as we.

    To be corny—isn’t Grand Central Station grand?! Papa Lou Has been going
    there for their delicious oyster stew, for 70 years. He enjoyed his first bowl
    At age 17.

    I am so happy you are still traveling and living life to the fullest.

    Much love and admiration,

    Gamma—Papa Lou too

  3. What a cool concept for a hotel – love it! I also just popped over to NYC for about 10 hours and it was so nice but, as always, I was left wanting more!

  4. How fun! This post is making me want to go back and give the Library Hotel another go! I went a few weeks ago to check out the rooftop but it was closed that particular evening for a private event. This is reminding me that I need to try again soon while it’s still gorgeous out!

  5. umm, this sounds amazing! definitely filing it away for a future return to nyc! i won’t lie, i pretty actively miss the dewey decimal system, so this is right up my alley. thanks for sharing!
    xx

  6. Very cool hotel! I spent a year commuting (traipsing, weaving, jostling) through Grand Central twice a day but every time I looked around and up, the beauty always shone through. Now that I don’t live in the city anymore, I’m enjoying visiting it much more than I did residing in it.

  7. Indeed, I am a bookworm Ashley and I was awfully impressed when I saw Amanda’s post about the Library Hotel as I’ve never been to New York before and I’ve been thinking of taking my husband to New York for his birthday next year. I was so impressed that I started browsing through their website and discovered that they had just opened a hotel in Budapest.
    Guess where I am now?!!

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