Girl Getaways & Family Trips: Why NYC’s Beacon Hotel Should be on Your List

August 31, 2021 Marsha Mowers

Last week, Canadian Travel News stayed one night at The Beacon Hotel in NYC before embarking on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas cruise from Cape Liberty, NJ.

It was our first time at the hotel, despite our co-founder previously being a Canadian representative of NYC Tourism – this means we’ve seen and stayed in A LOT of NYC hotels, and this one impressed us.

Most people know that large hotel rooms are somewhat of an enigma in NYC, with most averaging about 300 sq ft or less. There are of course much larger rooms, but those come with a price.  By comparison, we stayed in a King Suite which came with a bedroom and living area along with a small kitchen and felt like we were staying in a downtown Toronto condo.

There is a large living room with a small dining table, a (very comfortable) pull-out sofa with lounge chair, TV, and lots of room to walk around.

There’s also a small kitchenette, complete with fridge/freezer, gas stove, microwave, and sink.  Across the street there is Fairway Market, which if we had to compare it to Canadian standards, it’d be like a Whole Foods meets Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market. You can get everything you need there for your visit: beer/wine, charcuterie board ingredients, sushi, pre-made meals and even fresh seafood and meats to cook back in your suite.

This was our first time staying in the Upper West Side and we’re not sure why it took us so long.  It has primarily a residential feel – think the exact opposite of Times Square – so you really get to live like a local during your stay.  It’s also easy to jump on the subway (no confusing transfers) to get to all the hustle and bustle of tourist attractions.  Technically, the area is bound by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. It’s an affluent area and is Manhattan’s cultural and intellectual hub, with Columbia University and Barnard College located just to the north of the neighbourhood, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to the south. The famous Beacon Theatre is right next door.

When Walter Ahlschlager designed the beaux-arts style hotel in 1928, it towered above all other buildings in the neighbourhood at only 24 floors and rivalled the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan. Now of course it is surrounded by much larger buildings but has still maintained its intimate and quaint feel.

A quick search online revealed deals as low as $167 / night and there are also deals on right now direct through the hotel site. You can learn more here.

About the Author