I've just returned from four days in New York City for Fashion Week. I have been extremely lucky, both this year and last year, that I've been able to experience this convergence of the stars in the style galaxy.
For this year's trip, my team and I stayed at the Hudson Hotel on West 58th Street. It's about a five minute walk from Lincoln Center, which is where all the runway shows take place.
I had been to the Hudson last year for a team dinner, but we only ate in the outdoor bar, I never set foot into one of the rooms.
When you open the doors to the Hudson from the street, you take an escalator up to the lobby. When you emerge, you are transported to a magical, urban forest. The exposed brick walls and industrial pipes are covered in hunter green ivy.
Above the check-in desk is a stunning crystal chandelier.
The desk is decorated to look like a tree.
From the desk you can see through a window to the hotel's outdoor bar, Tequila Park.
As I mentioned, I was there last year at this same time. Here's a picture I snapped on Instagram at that dinner:
At reception we checked in and the woman helping us gave each person a wi-fi code (hallelujah), drinks tickets and breakfast tickets. It's so nice when those things are included in a reservation. We were also handed a bottle of ice cold Vasso water (Norway's finest).
We headed towards the elevators and discovered the biggest flaw of this hotel. Because the Hudson is a major location for Fashion Week presentations and parties, there are always tons of people coming in and out. As a result, you usually wait 8-10 minutes for an elevator in the lobby or on your floor as you try to head back down.
I was staying on the 12th floor and when I stepped off the elevator, was greeted by this sign. This looks identical to the signs on each floor at the Ace Hotel.
By the elevators there is an area with vending machines which they cover up with these sleek looking double doors. There's also a marble island with chrome chairs for lounging if you want to share a late night snack.
Down each hallway is row after row of electric green doors.
My room was on the corner of a hallway, so I only had noise coming from one side, which was quite lovely.
Inside, the rooms are teeny. There was enough space for this double bed (not even a queen) and then about 10 inches of walking space on either side.
The bed was accessorized with a dark gray and electric green throw, to match the door, of course.
I loved the white, studded headboard! I have a white tufted headboard in my bedroom, so I felt right at home.
On either side of the bed were these cool lights. You pulled on a chord beneath the rectangular fixture to turn the bulb on or off.
The room did a get of light and if you had any time to sit at the desk, it was positioned perfectly to look out onto the streets of New York.
As you headed from the bedroom space toward the bathroom there was a cubby hole with a mini fridge (it's empty, but you can put stuff in there) and a shelf that I used to keep my laptop each night.
The bathroom, like the bedroom, was also tiny. Ahhh, New York.
The sink in the bathroom was a beautiful, round, modern design, but it left me with next to no counter space. I was trying to balance a few things around the sink and wound up dropping and shattering my favorite Laura Mercier blush.
On the wall are three shelves of toiletries.
These are branded paper cups. They say "Hudson" on the front and "Use me" on the back.
They provide soap, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. If you happen to use one, when you get back to your room after they've cleaned it, a new one will appear in its place.
The shower has a peekaboo window that looks out onto the bedroom. If you're feeling racy, you can pull back the curtain and give your room (and the people out the window) a show.
Whenever I travel I always laugh at the clever way hotels phrase their door signs. At the Hudson they say "Clean me" or "Take a hike."
The location of the Hudson Hotel is ideal if you are spending time at Lincoln Center or Columbus Circle. The lobby and the bars (there are several) are beautiful and have a definite New York scene. However, it was a bummer that the rooms were so small and that the elevators took a painfully long time to arrive.
The Hudson Hotel is part of the Morgans Group, so if you're a fan of their properties, you should definitely check it out.
Have you ever been to the Hudson?
