Chilling in Hell
It’s hotter than hot in New York City but there’s still plenty to do and ways to relax as Tracey Renowden finds out
SUMMER in the city that never sleeps is an almost tropical experience, yet with temperatures pushing 40°C, New York barely pauses for breath: you’ll still find joggers running around Central Park and shoppers crowding Fifth Avenue. Before we dive in to all things New York you’ll need to find a base, so let’s go down to hell, or Hell’s Kitchen to be precise. Located on the western side of Manhattan near the Hudson River, Hell’s Kitchen earned its reputation in the 19th century when violent gangs used to roam the streets. Fast forward and the area is now a thriving pre and post-theatre dining district thanks to its proximity to Broadway. You’ll find off-broadway shows performing here too, along with jazz haunts, LGBTQ clubs and rooftop lounges. Fancy a walk? Then the High Line - a park built on an abandoned elevated rail line - has its northern entrance in the district. The borough borders the Hudson River where you can tour an aircraft carrier and a space shuttle or catch a glimpse of Concorde. Manhattan has plenty of hotels but few are as trendy as Yotel New York - luggage storage robot anyone? Located two blocks from Times Square, Yotel New York has all the hustle without being too close to the bustle. It’s an hour from JFK and an easy 20-minute walk downhill from Penn Station. The hotel has 669 rooms — or cabins as they are known — and there are 12 types to choose from. Travelling alone? Then the compact solo cabin with its double bed is for you. Need a bit more space? Then take a look at the premium queen-sized cabins. Longer stay or like to spread out? Then check out the king size or executive cabins, some include a private terrace with a hot tub. If you really want to go for it Yotel offers VIP view and terrace suites with ample space and views of the Empire State Building. My friend and I arrive mid-afternoon and head up to the main reception area on the fourth floor and check-in to a premium queen cabin with a view of the city. The room on the 26th floor is blissfully cool thanks to the gentle purr of the air conditioning and a welcome relief from the temperatures outside. To our left is a small luggage shelf with space to hang clothes.
Against the wall there’s an adjustable queen-sized bed which the hotel offers in all its premium cabins: touch a button to lay flat or raise it to get more room to manoeuvre around the cabin. On the wall opposite the bed is a very large flat-screen TV, the set is surrounded in a neat frame which offers shelving for small items. A small table with single chair doubles as a bedside cabinet minus the cabinet, with handy power sockets and USB ports for charging. The bathroom is all glass and is divided from the rest of the room by two curtains. It’s from here you get the view of the city. There’s another clothes hanging area inside here, along with ironing board, room safe, hair-dryer and sink. I have to say I found the toilet and shower area arrangement a bit strange. The toilet sits behind a sliding glass door but the shower access is through a gap in the toilet area which doesn’t have a sliding door so you need to be careful about not splashing too much in the rainfall shower. We’re only here for three days before moving on to Washington DC so we do as Yotel suggests and live out of our luggage. For longer stays Yotel suggests placing suitcases under the bed but my medium-sized case wouldn’t fit and ended up occupying a bit of space in the corner. Successfully unpacked we had back out into the city. The hotel’s location means some of the big name sights are in easy walking distance even in the heat of a New York summer. If you don’t fancy going on foot I recommend the city’s metro system. There’s a choice of passes but if you only want to do a single trip it’s $3 providing the journey is completed in two hours. What’s more, stations and trains - at least the ones we used - have air conditioning. We get back to the hotel just after nine having ticked Times Square and Top of the Rock off the to-do list. The fourth floor is home to Yotel’s dining venues. You can grab breakfast brunch or dinner at the Green Fig which serves a fusion of Middle Eastern, North African and Southern European cuisines. But on balmy summer nights people like to dine outside so Yotel’s Terrace Restaurant is a hive of activity. With an undercover bar, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner here while enjoying incredible views of the city skyline and the odd cocktail (or three). But we decide to leave the experience for another night. Probably not high on many people’s hotel must-haves, the television at Yotel is really quite good. Other than in the bathroom and two (very) small LED bed lights, the room itself has no other lighting. The TV frame conceals adjustable coloured mood lighting to give a bit more ambience to the room. Should you struggle to find anything to watch, the set also allows you to connect to your Netflix, Youtube and Now TV accounts via the hotel’s ridiculously fast free wi-fi. Come morning and it’s time for a light breakfast before another day of sightseeing. Back on the fourth floor the Club Lounge and Expresso Bar offers lighter bites plus a full 24-hour coffee shop service. The staff on duty are friendly and chatty and you can enjoy breakfast with a city view or watch the more active guests head back from the well-equipped hotel gym. With the Empire State, Macy’s, Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art off the list it’s time to try out the Terrace Restaurant and Bar. Seating consists of tables and benches or low picnic-style chairs and tables. We opt for a traditional burger and a Caesar salad plus beer and cocktails. The bar is pretty busy with people watching the US Open but most are out on the terrace enjoying the summer breeze and the lights of the city. Food comes quickly and although we’ve only ordered fairly simple food it’s tasty and filling, and in true American style there’s plenty of it. The final day our trip and the weather is cooler so we take a long walk down to Battery Park via Greenwich to the 9/11 Memorial and the new One World Trade Centre building. I was last in New York in 2002 so the memorial and rebuild work is an incredible and moving sight to see. We catch the metro back to the hotel then head down the block for one more must-do: the Manhattan skyline at night from a Hudson River tour. The following day it’s time to check out and head to Penn Station. We’re leaving early so there’s no opportunity seeing the Yobot in action as it stores your bags for those who want to stay longer after checking out. Maybe I’ll try next time because like the city of itself, the trendy and quirky Yotel leaves visitors wanting to come back and visit it all over again.