Library Hotel

The Library is a good little hotel but the frustration is it could be a great hotel.
Great concept and location are let down by the usual NYC designer hotel problem, (aka ‘Schraeger syndrome’) the staff radiate a sense that this job would be so cool if it wasn’t for the customers.

For example, when first booking and again on checking in I told them my wife was arriving two days after me and watched them write this down but when she did arrive while I was out they denied any knowledge of her and only let her into the room when she started crying.

When we mentioned it to the front desk they’d stayed cool. “I’m sorry about that but everything else made up for it right?”

Well, not quite.
The rooms are cosy. The books themselves seem to be mainly remaindered hardbacks but this gives the Reading (/Breakfast) Room fabulous serendipity. You come across an old guidebook to Coventry next to a book on astronomy, a biography of Napoleon, and a John Updike novel. The size and scale of the hotel feels very Parisian or Roman.

It is crying out for a charismatic owner/proprietor couple who love books and do the mine host thing, working the tables at breakfast to check everything’s OK, mentioning something about the room you’re in. The guests are by definition more bookish, they want warmth over cool. You just know there’s a hotel manager somewhere in the city who could make the concept really come alive.

Incidentally, the 30 or so books in the famous love room are mostly marriage guidance manuals by Dr Ruth K Westheimer and her friends or remaindered collections of love poetry but the room is well worth taking for its balcony.11 floors above Madison Avenue with clear views all the way up and down and not too overlooked. The surrounding office blocks all empty at weekends. It’s a wonderful stage for romance.

Centrally located in Manhattan, this is a tranquil 5-star hotel. Each floor is dedicated to a different subject and each room contains books from a specific section of the Dewey-decimal system. A nice place to really pamper yourself. It's within steps of Times Square, Grand Central Station, and the NY Public Library. There is lots to see and do within walking distance of the Library Hotel.

Unique Quality: Gorgeous design, and books everywhere! Free internet access in the hotel's Business Centre, complimentary breakfast and refreshments throughout the day, plus a wine and cheese reception every evening. Only drawback we encountered was that the computerized mini-bar is a more trouble than it is worth.

This is luxury...at least by my standards. It's pricy, but there is a more affordable deal for weekends and on the internet. (See below for site.)

The rooms are all themed, and there is a lovely patio/porch for eating breakfast and reading. There is also a wonderful indoor space for the same. There is a living room with flat screen television and fireplace.

I just love the place. I haven't stayed there yet, I only visited, but it's gorgeous.

Unique Quality: Each floor is a different library (Dewey Decimal) category and each room on the floor is a topic within that category. Books are in each room and the art follows the same theme.

The staff is very friendly and will either help you or leave you alone, depending on what you want.

Directions: Midtown