Divine Egypt at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I had the privilege of attending the press event at the Met for the Divine Egypt exhibit when it opened and it was quite a wonderful experience. If you are a lover of Egyptian art, this is something you do not want to miss. It is on view until January 19, 2026, so you still have some time to visit. These are just a few of the amazing items on display, I cannot stress enough you do not want to miss this exhibit. Be sure to check the hours  of the Met as well, as they are closed on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Divine Egypt 

Metropolitan Museum of Art 

On View until January 19, 2026 in Gallery 899

Sunday through Tuesday 10am to 5pm

Wednesday and Thursday CLOSED 

Friday and Saturday 10am to 9pm 

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Sofitel New York Review November 2025

My view from my room was pretty nice 

Sofitel New York 

45 West 44th Street 

New York, NY 

Classification : Four Star

Room Category : Luxury Room, 1 King Bed, City View

Room Size: 350 square feet 

Month of Stay :  November 2025
Resort Fee: $51.64 per night 

Wi-Fi Included: Free Wi-FI and wired internet 

Mini Fridge: Can use the mini bar fridge to store items 

Coffee Maker in Room: No 

Fido Allowed: Yes 

Refundable Deposit: $150.00 per room, per night 

Trip Advisor Ranking 224 of 516 (as of 12/26/2025)

HISTORY 

Construction began in 1997 and the hotel opened in 2000 as part of the Accor Hotels group. After construction the building was awarded the 2000 Emporis Skyscraper Award, for architectural excellence regarding the design of buildings and their functionality. The hotel went through a major renovation in 2025, the rooms, lobby and restaurant have all had a make-over and it looks very refreshed. 

LOCATION  

I would say this location is one of the best. You are close to so many destinations, easy to walk everywhere. Subway is near at Bryant Park if you use it. I prefer to walk if I can, or take a cab. 

LOBBY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE   

I love the lobby of this hotel because it's really large, and if you just want to hang out there is plenty of room. There is a Gregory's coffee across the street, you can bring one back and enjoy in the lobby area. Customer service was very good with my prior stays, this one did not impress. The staff was not overly friendly, and I did not receive a welcome back gift. This was my 4th stay, and I booked direct as the price was $100 less than hotels.com. 

THE ROOM 

The renovation is very nice, and was needed. The bathroom which is very large, was not touched at all. I had a king bed, which made the room very cramped. It would have been better with the queen bed which I will try to remember for next time if I stay here again. I was given a room with a view of the Empire State Building. The room was very quiet, I could not hear the other guests in rooms next to me. They gave you a water bottle as there are water filling stations on each floor. The only issue I had was the water was not cold, I put it in the fridge to get colder, but it was a bit disappointing. 

ALL IMPORTANT BATHROOM  

This is one of my favorite bathrooms as very large especially for NYC. The rainfall shower was perfect, warm water every time as well as in the sink. There is lots of space for your toiletries which is very welcome. 

CLEANLINESS HOTEL AND ROOM  

There were no problems with the cleanliness of the hotel nor the room. Everything was top notch, and the maid brought me fresh towels each morning. 

RESTAURANT

The restaurant, Social 45, a restaurant/lounge was quite a highlight. It was a very nice space, all brand new with seating area for dining and bar. I had a lobster roll which was amazing, creme brulee for dessert. I would come back here to dine for sure when in the area and would recommend to anyone to give it a visit. 

ROOM SERVICE  

I had breakfast on Thanksgiving Day, as did not want to go out with the crowds for the parade. I was told it would be 45 minutes due to being so busy, but they actually delivered within about 15 which was unexpected. The food was good, could have been warmer but I was on the 15th floor. It was nice having breakfast with the Empire State Building. 

BEST PART OF STAYING HERE 

The location for sure. Broadway is 5 minutes away, as well as Bryant Park, NY Public Library - Rockefeller Center is about 6 minute walk. Grand Central Terminal is 3 minute walk. If it is a nice day, you can pretty much walk wherever you wish to go in the city. Subway station is at Bryant Park if you are looking to go Downtown or Upper East or West Side. 

