Tag: new york

New York the city that never sleeps and well we certainly didn’t. A city with so much going on no corner has a dull moment.

See would famous sites like Central Park, Times Square, World Trade Center, Madison Square Garden, Little Italy, Chinatown and the Empire State Building to name a few.

Find out the best things to do, see and stay within the city and catch all our personalized adventures which were taken by ourselves, meaning everything is our own honest views.

New York is a city we just love to walk and walk and walk, we cant get enough of it and we just wait to visit more.

 

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Yotel New York

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Yotel New York

New York was one of our most anticipated stops and we were excited, we wanted a centrally located and the Yotel seemed a great idea.

Yotel NYC


The Yotel seemed really a funky place, and we wanted to try something different. The reviews were great and we booked away.


Hope this review of the YOTEL New York can help you out.

Hotel Location

New York City is one of the most expensive places to stay, and to find somewhere with a sensible price tag in this bustling city is hard to come by. We wanted to be close enough to Times Square but not sat on its door stop. And with it only being 3 blocks away from it the Yotel was perfect. As for the price well it wasn’t cheap but compared to a lot was relatively good.

The Robot Entrance at The Yotel

Now me being a sucker for gadgets, the Yotel brings modern technology to the forefront, with the great addition. On entering the building and seeing a robotic bag storage system i was sold straight away.

The Robotic Bag Holder


We flew in from Australia via LA, and landed in JFK and straight way jumped into a Uber. It took around an hour as the traffic was hectic, and i quote “was hectic” i would certainly recommend Uber as its affordable and also a bit of comfort whilst stuck in the mad New York traffic.


The lobby at the Yotel is well a little different to most hotels. As i mentioned the large robotic bag holder on the right, and to the front is a selection of screens. A little like a airport check in you are asked for personal and card details to confirm your room. And voila there is your key card. Now you head to the lifts and off you are into the hotel. (i like this as you know the hotel is exclusive to hotel guests only as you need this card to get in at all)


Once up the lift and you arrive on your floor you enter a corridor which would best represent a modern version of star wars. You would actually feel as if you are on a space ship. Time is now upon to go to your room.

Rooms at The Yotel

Now let me begin with saying, if your after room to swing a cat then this is not for you. However if you are after quality, futuristic and cleverly thought out room then step inside.

A Standard Room

There is everything you need TV, hanging racks, bedside tables, lamps etc. And of course a bed now when you walk in you may look at the bed and wonder how on hell are we going to get in that. Well Yotel has thought this one out brilliantly. The best expands and retracts by remote giving you a little extra space in the day and that much needed space at night. And you would think that such gimmicks would take away from the comfort, but this surely doesn’t i have to say it was one of the most comfy beds i have stayed in at a hotel.


Now, and this is important, if you’re all about privacy or lets say on you and your partner and not at that comfortable stage then the bathroom here is not for you.


However the bathroom itself, i loved the shower was as powerful as i have been in. It has a sink, loo and you have all your soaps, kleenex, hanging space, and there is an iron and ironing board.
But ill get to privacy, the bathroom is all glass and you can see straight in from the bed. And well if you not a fan of listening to your other half having a number 2 then this probably isnt for you, as soundproofing certainly was not considered here.

Room Summary


I probably didn’t do my best to sell this room but all in all i actually loved it, it had all you need. The comfort in the bed, a great shower and all the mod cons, and well lets be honest if you were expecting a big room in New York you would be much mistaken, and also who goes to New York to stay in an admire a room get out and explore.

Facilities at The Yotel

The Yotel also has a fantastic bar, we had many of night caps during our time there from a range of cocktails to some superb craft beers. These is also an adjacent restaurant which, though we never used the reviews from people we spoke to it was great. In the summer months a rooftop bar is also in use again was something we used as we there at christmas.
To rap up all in all we were delighted with the Yotel New York and well we would certainly recommend again.

The Bar

Check out a few more of our New York posts below

New York City

New York Food

Thanks for reading hope to see you again soon

New York Food Tasty Tips

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New York Food

New York food is undoubtedly famous for its diverse cultures and nothing portrays this better than the variety of cuisines available in the city. This is one part of the world you won’t be stuck for choice in as well as every budget being catered for.

From cheap and cheerful street-side snacks to elaborate restaurants, fresh fish markets in China Town to the upmarket ristorantes of Little Italy, your taste buds are in for an adventure of their own! Her is our New York food post

Only having a few days in New York as well as a busy schedule, meant we didn’t have the luxury of time on our side, but with a chef on the job and a few lucky Google searches, we came across some real foodie gems. I am excited to share with you some of our finds, including a breakfast favourite of the locals, some New York staples we couldn’t go past for snacks during the day and a couple of real dinner treasures we indulged in.

Breakfast

We quickly discovered that breakfast was a meal eaten mostly on-the-go by New Yokers. Coming from Australia, where breakfast is not just a quick grab-and-go snack but more a full dining-out experience, we had to change our tactic a little in search of a good start to the day.

It might seem like an obvious choice, but once we discovered a hidden favourite of the locals, we didn’t look back from our morning bagel. Tucked between a row of insignificant looking buildings was bagel heaven, aptly named Best Bagel And Coffee.

