The Whitby Hotel
What We Love
- Posh yet playful interiors designed by one of London’s arbiters of style
- Having a cocktail at the handsome bar, decorated with myriads of hanging baskets made in Britain
- Being steps away from 5th Avenue and Central Park
- The hotel’s 130-seat private cinema, which shows classic movies every weekend afternoon
What To Know
- Standard rooms are quite spacious for New York City, starting at 330 square feet
- There’s a small but well-equipped gym open 24 hours
- Kid-friendly property offering cribs, rollaway beds, and entertainment in the form of children’s books, board games, and DVDs
Overview
The Lowdown
The second New York City property from trendsetting UK hoteliers Tim and Kit Kemp is as chic as expected. Their hospitality group, Firmdale Hotels, includes some of London’s most Instagram-worthy addresses. Ms. Kemp, an accomplished interior designer, is known for her smart layering of boldly colored textiles, wallpapers, and artworks, creating atmospheres that are both cozy and theatrical. The Whitby’s 86 individually styled rooms, some with large private terraces, have warehouse-style massive windows framed by patterned curtains and are furnished with curvaceous upholstered headboards, rolled arm settees, and handpicked framed art. If you’re feeling extra indulgent, book the spectacular Whitby Suite on the 16th floor, which comes with two master bedrooms, a spacious living room, and two elegantly appointed terraces overlooking Midtown’s skyscrapers. Common areas display a distinctively British décor, especially the ground-level bar and restaurant, where a myriad of woven baskets from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland hang over a 30-foot pewter counter. Afternoon tea is served all day long at the adjacent orangerie, a present-day version of an Edwardian salon.
In the Area
Located on West 56th Street at Fifth Avenue, The Whitby is just three blocks away from Central Park. A few steps north of the nearest entrance is The Pond, an idyllic body of water that includes an island inhabited by birds and turtles, as well as seasonal flower displays. After this dose of nature, get a culture fix at MoMA, one of the world’s top museums, home to a collection of 200,000 must-see works of modern and contemporary art. Then head to nearby Bergdorf Goodman, the city’s most luxurious department store whose top-floor BG Restaurant offers stunning views of the park and tasty American and French classics. Book lovers shouldn’t miss Bauman Rare Books, a time-honored, gallery-like store featuring tomes dating back to the 15th century. Come nightfall, feast on one of New York City’s famous steaks at Quality Meats, a stylish restaurant designed by the award-winning firm AvroKO.
How to Get There
Reviews
Could not love this hotel more, everything about the experience here is first class from start to finish.
Amazing team members across the board who go out of their way to provide exceptional service, beautiful rooms where form meets functionality in every way, great food in the restaurant and a buzzing bar with great cocktails - all in a great location close to Central Park and 5th Ave retail.
My wife and I decided on a trip to NYC for the labor day weekend. We wanted to stay at a nice hotel near Central Park and after researching multiple options we decided on The Whitby Hotel. It was definitely the right choice!
The only difficult part was finding the hotel. We drove past it the first time and and to circle back around. The entrance is rather unassuming and there is construction (of course there is in NYC) going on across the street. The staff is extremely helpful with your luggage and valet of your vehicle. Check-in was quick and easy.
We stayed in a Junior Suite, which was perfect. The room was on the 6th floor with a street view (nothing to see here but the construction across the street). You're not really going to get views in this hotel, but that wasn't a big deal. I'd rather go walk around the city to get the views. The room is a good size. The bathroom has a soaking tub, a TV mounted in the wall by the tub, some automatic lights (helpful at night), a toilet, two sinks and a shower. The hotel is stylish in a very cool way with a mix of contemporary and traditional decor. The beds were comfortable and the room was surprisingly quiet.
The Whitby bar/restaurant is great as well. Healthy breakfast options and great service.
The gym was also a nice surprise. We were expecting very limited equipment and for a boutique hotel it was very good. You can definitely do strength training and cardio with what they have to offer.
Overall, a great stay and we will be back.
Kudos to the staff -- all very helpful and pleasant. Thanks for a great stay!
We were strolling down 5th, heading to Saks when we spotted this little gem. I’m not sure what it was that made me peer inside the window of The Whitby Bar, but I’m so glad I did! Immediately I told my friend, we are going inside to take a look. The decor is what lured me in! It was like an eclectic look between Europe and New Orleans. I later found out the interior is designed by the owner Kit Kemp who is know for her stylish and witty interiors. Exactly! We asked for a little tour of the restaurant and saw a few young women having a tea party in back! The seating is all sofas and soft cushy chairs. We asked to see the dinner menu and canceled our reservations at Stk for dinner and booked a reservation here!
We arrived full of excitement! The service was impeccable! The host Mr. Hunter sent over two glasses of champagne to help us celebrate my Birthday! Nice touch! Our waiter Carlos was a gem! He was polite! Offered suggestions when asked, came to the table at the exact perfect moments to ask if we needed anything. The food was spectacular! We both had the burrata salad, so fresh and the balsamic vinegar was def of high quality! The bread, the butter, the water, the presentation was superb! For dinner we both had the NY Beef Filet... best I’ve had at any high end steak house! For dessert they send over a beautiful cupcake with a candle in it for my Birthday! That cupcake was amazing! We also ordered the blueberry pie with a dollop of ice cream and the best cafe latte I’ve ever had except for when I was in Cuba!
After dinner we asked for a tour of the hotel! They had a beautiful library themed space for parties, a theater with red leather seats!! The bathrooms were something out of an Alice and Wonderland storybook! I asked to see the rooms but they were fully booked! I will one day spend a night at this hotel! No doubt about it!