Morgans Hotel, New York
Perhaps I am predisposed to favour any outpost of the Morgans Hotel Group, given that I share my surname with the company, but my experience at every Morgans offering to date (Clift, Morgans, Sanderson) has been so superlative that I don’t think the synonymity has engendered bias.
My most recent experience was at Morgans Hotel in New York. I had planned a special trip to the city for my husband’s 30thbirthday. I called ahead, after making the hotel reservation, and spoke to a helpful lady in sales about the fact that the booking was for this special occasion. I had booked a ‘Suite Dreams Package’, which was eminently reasonable ($330 per night), and she assured me that she would ‘see what was possible’. Upon arrival, my husband and I discovered, to our shared delight, that we had been upgraded to the Penthouse Suite on the 17th Floor.
The room was huge by international city hotel standards (and positively gigantic for New York). We had not one, but two large balconies, with tables and chairs, and an astoundingly good view of the Empire State Building. In addition to a large bedroom, our room was equipped with a kitchenette and a spacious sitting room with a dining table and chairs. The roomy bathroom was smartly appointed with the hotel’s signature black-and-white chequered tiles and equipped with gorgeous Malin and Goetz bath amenities.
When Morgans opened, in 1985 (coincidentally, the year of my birth), it was the new kid on the block, cutting edge, and the hip place to stay, the brainchild of renowned French interior architect Andree Putman. What keeps it remarkably relevant is the location and the staff. In terms of location, Morgans is second to none. I love to stay on Madison Avenue in midtown when I am in New York. It is arguably not as trendy as Soho, and not as popular with the tourists as Uptown, but that is precisely why I like it. I feel like a proper New Yorker when I stay in this area – the Indian curry houses of Third Avenue and the local Murray Hill pet stores are close by, and yet, being so centrally located, virtually all of Manhattan is within walking distance.
It is hard not to gush about the staff: they are phenomenal. Whilst the service culture in the US is generally excellent, Morgans has picked a staff that is exceptional. The receptionists and bellmen magically knew my name on arrival, and always greeted me warmly in the lobby throughout my stay (this may be because of the Morgan – but I doubt it, as my husband had the same experience, and his name is different from mine).
Other reasons to love Morgans, in no particular order. The fitness centre, on the 4th floor, is fantastic. It’s open 24 hours, and has plenty of weights and cardio machines for many guests to visit simultaneously (so often hotel gyms are depressingly poky). The breakfast is included in the room rate (a rarity in New York), and is very good. There is a real sense of conviviality amongst the guests at breakfast, which my husband and I enjoyed.
I am already planning my next visit to New York, and I will not hesitate to book at Morgans.
Morgans Hotel
237 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 near 37thStreet
212-686-0300
https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/originals/originals-morgans-new-york
We flew from London Heathrow Terminal 5 to New York John F. Kennedy Airport with British Airways. A direct flight from London LHR to New York JFK is 7 hours and 30 minutes, and costs from £379.
The black-and-white chequered tile bathroom at Morgans Hotel
A suite at Morgans Hotel
