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
My wife and I spent a four night stay over the 4th of July weekend. Everything about this hotel is perfect. Physically the hotel is beautiful and all the furnishings are of the highest quality imaginable. We stayed in a junior suite which had two sitting areas a work desk and ample, well-designed closet space. The totally marble bath was immense and had a huge, deep soaking tub, a spacious shower, double sinks and a heated towel rack. Color schemes are comforting and cleverly thought out. Our view to the street was through floor to ceiling windows that spanned the full width of the room. The restaurant (wonderful full breakfast and bar (try the raspberry champagne side car) are great and breakfast is terrific. Service is perfect and all the servers won our hearts. We also loved the "residents only lounge," with its own honor bar. You may serve yourself ready made cocktails to serve over ice or make your own cocktail from a full range of liquors and mixers. Amazing. The entire hotel is quiet and dignified, with excellent sound proofing and a clientele that is classy and always appropriate, What a place!!!!!!
The hotel is beautiful and makes you feel like you are in Europe. The decor is so pretty and well designed to add a special ambiance. The food is amazingly delicious. What a wonderful place to have a wedding. What a gem..
The restaurant in the Whitby is excellent. The food is well prepared, interesting and the service superb. Start with a glass of champagne and the evening will be magical. I would be remiss if I did not mention the absolute beauty of the dining room. The platters that decorate the walls are amazing. It is definitely worth a visit the next time you are in mid-town.
I am thrilled to say, that I had the ultimate hotel experience, while staying at The Whitby Hotel. Since it was my Anniversary, I wanted to surprise my other half with a rare and unique property, in the heart of Manhattan!! From the moment we entered the hotel until our departure, we were treated like royalty,by the warm and accommodating staff, who just couldn’t do enough for us! Thank You to Janelle, Brian, and Christopher at the front desk, and to West, Jamal, Freddie, and Michael who catered to our every request, during our stay! Our special Anniversary visit was filled with many pleasant surprises, during our stay. Especially the much appreciated surprise of the amazing room upgrade! Champagne, with a personally written note from the general manager, and a lovely gift for us to take home with us.
The property itself was overwhelmingly amazing, with whimsical object d’art, paintings, and amazing fabrics filling every space we entered. The bar and restaurant was charming and inviting. We spent as much time as possible enjoying the space. Breakfast was incredibly delicious, and Moses and Alfredo made sure were well attended to! Not to mention the most perfect Cappuccino! The entire staff was extremely charming, friendly, and highly professional.
In essence, as a seasoned professional in the service industry for over 20 years, I have never been more impressed and overjoyed, by a hotel’s staff as a whole, and the Firmdale Hotel Brand. As well as the joyful and uplifting interior designs, by the amazing Kit Kemp!
Staying at The Whitby for a family visit was pure pleasure. Our junior terrace suite was one of the nicer rooms we've stayed in of late. While the hotel's location in the middle of the block of 56th between 5th and 6th Avenues is unremarkable, the peaceful view from the café table on our 15th-floor corner terrace made us feel as though we were the only people around. The floor-to-ceiling windows made our smallish suite feel spacious. The bed was extremely comfortable and the walk-in closet was possibly the largest we have seen in Manhattan. We enjoyed the whimsical colorful artworks displayed throughout the hotel as well as the clusters of straw baskets hanging above the sunny bar. Drinks and snacks at the bar were very tasty and service was pleasant and friendly. All of the staff members were warm and helpful. In sum, we enjoyed everything about our stay here and would highly recommend it.