This is my twelfth trip to New York City and I’ve maintained my promise to myself to stay in a different area each visit to really get an appreciation of the culture, local eats, and accessibility of different districts in Manhattan. This time around, I found this gem of a hotel using my booking.com Genius Deals and searching for hotels by area. I chose Herald Square as it’s a popular stop with most of the subway lines, and it’s lined with shops that I actually frequent. It’s also walking distance south to the Flatiron district and north to Times Square. A longer walk later also leads you to the Chelsea district and the Highline.
The Hotel Metro is a boutique 3-star hotel decked out in 1920s style décor in their lobby, which combines modern luxuries and comfort with the convenience of having an on-site restaurant, business centre, and a daily continental breakfast. Hotel rooms and suites are notorious for being tinier than most travelers are accustomed to for their price, but the Hotel Metro really makes you feel comfortable and at home. They gave me a complimentary upgrade from a double room to a queen suite, complete with a stellar bathroom. I was greeted with an info sheet with local events happening during my stay and recommended attractions within walking distance. The mini fridge was also stocked with complimentary welcome drinks which was a great touch.
What the bathroom lacked in counter space, they made up for in one of the most luxurious showers I’ve experienced yet in New York City. You could honestly fit 5 people in this stand-up shower, and it offered 3 options: the traditional showerhead, the adjustable hand-held one, or the rainfall shower – my personal favourite after a day of walking and exploring. Not a word of a lie, I may have spent some time up to 3x each day under that shower. It was so relaxing!
Every morning, starting at 6:30am, the breakfast lounge is ready for guests to fuel up before heading out into the day. They had the standard choices (yogurt, fruit, cereal, bagels, breakfast pastries, juice, hot chocolate, coffee and tea) although I must give them kudos for having full sized muffins, instead of the mini ones found at most hotels. I often would eat half of the muffin and wrap up the other half to go, with an added fruit of choice for good measure, which served as a midday snack from my purse while exploring. It saved time and money for those always on-the-go like myself.
One other detail I thoroughly enjoyed about the Hotel Metro was the fact that they provided a complimentary umbrella for unexpected rainy days. I usually pack my own when I travel, but what a great touch! The amount of busses and trains on either side of W 35th (either 5th Ave. bus selection or the Avenue of the Americas yellow – N, Q, R, and orange – B, D, F, M options) make the hotel incredibly convenient to travel from and travel to, no matter what time of day or night. Next time I decide to stay here, at least I know I’ll be ready to explore, rain or shine! 😉