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I was excited to return to this hotel, having last stayed in 2018. This was my fourth visit, but unfortunately, it did not live up to the high standards of my previous stays. In the past, I received a welcome gift and a room upgrade, but neither was offered this time.

Upon arrival, my room key did not work in the elevator. I had to go back to the front desk for a new key. While I appreciated that my room was ready by 10:30 a.m., I was shocked to find the room still occupied—someone else’s shoes and clothes were inside. I had to return to the front desk for a second time to be reassigned to a vacant room. This experience left me uneasy about the hotel’s service and security.

Although I was given a corner room with an Empire State Building view, I had originally paid for a city view room. It felt more like an apology than an upgrade. On a positive note, I dined at the new restaurant, and the food was excellent—I would gladly return there.

As for the hotel itself, I am uncertain. If offered a very good rate, I might consider staying again, but I believe other hotels in the area provide better service and value. Frequent travelers can easily compare experiences, and in this case, the service fell short of expectations. I was so excited to come back to this hotel, and unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations from prior visits. 

Nearby Attractions: Broadway, Grand Central Terminal, Morgan Library and Museum, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue shopping, Bryant Park, NY Public Library, many cafes and restaurants 

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10 

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

Conclusion: 

Hotel prices are at their lowest in the months of January and February; their highest September and October. Sunday nights are the lowest prices for hotel rooms, in most cases. My go to places for checking prices for hotels are Trip Advisor, and Hotels.com. Always remember to check the hotel's website itself, they are really trying to have you book direct and sometimes offer specials or a discount with AAA that is cheaper than the websites I mentioned above. I am also finding that if you book on your mobile device, you can save some money as well. I actually got a better rate via my mobile phone than using my AAA discount online direct at the hotel. You should really do some research on your price for hotel a few different ways, and ALWAYS book a room that you can cancel, you never know what may happen in the future. You also want the ability to change hotels if you should find a better option closer to your date of arrival. 

Disclosure: This stay was paid for by me. I will always state at the end of each review whether my stay was paid for by myself or if I was hosted by the hotel. I will honestly tell you about my experience at this hotel, not being swayed in any way by complimentary services. I know you trust my opinion, & it is important to me to be as honest as possible.  All opinions are my own. Thank you so much.

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A Lively Mind Jane Austen at 250

Jane Austen's 250th birthday is December 16th, which makes her a fellow Sagittarius like myself. I had the pleasure to visit the wonderful exhibit at my favorite, The Morgan Library and Museum. Here are a few of the items on display. It was a very crowded exhibit, which was nice to see, She is such a world treasure, I was not surprised! 

The Morgan Library and Museum 

225 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

The Morgan Library & Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 10:30 am to 8 pm.

Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

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Bryant Park Hotel Review Sept 2025

The Bryant Park Hotel 

40 West 40th Street

New York, NY 10018

Classification : Four Star
Room Category : Jr. Suite Room

Room Size: 450 square feet 
Month of Stay :  September 2025
Resort Fee: $34.42 

Wi-Fi Included: Yes 

Coffee Maker in Room: No 

Mini Fridge: You can move things around in mini bar fridge to hold small items 

Fido Allowed: No 

Refundable Deposit: $200 per accommodation, per day 

Trip Advisor Ranking 1 of 514 (as of 10/26/2025)

HISTORY 

The Bryant Park Hotel is housed in the historic American Radiator Building, a 1924 Gothic Revival and Art Deco skyscraper designed by Raymond Hood and André Fouilhoux. Initially built as the headquarters for the American Radiator Company, its exterior uses black brick to symbolize coal and gold trim for fire. In 1974 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. When sold in 1998, the building was transformed into the Bryant Park Hotel, opening in 2001. The exterior could not be changed once converted to a hotel, only the interior space was changed during the conversion. 

LOCATION  

I love this location as you are staying right at Bryant Park. There are so many restaurants, cafes in the area. The subway is located right at the park if you wish to use it. Walking is a great way to get to most places. I think the location is one of my favorite parts of staying at this hotel. 

