Last Updated on March 23, 2023
The late afternoon summer sunlight layers over the beige couches in the lobby and a warm glow fills the room – a tremendous feat considering the hotel is surrounded on all sides by the mountains of steel that make Manhattan. Diligently re-filling glass after glass of champagne, our server weaves around the grand piano as we nibble on a selection of cheeses, fruits and pastries, enjoying the three hour daily wine & cheese reception which happens nightly here at Hotel Giraffe. Light music plays in the background as most families and couples laugh and relax after a day of sightseeing, or shopping, or both. Dani and I are, of course, on our laptops working, and appreciate the nice touch of wine and cheese to help us with our motivation.
Wi-fi is available throughout the hotel, so we could easily work from our room, but we enjoy the vibe down here. Unlike most luxury hotels, Hotel Giraffe offers the three-hour evening reception and a full continental breakfast (bagels, cheese, yogurt, jam, honey, cereal, oatmeal, teas, coffees) in an open space where guests also mingle without any sort of forced awkwardness at all.
Our room is on the 10th floor, where the long marble desk and comfortable chair certainly serve as a good work station. However, we find it hard to get work done with the 40-inch flat screen TV on a swivel tray pointed at the queen-size dream of a bed. We spend the few hours we do have using the room as a cinema, not for work.
Upon entering the room, attention is instantly drawn to the sweeping red drapes covering the 10-foot floor to ceiling windows, which have French glass doors that open grandly out onto a fair-sized Juliet balcony overlooking Park Avenue. It’s just enough to stand out and take in the sounds and smells midnight or morning in Manhattan, but high enough up to remain an anonymous observer of New York life.
Close the doors, and nothing is heard of the noise below. Back in the room, black and white photographs decorate the platinum wall coverings so that a bit a glamor is felt no matter where we look.
Relaxing outdoor space in Manhattan is hard to come by, which is why we appreciated the peaceful Rooftop Garden upstairs on the top level. Look out for the giant giraffe, perhaps the hotel’s namesake, up here in this airy space perfect for enjoying a drink or a coffee. We didn’t get the chance to sample the Casa Soglia Italian restaurant, however, but the food that we saw looked delicious.
Stand Out Feature: Room size
With only seven rooms on each floor, Hotel Giraffe was designed to maximize room space for guests. We immediately felt how spacious the room was compared to other NYC hotels and appreciated it not only inside but the extension of the space out onto the balcony.
Even the bathroom, which is across from the main door, is spacious and adequate, with plenty of towels and soaps, a hair dryer and plenty of little extras to make sure we had everything we needed.
Room for Improvement: Public spaces
On the flip side, the public spaces at Hotel Giraffe are very limited. For example, printing is only possible from a communal laptop placed casually on one of the lobby tables, and there is often a wait to use it. Additionally, while we adore the lavish evening reception and breakfast, it felt a bit odd to have it right down in the lobby, grand or not. This is our personal opinion though, and other guests might not feel the same way about it.
Overall, however, the Hotel Giraffe offers guests just the right mix of glamor and practicality for a very comfortable, relaxed stay in a super location in Lower Manhattan.
Location: 365 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
Price: Starting at $239 per night.
LGBT Friendly: yes
Digital Nomad Friendly: Yes
Amenities: Free wi-fi, complimentary hors d’oeuvre in the afternoon, breakfast included, free gym passes.
Website: http://hotelgiraffe.com
Long term Manhattan new york city for less
Wednesday 1st of February 2012
New York is perfect choice for couples, families, friends and groups for vacation and business trip with all facilities like city's world-famous attractions, museums, cultural centers, restaurants, shops, colleges and much more at very affordable price.
Kim
Wednesday 26th of October 2011
Beautiful, but expensive! Brian and I really want to add NYC to our North American road trip itinerary, but I'm so worried about cost. And idea if we can find anything reasonable in NYC?
jess
Thursday 27th of October 2011
It depends at what time of year you're planning to visit - I think you can still get good deals for some Manhattan hotels on websites like Hotwire or Booking.com if you book a place well in advance. And I keep hearing good things about the Jane Hotel where rooms start at $99.
NYC Long Term Stay Hotel
Monday 10th of October 2011
Thanks for these very useful tips..