They say that the first time you visit New York City, it has to be magical as it stays with you for a lifetime. No matter how many times you visit it afterwards, the first time in the Big Apple is what you’ll remember. Having that in mind, I’ve spent a couple of weeks searching for a hotel that will make my family visit to NYC even more special. Many hotels after, with dozens of emails sent, eventually I’ve found it. Located on the Upper West Side, 77th Street, Hotel Belleclaire seemed to have everything I had wished for. And more. 
Housed in a 1903 Emery Roth landmark building, this boutique hotel features 240 rooms and suites at a great location; just steps away from Central Park, approximately a 20 minute walk from 5th Avenue and a half an hour walk from Times Square. The subway station is just a block away, on 79th Street. More importantly, the hotel is located in a really nice neighbourhood, full of shops, coffee shops and restaurants. Let’s just say that Starbucks is just across the street from the hotel and the first market where you can buy some groceries is located in the same building as the hotel. Bakery, too. So you’re basically all set. You have everything you need and you don’t have to go far. We booked a Parlor suite. The Mark Twain suite, to be precise. There’s also a Babe Ruth suite, where the famous baseball player used to stay, but it was booked at the time of our visit. The Mark Twain suite is situated on the last, 9th floor. Well, the hotel has 10 floors overall, but there is a conference room and a roof terrace at the top floor. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to the top, but from the photos I’ve seen, the views of the Hudson River and the Broadway Avenue are impressive. Especially at sunset. 
Back to the room. Well, the suite actually, as it consists of two rooms. One living room with a full size sofa pull-out and one bedroom with a king size bed. Good enough for a family of four. There’s a bathroom with a walk-in shower and toilettes (hair dryer, too). A small closet is situated behind the entrance door where you can find bathrobes and umbrellas. More storage space is also provided with a dresser in the living room. Additionally, there’s microwave which is a great option for some late night dinner or just to warm up your water or make a hot chocolate (which you can get down in the lobby bar). A mini bar and refrigerator are also a part of the room, along with the safe. 
In the next room, well bedroom, there is a writing desk, so you can have your own, small, business corner if you need to work on your papers or laptop. There are two LCD’s in the suite. One in each room. You can watch different programs, so basically if there’s a game going on but at the same time there’s a show or news you don’t wanna miss, you can follow both. Watching one, listening to the other or whatever. The king size bed and the sofa in the living room were really comfortable, we all slept very well. And as much as we were concerned about the possible noise, due to the suite being on the Broadway side, we literally haven’t heard anything and slept the whole night peacefully. The whole suite is dedicated as the name says itself, to Mark Twain; America’s most famous and witty author, once also a guest of the hotel. There are pictures of him with some of his famous quotes hanging on the wall and also lots of his books on shelves that you can read in your bed after a whole day of exploring the city. 
The thing I liked the most about the room was the view. The window seating above the Broadway Avenue; where you can drink your morning coffee while admiring the sun rising in the distance and enjoying New York’s early morning moments. Watching as the city wakes up or the rain falling down while lying on the window seat was one of my favourite New York moments overall. Beautiful view. One of my favourites parts of the room was an electric fireplace which definitely adds a nice atmosphere and a coziness when you come back from the New York cold outside. The Mark Twain suite is just the perfect accommodation one can find when staying in New York City.
The hotel itself doesn’t provide breakfast but as I mentioned before, there’s a bakery in the same building that serves pastries and coffee/tea/hot chocolate; also located at the coffee bar in the lobby of the hotel. While sitting there, you can read the daily news, watch TV or surf the internet. Btw free WiFi is also available in the room. The hotel also has a gym and a gaming room so there’s really something for everyone if you’re looking to stay in and enjoy some free time for a bit. Most importantly the service was outstanding. Very polite and very helpful (Thanks Anna!). Staying in the Hotel Belleclaire, made me feel like being home away from home. And at the end of the day, that was really important for us. Being in a completely new, different, place; one of the biggest cities in the world but didn’t feel like it. We enjoyed every minute. And when we come next time, we are definitely going to choose the Triumph Hotels and the Hotel Belleclaire again. 
Going to New York City and don’t know where to stay? Check out the Hotel Belleclaire and the Mark Twain suite here.
Stay tuned for my full NYC trip blog post coming soon.
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