LOBBY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 

The lobby is very small, just a few areas to sit if you are awaiting for a taxi to the airport or bus terminal. They offer coffee with small muffins in the morning and fruit flavored water throughout the day. The staff is welcoming, although they did not remember I had stayed previously. Jo, at the front desk, went out of her way to be kind and it was very welcomed. 

THE ROOM 

The room was gorgeous as my first time staying in a suite. It felt like an apartment. They just did a re-design of the rooms, and everything was very fresh and new. The bed was very comfortable, windows lovely but scaffolding at one of the windows hid the view. The room was ready for me by 2pm as they were sold out the night before. I could hear other guests in rooms next to me, walls thinner than I remember. There were no fresh flowers in the room the first time I stayed, nor any welcome gift. My comped stay had roses, 2 bottles of water and chocolates. 

Beautiful decor in the room 

ALL IMPORTANT BATHROOM 

The bathroom seemed the same from the last time I stayed. When I stayed in 2023, I had an issue with the water temp in the shower, it was very hot. I was hoping it would not be an issue this time. It wasn't but the water was now freezing cold. I advised the front desk, they sent someone up to look at it. It was never fixed, and even the water in the sink was cold. It was very disappointing to me for this type of hotel to still have this issue. The size of the bathroom was great, but water temp was a huge issue for me. 

Beautiful bathroom with separate shower and tub 

CLEANLINESS HOTEL AND ROOM 

The hotel itself and room were very clean, I had no issues in this area at all. 

ROOM SERVICE 

I did not order room service, their restaurant is Koi New York, offering Asian fare. The price for breakfast was very expensive, and there are lots of other places nearby to enjoy your first meal of the day. 

BEST PART OF STAYING HERE

The location and history for sure. The building is just beautiful and it's a pleasure to say you have stayed inside this very historic building in New York City. 

This was the comped suite which was lovely, and enjoyed even though it was just an overnight stay. Sitting at the window was quite a joy. 

This suite seemed smaller than the other one I stayed in, but really beautiful 

OVERALL IMPRESSION  

I was really looking forward to staying at this hotel again. Unfortunately, the water temp issue was really something that was not pleasant. When I left, I advised the front desk it was never fixed. The lady was very nice, and felt bad, refunded my resort fees and another $100.00 from my stay. Once I was home, and the hotel emailed me about how my stay was, I advised of the issue. The manager contacted me via phone, and offered a one night comped. I accepted, and stayed one night a few weeks later. The water in the sink was warm, I tested the shower and it was still cold. I appreciated the hotel trying to make things right, but, I do not expect to stay here in the future. I do not want to have this issue come up again, especially when paying the cost of the rooms, whether a regular room or suite. This hotel is the No. 1 hotel on Trip Advisor, which I find odd, only a few people have mentioned the water temp issue. If this does not bother you, by all means, stay here. If you care about having a "warm" shower in the morning or at night, I would choose elsewhere. 

Nearby Attractions: Steps away from Bryant Park, Times Square, New York Public Library, The Morgan Library and Museum, Grand Central Terminal, Fifth Avenue shopping 

Overall Rating: 7/10

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

Conclusion: 

Hotel prices are at their lowest in the months of January and February; their highest September and October. Sunday nights are the lowest prices for hotel rooms, in most cases. My go to places for checking prices for hotels are Trivago, Trip Advisor, and Hotels.com. Always remember to check the hotel's website itself, they are really trying to have you book direct and sometimes offer specials or a discount with AAA that is cheaper than the websites I mentioned above. I am also finding that if you book on your mobile device, you can save some money as well. I actually got a better rate via my mobile phone than using my AAA discount online direct at the hotel. You should really do some research on your price for hotel a few different ways, and ALWAYS book a room that you can cancel, you never know what may happen in the future. You also want the ability to change hotels if you should find a better option closer to your date of arrival. 

Disclosure: This stay was paid for by me. I will always state at the end of each review whether my stay was paid for by myself or if I was hosted by the hotel. I will honestly tell you about my experience at this hotel, not being swayed in any way by complimentary services. I know you trust my opinion, & it is important to me to be as honest as possible.  All opinions are my own. Thank you so much.

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