THE place for doing Broadway shows....
The Muse Hotel was recommended to me by a business associate. A reserved and tasteful hotel in the heart of NYC's theater district, the Muse offers a personable, efficient and not-overly-visible staff and management, coupled with very large, comfortable and well-appointed rooms.
This stay was in conjunction with our 24th wedding anniversary. The staff knew this, and went to extra lengths to insure that we had an outstanding short holiday. In fact, they "accidently" overbooked the number of junior suites at the time we were scheduled to visit, and then mysteriously announced that they'd just "have to let us upgrade to the deluxe suite for no additional money". It pays to be on good terms with the concierge. (Thanks, Lauren!)
The staff is top-notch. They solve every problem immediately, and yet they seem to disappear when you DON'T need them. To me that is perfect service. They don't get in the way, but meet every need easily. An example of this would be Wildone, the extra-friendly "Jamaican Doorman", as his manager described him. Wildone is as helpful and friendly a fellow as you'd ever want to meet, always has a smile and will absolutely do anything to make your stay better.
We recently (April 2010) had another opportunity to stay at the Muse, and it was great as always. The Muse has now become a member of the Kimpton Group of hotels, and it's apparently a happy marriage. Apparently, Kimpton values the type of place that the Muse strives to be, so that means I'm going to be looking into other Kimpton Hotels when I travel.
If you choose to stay at the Muse, be sure to sign up (free) for the Kimpton Club online. That way, you get free internet, and a little card that will let you raid the minibar for free - for a couple of beers or drinks. :)
Unique Quality: Classy and yet understated. The Muse is softly-lit and done in an elegant and muted scheme of color and polished hardwoods. In short, it's the very definition of refined.
Among the best points of the Muse, with respect to neighboring and competing properties would be the size of its rooms. NYC is not noted for being a town featuring large hotel rooms without an astronomical pricetag. The Muse advertises that its rooms are 100-250 square feet larger than comparable quarters in the district, and its true.
The Muse also has a PERFECT location, couldn't be better for seeing Broadway shows, and hanging around Times Square.
And last, the Muse isn't a large hotel. It's quieter and less-crowded. Civilized would be an excellent choice of adjective when describing the Muse. And, it's run by fine people. We ran into some British visitors on our April 2010 stay, and they'd been stranded in NYC because of the volcanic ash issue in Europe. (the airports being closed) Apparently and unlike many other hotels, the Muse took very good care of these folks, and even extended a very good deal that they'd gotten on room with their original reservation. Here's hoping your trip home went without incident, Stuart and Ursula. Greetings from America!
Summing up, let's go with Classy and civilized. : )
Oh, and one more thing... if you'd like to have a few drinks or beers, but not stray far from the hotel, there's an Irish bar next door. Go to the upstairs area, get your drinks and then try to secure yourself a seat on the small balcony. It's a great place to watch the street fun unfold below you...which is always extra-entertaining after you've had a few drinks.
Sign in with Facebook
