It was our first visit to New York, and I spent hours researching and trying to find the right hotel for us - boutique-sized in a great location - out of the squillions that there are.
Trip Advisor led me to The Library Hotel, and after reading every single one of the reviews, and using the Trip Advisor discount code I jumped in and booked direct with the hotel. I also booked the New York Airport service shuttle online at the same time (for not many dollars), which was a great call, as it turned out the shuttle drops you literally round the corner from the hotel.
Our first and lasting impressions of the hotel were great - check-in was smooth, the staff were helpful and pleasant and the bedroom/bathroom were perfect for our four night stay. If we don't book a suite we don't expect a suite, so the room was small, but perfectly formed. The 24 hour refreshments are a great touch, but honestly, because there are so many food and drink choices in NY we only managed to make it for cheese and wine on one evening, and a Danish pastry on the terrace floor another. Actually, it might have been a New York pastry; so lacking is my pastry knowledge.
Breakfast in the reading room was great. There was a great choice of food to begin the day, and we were more than happy to sit with the selection of daily newspapers to even think about looking at the many books. One morning we did skip the hotel breakfast to try Pershing Square over the road which is lauded for it's fabulous breakfasts, and rightly so, I think.
The location of the hotel is fab. As previously mentioned the New York airport shuttle drops you a short walk away, Grand Central station is a stones throw and the hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue the same again. We both felt we couldn't have been better placed.
We did call in at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel top floor bar to have a 'Mandarin Sunset' cocktail at dusk (to watch the Manhattan skyline lighting up), and as lovely-a-hotel that it is, we both agreed the Library won over on location. Although, comparing these two very different hotels might be like comparing apples with pears, I fear.
There's not much more I can add to the other reviews, other than to say we would highly recommend The Library Hotel for it's relaxed but stylish New York City vibe, it's welcoming and helpful staff and it's top-floor terrace, which I imagine in warmer weather is gorgeous to sit out on and soak up the fantastic NY atmosphere.
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