Sanctuary Hotel New York

The Scene

To get any closer to Times Square would be pure folly in our book. The Sanctuary Hotel New York gets you just close enough to enjoy Times Square at your leisure and retreat to the hotel (if needed). This also means you’re easily within walking distance of just about any Broadway theater, so keep the cab fare and hoof it. There’s plenty of landmarks within several blocks of the hotel---30 Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the like---but we recommend bucking the trend for a jaunt through the Diamond District. Head east down 47th to find yourself in the pulsing heart of the diamond industry in the US; on the way, you’ll pass the venerated Christie’s auction house Special Exhibition Gallery (and yes, the public is welcome to come inside and inspect the week’s items up for auction).

The Concept

Atmosphere is everything at Sanctuary Hotel. At the door, you’re greeted with friendly service and immediately swathed in sleek, sensual style. Its carefully cultivated vibe is conspicuously luxurious and perhaps leans to on the loud side in public areas, but it mixes together for an altogether seductive ambience. In-house Tender Restaurant and Lounge as well as the HAVEN Rooftop are quite popular, bringing in a local crowd humming with verve. Tender serves up a variety of dishes spanning sushi to steak---try the avocado fries---in a vibrant space that verges on trendy nightclub (but trust us when we say it’s all about the food). HAVEN Rooftop has its own kitchen with a French-inspired menu, bar, and gorgeous rooftop view over Midtown. Fun fact: even when enclosed for inclement weather and winter, clear walls are put in so you don’t lose the view (plus the space is heated).

The Look

Where Times Square may err on the side of bright, loud, and garish Sanctuary Hotel opts for warm mood lighting (nothing you can’t handle) and a contemporary touch. The lobby and Tender are by far the most boldly colored spaces with details such as neon-tinted lights, sparkling and/or bright-colored seating, and a gold-mirrored ceiling (in Tender). Haven plays up its location on the rooftop, playing with blues, wood, and neutrals for a very airy feel even when enclosed and heated for winter. Rooms are spacious---especially considering the prime location---with the right combination of glitz and elegance to be luxuriously restful. Tufted leather headboards and decorative leather panels flank the bed with pops of red and a sparkling crystal chandelier. The sink area and glass-walled shower are very much out in the open; courteously, Sanctuary Hotel has thought to put in a thick white curtain that can be pulled to “wall off” the area. The Deluxe King offers plenty of space for a couple, but a splurge on the Sanctuary Sweet (read: suite) would not be remiss for the extra-extravagant vacation.

In Short

Nowhere else is the hotel scene quite so sexy as New York City. The Sanctuary attracts a mix of everyone in search of that special something only NYC brings with incredible hospitality and not one but two hot dining (and drinking) destinations.