The Hotel Edison is my new home away from home!

Art Deco Lobby

I've been telling anyone who will listen to me how much I love this hotel. As a big theatre buff, being in NYC is like being in Mecca and staying at the Edison feels like coming home. One of the oldest hotels in Times Square, the Edison was built in 1931 in the same Art Deco style as the Radio City Music Hall.

South Hallway

Immediately upon entering this hotel you feel the age. I don't mean age as in withered and in need of a facelift. The Edison has been undergoing restorations and is as well kept up as some of our older Beverly Hills Women are. What I am describing is the feeling one gets when you are at a sight that has seen history made.  If these walls could talk I am sure they would regale us with story after story of the New York and Broadway lifestyle.

Front Desk

The most prominent feature is the famous Art Deco Lobby and it's grand murals depicting New York Scenes as they once were. But don't just look up; look down at the beautiful inlaid tiles and around at the walls. Notice over the check in/out counter the clocks displaying time in various global zones, a subtle indication of the worldwide clientele this hotel serves.

Each room I've entered into at the Edison has an air of mystery. I can almost see the elevators smile a knowing smile; being privy to secrets whispered between people as they are whisked up to their rooms or down to the pulsing city. The rooms are known as being large for a hotel in New York and most especially for a hotel from the era when it was built. Although they are small the bathrooms are newly tiled and fresh, fully equipped, with a powerful shower and large tubs. Most notable for me is the plumbing; pipes are open to the bathroom are covered over with a screen, adding to the sense of the 30's and 40's when indoor plumbing and bathrooms were built for conventionality and not luxury.

I had a suite in the corner of the hotel on the 18th floor. One set of windows overlooked 47th street and the other 8th Ave. From the 8th Ave side I had a fantastic unobstructed view of the Hudson river and over into New Jersey. I enjoyed watching the sunset at night on the water and the large cruise ships docking to let their passengers out to experience Manhattan. Being up high enough I was able to have a bird's eye view; without the noise of the bustling city beneath.

My suite had two rooms; a bedroom with a large walk in closet, television and access to the bathroom. As well as a sitting room with a red satin couch which pulled out into a sleeper large enough for two. There was an additional television in this room and a writing table and chair set up to overlook onto the river. The room was clean, comfortable and the d飯r was tasteful with an old world feeling - oil paintings, satin furniture and green marble tables. Heavy curtains, which could be pull to let in daylight or hide the nightly blinking lights of Times Square. The air-conditioning was strong and welcomed for the hot August days we had while I was there. It also was easily turned off and regulated as the weather became increasingly colder each day of my trip. There was plenty of storage area with the large walk in closet and an armoire in each room.

The hotel staff is knowledgeable and friendly; eager to help you get a cab, give directions or recommend the hottest shows, restaurants or clubs. The hotels amenities include a gift shop, safety deposit boxes, an atm in the lobby, and a transportation desk for shuttles, etc to and from the airports. Hair dryers and irons are available upon request. Because of the nightly security posted at the elevators to the rooms; and requiring you to show your room keys, to get into an elevator. I felt completely safe leaving and arriving the hotel at all hours of the day and night. With all the renovations and new life being breathed into Times Square over the past decade, I also felt safe walking alone at night along the streets of the theatre district

Lobby

In addition to the comfy rooms and beautiful lobby, there is a large fully equipped gym. It is open in the morning through 9 at night. With a view to be envied by any fancy members only gym, you can workout while gazing out of large windows overlooking the city. There are several restaurants and a bar attached to the hotel.  The loan-shark murder scene in The Godfather was shot in what is now Sophia's restaurant. The pink-and-blue (wedding cake looking filigree and plaster) of the Edison Café ©s a theater-crowd landmark consistently recognized as New York City's best coffee shop.It is a famous meeting place of Broadway producers and cast members, (Neil Simon has a regular), so much so, that it was nicknamed the Polish Tea Room. Playing on the fact that a lot of business deals were made at the Russian Tea Room and those that weren't willing to pay the high prices there would meet, eat and deal at the Caf項dison and thus came the name, the Polish Tea Room.

You can view the hotel online at: www.edisonhotelnyc.com. The Edison features 770 rooms, 30 suites. Restaurant, coffee shop, cable TV, gym, bars, dry cleaning, broadband internet, business services, meeting rooms, airport shuttle, valet parking (fee),daily maid service,  and no-smoking rooms.  Check in is 3 pm and check out is 1 pm. The hotel is located near: Subway 1, 9, E, F, Q, W, D, A, C, N, R, B,2, 3 & 7 Trains

Full of warmth, friendliness and charm this hotel is a jewel in the heart of New York.  In terms of price location, overall comfort and history you can't beat the Hotel Edison.

Edison Hotel
228 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
Tel: 212-840-5000

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