One could have easily walked straight past this incredible venue as it was exceptionally small and very understated, however the queue that greeted us each morning was unmissable. Even when we arrived just after opening, there was already a line out the door and down the street…if that’s not a good sign I don’t know what is!

Although this shop was super busy each day we went there, the system the guys had in places meant we only ever had to wait a few minutes to place our order. By the time we had paid and found a nook to tuck ourselves into to wait, our bagels had been prepared and were ready to be devoured. And boy was that what we did!

The bagels were wrapped up neatly and served in such a way that even if we didn’t get one of the few seats available inside the restaurant, we could easily eat our breakfast as we wandered down the street.

We tried lots of bagels while in New York (come on, that’s a must!), but these were without a doubt, hands-down the tastiest. The bagels themselves were made and baked onsite, each meal was prepared to order and the fillings were generously packed in…the complete package!

Note: This hotspot has been extended since our trip, offering more space and menu options. It’s also easier to spot now with its new shop front.

Snacks / Lunch

As we were out and about exploring this amazing city from morning until night during our stay, we decided to avail of the many street food options. This meant we didn’t waste any precious sightseeing time and also that we got to try another authentic New York experience.

Some of our favourites were the large, doughy, salted pretzels that were still warm on purchase! We nibbled on a couple of these one day in Times Square…the perfect snack before we popped into some of the all-consuming shops in the area, we certainly needed the sustenance.

We also tried some bagels from the street vendors, even though we’d had them for breakfast…there’s nothing like a good old reliable and you know what they say, ‘When in Rome…’. As this was more of a snack and a little later in the day, I felt I could steer away from the savoury options and sampled some of the more exciting flavours on offer such as cinnamon and blueberry.

All the vendors had super fresh goods and a wide variety of spreads to add to their delicious treats. What a perfect way to immerse yourself in the experience of such a fast-paced city and have a snack on the go.

Deli Lunches

Another great option that we miss from living in Europe, are delis. We had lunch a few times during our stay in a number of different delis around the city. They are so plentiful and all very similar in their pricing and what they offer.

They are very reasonable for a quick lunch and have options available for everyone as each meal is made to order. This option allows you order a sandwich or wrap type meal from a selection of salads, meats, vegetables, cheeses etc and have it exactly as you want. We also grabbed a couple of delicious homemade soups to warm us up. There was seating available in the delis so you could have a quick stop off and be refuelled and ready to go again for the afternoon in just a matter of minutes.

A delicious and hearty way to keep you going until dinner without breaking the bank or spending half your afternoon searching for a suitable restaurant. A win-win!

Dinner

As we spent one of our nights in New York at a basketball game (obviously, we had hot-dogs for dinner that night!), we only had a couple of nights in which we dined out at restaurants. But we made the most of those opportunities and found two really fabulous, yet very different restaurants.

La Rivage

The first restaurant was located in the Theatre District of the city. La Rivage restaurant had the perfect flair considering its location among some of the most magnificent theatres in New York. Located downstairs on the basement level of the building, this restaurant paid homage to its French descent, with beautiful paintings of the French countryside adorning the walls of the restaurant floor. The atmosphere was just as welcoming and was matched by the warm and friendly service we received from the wait staff.

Starting off our night with a glass of champagne and a frosty beer from the extensive drinks list, we struggled to choose our favourites from all the tempting options on the menu. Eventually deciding on a delicious vegetarian dish for me and a duck special for Richard, we were not disappointed. The meals were tantalisingly mouth-watering and we didn’t leave as much as a morsel behind! As our trip was a couple of years ago now, the menu may have changed but I have no doubt, this long-standing eatery would impress any appetite with their offerings.

Tip: This is a great location for dinner if you are attending a show one evening. It is close enough that you can relax and enjoy your meal with the comfort of knowing you are only a short stroll away from the theatres.

Gelso & Grand

Our last supper in this beautiful city was in an unforgettable restaurant in Little Italy called Gelso and Grand. This beautiful Italian ristorante was located on a corner and covered a huge area. There was seating on the ground floor as well as the lower level and we actually sat outside and dined al fresco (yes, in December… a mild, dry night).

We sampled some of the outstanding red wines on offer, the perfect pairing for the decadent food on this menu. We had some of the freshly baked bread served with olive oil and vinegar to start followed by the melt-in-your-mouth calamari. Richard had steak for his main while I had the fish. Both were cooked to perfection and the sides of veggies were prepared and cooked with an elaborate combination of delicious herbs and presented tastefully. The service was impeccable and the only thing we were sorry about was that we couldn’t return another night to do it all over again!

And Finally

Looking back on this trip and remembering all we did in just a few short days, reminds me how versatile New York City is. It truly has something for everyone and this is very true of its food scene.

Unfortunetly we didn’t have time to try many more restaurants and cafes, as we knew this city has one of the best reputations for food, with many diverse cultures and cuisines catered for.

But hey, just means we have to go back.

As always with thanks see you next time.

Check out our other New York post What We Did In New York

Fancy finding a few more of our foodie guides then check out our Gold Coast Restaurant and cafe guide

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