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Sunday, October 26, 2025

Bryant Park Hotel Review Sept 2025


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 TrivagoTrip 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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Monday, March 4, 2024

La Pecora Bianco Bryant Park


Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all are doing well in this new year. I cannot believe it is March already, time sure flies! 

One of my last visits to the city, I was able to enjoy La Pecora Bianco's Bryant Park location. I must say, this place is as gorgeous as the food itself. The decor is so lovely, and relaxing, and the location is one of my most favorites. I have visited their location in Nomad, but it was much smaller and cramped for my taste. If you are looking for a great spot for any time of the day, this is a good choice! 

Gorgeous decor, am I correct ? 

I visited when it was not that busy which was great, and it was right next to my hotel where I was staying, the amazing Bryant Park Hotel, so fabulous! 

You can tell when the pasta is fresh and it just melts in your mouth! This Tagliatelle
with beef and pork Bolognese was to die for! The portions are very generous as well. 

The meatballs made with beef and pork tasted like my Mom's cooking 




Always a gorgeous view of my favorite building in the city! 

Let me know if you happen to try La Pecora Bianco and how you liked it. With so many locations in the city, it is very easy to pop in while enjoying the sights of the amazing New York City ! 

I will be posting more this year, and I do apologize for the minimal postings. Thank you for stopping by and following my NYC adventures all these years! 

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" 


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Monday, July 31, 2023

The Beauty of Bryant Park


I have been to Bryant Park a zillion times but when I visited recently, I had the chance to take my time and really enjoy the area. I seem to always be in a rush when I have visited before, and it just made me fall in more love with the place. Staying at the Bryant Park Hotel was just a very smart move as well. 

Here is some history from the Bryant Park website:

Given its location at the center of one of the world’s great cities, it comes as no surprise that the history of the area that is now Bryant Park is rich, predating even the Declaration of Independence.

The history of this space as more than true wilderness began in 1686, when New York’s first Royal Governor Thomas Dongan deemed the area, among other “unappropriated lands” to be public property under the control of the Common Council, a precursor to the City Council we have today. It remained as such for more than 100 years with little interruption, although a notable exception came in 1776 when General George Washington and his troops are said to have passed through the area following their retreat from the Battle of Long Island.

I had no idea George Washington and his troops came through here! I think I need to do their tour that they offer the next time I am in for a few days! How beautiful are these scenes ? It was so relaxing with the trees all around, we all need a rest from the busy grind of the day to day. 





This building takes my breathe away every time I walk past and I finally decided to take some photos and photo the plaque as well. So many buildings in this great city have so much history. 

What an impressive history and list of members to "The Engineers Club" 

All that detail just makes me swoon ! 

Bryant Park is located between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues behind the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman building. 

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" 


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Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Bryant Park Hotel Review

40 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Classification : Four Star
Room Category : Deluxe Room Queen Bed Park View - 355 square feet - 
Month of Stay :  May 2023
Resort Fee: $33.00 per night 

Trip Advisor Ranking 3 of 533 (as of 06/02/2023)

What kind of history goes with this hotel? Wonderful plaque outside the hotel talks about the American Standard Building which is a designated Landmark of New York. Lots of history here. 


When you arrived, how was the lobby and customer service? Customer service was very good. My room was ready by 11:30am and I was able to enjoy an upgraded room with the view of Bryant Park. The lobby area is very small, they do offer muffins/coffee in the morning and cold fruit water during the afternoon. 

How fantastic or not so fantastic was the room? Thrilled with my upgrade with the views as is the room I have wanted to stay in for a long while. Thought it seemed small even though over 300 square feet. I wasn't thrilled with the minimalist decor, I like something a bit more, but some of you may like it. I felt the room could also use a bit of a re-fresh, paint shipping 

The cleanliness of the hotel and room itself ? Hotel and room were clean, no issues 

Were you able to have sweet dreams with the comfy bed? The bed was very comfy and there was a blanket in the room that I added on top for a bit more warmth with my air conditioning flowing high. 

The All-Important bathroom subject? Bathroom was a good size, however, I had an issue with shower water very hot and couldn't get it medium temperature. My bathroom had the shower with tub together and the tub was very high to get into for me being a short person. There was lots of room for your bath products which you do not always enjoy. 

What kind of shower treats awaited you? Coffee maker in the room? Molton Brown bath products were wonderful as one of my favorite brands. No coffee maker in room and tried to request one but not available. They offer coffee/muffins in the morning in the lobby. I like to have the coffee maker, even if I want a cup of tea at night in the room. 

Did room service blow your mind or was just okay?  I did not order room service, the menu was not available in the room which was odd. Breakfast in the hotel restaurant was available but I enjoyed elsewhere. 

Everyone wants to know, is Wi-Fi included? Yes, but my own phone worked fine in the room. I do not use public wi-fi for security reasons. 

Is Fido allowed come with you? No, Fido cannot join you on vacation 

Location is key, how does this hotel measure? The location here is a 10+ You have wonderful breakfast spots right next door, as well as restaurants, the park right across the street, subway lines if you wish to use them. So many places are within walking distance, you really do not need the subway. 

What was the best part of staying here? The location and customer service of the staff 

Would you change anything? I would love a coffee maker in the room, the room decor to be less minimal, larger lobby. 

Is this hotel worth it and why? This hotel is worth a stay. I would stay again most definitely, hopefully the shower water temp will be fixed. I will be sure to ask them however the correct way to adjust the temp in case I was doing something wrong. The location is worth every penny, I love being able to walk everywhere, NYC is a walking city after-all. 

                                              Views from the room at night are just lovely 

Overall Rating: 8/10 

Conclusion: Upon wanting to stay at this hotel for years, I was glad to finally get the opportunity to do so. I will definitely be back to stay here, hopefully the water temp in the shower will not be an issue again. The hotel is very lovely, not my most favorite, but in the top hotels of where I have stayed in the city. Regarding the room design, depending on your taste, you may love it. I just like a room with a bit more character. I look forward to my next stay at the Bryant Park Hotel. 


Cold water all day in lobby and coffee/muffins in the morning 




The room views are just amazing 


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" 

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 TrivagoTrip AdvisorHotels.com and Travelzoo. 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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Monday, February 21, 2022

La Pecora Bianco NoMad



One of the spots I checked out in the city before the pandemic started was La Pecora Bianco in the NoMad district. Since that time, they now have locations in Midtown, Soho, Bryant Park and the Meatpacking district. This place is really wonderful for Italian food, and my friend and I enjoyed our late lunch. 


Everything tastes homemade because it is and you can really tell the difference. 


There is nothing like enjoying fresh pasta, it just melts in your mouth. 



Walking around the NoMad area, you see this wonderful view of the Gibson Girl and the Empire State Building against a very blue sky, all is right in the world. 

There are so many new spots opening up in the city that I will be telling you about, and this place is no exception. If you are in any of these areas, and desire great Italian fare, this is the spot for you!! 




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