Hotel Review: The Blakely in New York City

My daughter and I had reason recently to travel to New York City to spend the day celebrating her birthday. We were looking for a hotel that was in close proximity to what was of most importance to us: good shopping and good food. Our criteria also included a hotel that was not Eurotrash chic, exorbitantly expensive, a literal flea bag a la the Hotel Pennsylvania (hotel of choice for Westminster), and offered amenities that we would actually use during our short stay. Often, we've paid for amenities that held no interest or use to us during a short visit: an indoor pool, an in-house restaurant, spa, etc. We wanted firm beds, clean linens, pretty surroundings, a decently sized room, and good service. We found them all, to our delight, at The Blakely Hotel, 136 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019. They also have a very nice web site that you should check out, as we did before our visit: www.blakelynewyork.com.

The individual who took our reservation over the phone the day before arrival was prompt and courteous, and inquired if we had any special needs to which the hotel should attend. Check in time, we were told, is 3 PM, but if the room was ready before hand, we could check in early. After a train trip into the city, we arrived shortly before noon, and were told that our room, Room 702, was indeed ready and we could check in - a full three hours early. Those extra three hours of being able to settle in, drop off our luggage, and plan out the rest of our day were invaluable. (We've stayed at other hotels where we could drop off our luggage early, but not check into our room - bummer!)

The Blakely is one tall sliver of a hotel. It is located across from a ballet venue, next door to a Hertz rental car site, and across the street from an Au Bon Pain as well as the Stage Door Deli. Most of the time, a doorman was present. The desk clerk, Yasir, was extremely polite and accommodating. The lobby itself is done in dark, clubby woods, with comfortable chairs and bookshelves built into the walls, giving you the feeling of entering a private, high end home. Perhaps best of all in the lobby: a large desk with a laptop! WiFi service here is FREE. If you don't bring your own laptop, you can use the one in the lobby. Both my daughter and I took advantage of this great service. You may - or may not - have to wait a bit for your turn, as it's a very popular feature amongst guests. Then again, it's not that bad of a wait in those comfy, overstuffed chairs or leather sofas...

The Blakely is considered to be in the moderate to expensive range. Our base price for a room with two queen sized beds was $265 before taxes. Suites run from $300 to $700, with penthouses also available in the $400 to $800 price range. Nonsmoking rooms are available.

We were booked into Room 702. The beds were, thankfully, firm, with first-rate white linens. The entry way had hardwood floors, which was a pretty, unusual touch. (The rest of the room was comfortably carpeted.) There was a laptop stand affixed to the top of the dresser in our room, which meant that had we brought our own laptops, we could have used them at any time - a huge boon for business travelers. Decent closet space, a good-sized flattop television, marble counter tops in the bathroom, a decently-sized tub/shower, a very nice brand of toiletries (all of which we used while there!), plus more than ample pillows and towels made for a comfortable stay. The room also had its own mini bar. One thing we did miss was an in-bath hair dryer, though. There was a Krueger one-pot coffee maker, tea bags, and a small array of snacks (mostly bagged nuts and candies). The style of the room was pseudo European country house, with lots of dark wood, muted wallpaper and whimsical prints.

I do need to address two issues. The hallways at the Blakely, which are covered in dark hunter green velvet, are extremely narrow, so much so that two average sized people can't pass each other without one turning sideways. If you don't like very narrow spaces, you may find this rather disorienting. Also, in Room 702, we were directly facing the street noise of 55th Street. Our room had darkening shades, sheers and heavy draperies, but the noise level at night was frankly quite high. Since both my daughter and I had had a very busy, brisk day, we were exhausted by bed time, but even then, the street noise level was loud and intrusive. When booking at the Blakely, make certain that your room will not face 55th Street directly!

I'd have to say that the best thing about the Blakely, second only to the free WiFi/internet service, was the complimentary Continental breakfast, available until 10:30 AM each morning, at the hotel's in-house Italian restaurant, Abboccato. (Abboccato itself is rated as among the best Italian food in the city, and is located to the left of the lobby exit.) There are continental breakfasts, and then there are continental breakfasts at Abboccato. While it wasn't a huge spread, everything was fresh, tasty and beautifully presented. English muffins and wonderful, wonderful bagels were available to be toasted and spread with butter, cream cheese or a variety of jams. Huge bowls of cereals and fresh fruit were constantly replenished. There was also freshly squeezed orange and papaya juice to be had as well. Crisp, tiny European pastries were delicious and perfectly sized for breakfast. One thing that should be noted is that the servers' command of English is very limited, and that it was often difficult to get coffee and water brought to your table, and even more so to get refills of same. The restaurant section opened for breakfast was brightly lit, with both small, narrow booths and tables. If you don't mind hunting down a server for that second cup of good, hot Italian coffee, the Blakely's continental breakfast was a fabulous way to start your day.

Other bright spots worth mentioning: There was always someone at the front desk who was willing to offer assistance or answer questions. Getting a taxi was very easy. Nearby subway stops included B, D, and E at 7th Avenue, as well as N. Q, R and W at 57th Street. There's a day spa located across the street if you're interested in a facial or massage during your stay. There appeared to be a fair number of solo business travelers there during our stay, but I was pleasantly surprised to see several families with small children there as well. We were well within walking distance to Saks, Bergdorfs, Maceys, the Apple Store, F.A.O. Schwartz, as well as the weirdly wonderful Chanel, Dior, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Harry Winston, Van Cleef and Arpels, as well. Rockefeller Center was nearby; the people-watching was wonderful. Basically, the Blakely is sandwiched between Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center, with access to all of the fabulous shops, theater and restaurants that area has to offer. I'd also highly recommend the in-house restaurant, Abboccato, if their light breakfast menu is any indication of the quality of their food. We were also a $13 cab ride, each way, to SoHo shopping, which we never miss.

Would I recommend the Blakely to a first-time visitor to New York City? Absolutely! Will we be staying at the Blakely again for our next visit to the city? In a New York minute, yes!