When I first graduated from college I traveled to New York City every six weeks or so to visit my cousin. Together we discovered some of the best gems in the city.
One Christmas vacation we were cozied up in her apartment trying to decide where to go for dinner. We wound up making a reservation at a restaurant called La Bottega in the Maritime Hotel in the Meatpacking District. The lights strung outside the restaurant were so magical. I never forgot it.
Imagine my surprise and delight to learn that I would be returning to the Maritime Hotel, this time for work.
As you may have guessed from the name, the hotel has a nautical theme. So much so that all the windows are shaped like port holes, just like on a boat.
Inside, the lobby has signs of the sea everywhere.
The seating area in the lobby feels just like a cruise ship.
Topping all the bookcases in the lobby were model ships. Very cool.
I like the far corner of the lobby which has a white fire place. Not that I normally hang in hotel lobbies, but if I did, I'd hang in this one.
When you arrive at the elevator, boats are sailing along above the doors.
All three elevators have a display that changes daily with the weather conditions. This was very helpful as the weather in New York can be shockingly different than Boston.
The Maritime Hotel takes their nautical theme very seriously, even my key had a port hole!
When I stepped off the elevator onto my floor there was another round window at the end of the hallway.
I've never been on a cruise ship, but I imagine the rooms feel exactly like my Maritime room did.
I had a nice seating area with two comfy chairs.
Behind the blinds I discovered my own port hole!
I had an exceptional city view.
The bed in the room was set into a recessed headboard.
The headboard was made of butterfly patterned fabric, attached to the wall with wooden buttons.
I loved that my sheets were branded in a perfect ocean blue with the hotel's name.
I had no time to sit at the desk area, but I had one.
I was obsessed with the hotel's calendar! If it wasn't so enormous I would have snatched it for my desk.
Around the corner from my living room/bedroom area was a stunning sea foam green bathroom.
The shower had a glass wall that only covered about 50 percent of the shower.
The towel rack was suspended in the middle of the wall which I found very fancy!
I don't wear hotel robes, but these were pretty tempting.
I think what I loved most about my room at the Maritime was the attention to detail. Even the coasters for the glasses in the bathroom are beautiful.
I had quite the array of toiletries both on the sink ledge and in the shower. If you are a toiletry thief, these definitely would have caught your eye.
Now, I typically don't touch hotel mini bars because they are outrageously expensive, but this mini bar was amazing! I felt like all of Costco fit into that one closet. You could throw one hell of a party just from that stock.
Check out the snack basket:
Booze anyone?
I almost missed this fun detail - the "Do Not Disturb" sign is actually a magnet. When you want to use it, you just pull it off the inside of the door and stick it to the other side.
As I mentioned at the start of the post, I first discovered the Maritime when I dined at their restaurant La Bottega. When we went it was the dead of winter, so we had to sit inside. This time I got to enjoy the gorgeous patio.
La Bottega's patio is a true urban oasis. It's so peaceful you forget about the hustle and bustle of the city just a few feet away.
I was enamored with the rich purple color of the archways lining the back of the patio.
Not only is the patio gorgeous, the food is fantastic. Here's a shot of my spaghetti pomodoro. A simple dish, but perfectly executed.
Hotels in New York City can be frighteningly expensive, but the Maritime is worth every penny. The nautical theme really transports you and makes you feel like you're on vacation. The hotel's location can't be beat and to top it all off, they have one of the most magical and relaxing outdoor patio's on the whole island.
Are you ready to sail away?
