Living in the midwest has made me city-phobic. I love having access to arts and culture, sure, but I must admit that the wide-open spaces of Kansas have spoiled me. I've always been a bit of an introvert so too much time in the big city, packed like sardines on the bustling streets and retreating to teeny-tiny hotel rooms makes me slightly claustrophobic. I can't begin to tell you how completely thrilled I was upon opening the door to the room I shared with Kathleen at BlogHer this summer. It was spacious, even by my standards, not to mention clean and comfortable and only a block from the conference venue. Unbelievable!
The Buckingham Hotel is located smack-dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle I mentioned before, walking distance to MoMA, The American Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Central Park and a host of other NYC landmarks. The rooms are all suite-style, with sitting and dining areas and functional kitchens, which makes them feel more like apartments than dinky hotel rooms.
You can really spread out, which is definitely a plus when you're dealing with multiple bags of conference swag and trying to repack everything to go home. There's also plenty of room to entertain visitors and/or for toddlers to run laps…
I kept thinking that the The Buckingham would be an ideal home base for families traveling with kids. There are drugstores and markets close by so you could definitely save some money (and tantrums, depending on how fussy your little eaters are!) by eating meals in.
The bathroom was small but the huge curtains around the claw-footed tub made it possible for roommates to come and go without impeding each other's progress too much. I really like the original tile details. It felt like the coolest apartment you could have had in college.
The bedroom featured two comfy beds and a closet big enough to hold both of our overpacked suitcase contents. Ladies like to have wardrobe options, don't you know.
The Buckingham has a gorgeous penthouse suite with rooftop access that we got to see as it was the venue for the Hallmark BlogHer party. It is breathtaking! The hotel also has plenty of notable package deals with area attractions. Personally, I would love to experience the Buckingham MoMA Underground Gallery package, which includes VIP tickets for the exhibit (skip the lines!) and starts at just $279/night. This would make an excellent 40th birthday trip… I hear there are spooky packages in the works for Halloween, too. Another great advantage is the The Buckingham's proximity to subway stops. I've always been a subway wuss but Kathleen showed me just how easy they are to use and I was impressed with how much faster we got around compared to getting stuck in traffic with cabs.
The Buckingham will definitely be at the top of my list next time I travel to New York.
Disclosure: Our stay in a one bedroom suite at the The Buckingham during BlogHer was comped but all opinions are unbiased. If our room was horrible, I would let you know. Nary a bedbug in sight, nor a surly staffer. I was completely blown away.
A totally amazing hotel! I will definitely be staying there next time I'm in NY. I still can't believe how spacious that room was.
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