New York, New York!

Where the magic happens? Definitely! Every time I go to New York, I have the best time. The amazing food, unmatched fashion and style, unimaginable activities, art, concerts, and more. This city is so full of everything and it truly is magical!

This time I hit the city without Taylor in tow. Normally, we travel together because of work, but this time she was not invited…muahaha! 😏

My trip to New York was to celebrate my 37th birthday and although I had a blast, we are not here to talk about me, right? I really want to share my experiences in terms of New York hospitality like the lodging, restaurants, food, and of course talk about the design, design, design. I’ll also tell you about a little mishap I had and give you some advice to help you avoid the same problem!

Can you guess what hotel I stayed at? The Moxy Times Square! The pink neon really gives it away. I love the concept and design of The Moxy brand, so I have wanted to book a stay with them for quite a while. The brand’s concept is targeted to millennials and young generations; it has a very funky and fun design. You even check-in at a bar, uhhhh yes please! The Time Square one does not allow for that because of the space, but they added a bar cart with drink and a pink Yeti cooler. The Moxy is an experience, a vibe, something unexpected, and exactly what young travelers are after.

This particular property was designed within a very restricted space, I mean it is New York after all. Prior to my trip I asked a few people who have stayed at this hotel how their experience was. Their biggest complaint was the room size. It seems travelers used to the space and comfort characterized by the US may be adverse to this smaller scale stay.

*photo courtesy of travel.usnews.com

This Moxy does have tiny guest rooms but they were space planned to perfection, making that a non-issue for me. Even though it is a small room, I appreciate the design so much. It is very clever and practical, making use of every inch of space. Two words…WALL HOOKS! The number of hooks made my life so much easier; I loved them! The luggage bench/chair folds and you can hang it on one of the hooks for more floor space. I love that the rooms have steamers instead of irons. Who wants to lug out an ironing board nowadays? Are you with me?

The Moxy did not disappoint in the public spaces either. I loved the music in the elevator, it really gets you in the groove! If you’re a coffee drinker you would love the coffee station in the lobby. Even though I don’t drink coffee, I appreciated the space and know it would have been a hangout for Taylor if she was with me. More areas within the public spaces worth mentioning are the "conference rooms" like the one pictured above. It is definitely a very flexible space and the interesting groupings of furniture encourage you to be social and have a little fun which is very Moxy.

Oh, the rooftop! Fun, eclectic, and colorful with great music and even better cocktails. Look familiar? The space is a haven for influencers looking to grab that Instagrammable moment, so you may have seen that floral carousel while you were scrolling. Did you see the cute light fixtures over the bar? They are balloons, balloons people! The cherry on top and what makes this one of the best rooftops in the city, is the spectacular view of the Empire State Building. #empirestateofmind 🌇

My first dining experience was in Central Park at the Loeb Boathouse for lunch. I had heard amazing things about this place, but was worried it could be a tourist trap! I was wrong; the food was so SO good!! I definitely recommend the crab cake and the ahi tuna. 🤤 The view makes the atmosphere so serene. The space boasts beautiful architectural details and is nice and quiet. A perfect spot for a romantic lunch in the City!

Remember that not so pleasant experience I mentioned earlier? Well, it happened on our way to have dinner at La Grande Boucherie. It was Saturday night and there were no cabs to be found, so in order to make it on time for our reservations we had to take one of those bicycle taxis. In the rush and panic to find transport I forgot to ask the price of the trip, so when I arrived at the restaurant the guy charged me $200. Whaaaat!? I mean, my flight ticket was cheaper than that! Always ask how much and how to pay before using any service. Don’t get scammed. 😉

Despite being lighter on cash we finally made it to La Grande Boucherie for dinner. I had the Bœuf Bourguignon and it was good but having had a VERY good crab cake at lunch and high expectations, it fell a little short. However, the salad Au Chèvre Chaud was fantastic! The design of the space is so beautiful and again has the most stunning architectural detail. I love how they play with the lighting to make the space feel so romantic. It felt like I was transported to France for the evening. 🇫🇷

Another restaurant I would recommend if you like good sushi is Sushi Nonaka in the upper west side. The fish is so buttery and fresh, absolutely delicious! Make sure to reserve a table ahead of time so you can take advantage of sitting at the bar. It really completes the entire experience.

Catch! Yummy... this was my first time trying it out since we weren’t able to make it to Catch in Vegas. The design is very inviting; I went for Sunday brunch and I had a great time. The weather in NYC was amazing so sitting outside was a must. The truffle fries were fantastic and the sushi was really delicious. Even though I am not a fan of sugar, I needed that Instagram moment so I just had order the waffle tower. The nuts were delicious! 🧇

As Hospitality designers we believe it’s so important to experience different design concepts within the industry. This helps us better understand what it takes to design quality spaces that guests can function in easily and enjoy. It is also important to travel so we can really put ourselves in the shoes of who we are designing for. Even though I took a trip to NYC for my birthday, I couldn’t help but to analyze all the design, experiences, accommodations and hospitality I experienced. New York didn’t disappoint, as if it actually could! Hope you enjoyed and comment below if you agree with any of my recommendations or have some of your own!