The Whitby Hotel
The first night of my staycation with my husband in New York City was spent at The Whitby Hotel, which is part of Firmdale Hotels. I frequently book The Whitby’s sister hotel down in Soho, The Crosby, so the Director of Sales invited me to stay for a night to check out this property in Midtown. The Whitby has over 16 floors and 86 one-of-a-kind rooms and suites, some of which have a terrace or two.
When you enter The Whitby, there is a small lobby and to the left there is a beautiful and eclectic bar. After we checked in at the front desk and discovered we were upgraded to a one-bedroom suite, we went up to our room where the Director of Sales left us a bottle of champagne.
Kit Kemp, the Founder and Creative Director of Firmdale Hotels and Kit Kemp Design Studio, is known for her very eclectic furniture, artwork, and colors. They come together so beautifully, especially in the living room, which included a couch, two chairs, and a table. There was a fantastic fireplace and candles everywhere for us to light. The bedroom features a king-sized bed with one of Kemp’s famous headboards. The curtains are a beautiful muted gray with pink, purple, and red flowers with green leaves. Also, in the bedroom, there is a walk-in closet and a little desk for guests to do some work or use to get ready. The marble bathroom has his and hers sinks, a gorgeous tub, and a very big shower.
The Whitby has really beautiful common spaces. The room to the left of the lobby is The Drawing Room, with a fireplace, library collection, and an honesty bar. Here, you can have a drink, read the newspaper, or just chill and enjoy the space. The Whitby Hotel Bar and Restaurant has two spaces open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In one space they have afternoon tea and host Jazz music on Fridays. In Kit Kemp fashion, they have eclectic furniture with bright colors. The other space is in the back where we had breakfast in the morning. The chandeliers in the back were very unique; they had tropical birds in them. The chairs we sat in had a really funky pattern. As for the breakfast food itself, unfortunately it was nothing too special. I had the avocado toast, which had too much pepper on it and I should have sent it back, but my husband had the American breakfast with some pancakes and he liked it.
The Whitby is located on West 56th Street and 5th Avenue, which seems like a very unassuming, boring location, but it is actually full of Asian restaurants. There is a whole row of really delicious Chinese, Szechuan, and Dim Sum restaurants. It is also only three blocks from Central Park South and the 5th Avenue/59th Street subway station, making the hotel a great location for people who want to peruse through Central Park and explore the city.