For those who want to experience a day in the life of real New Yorker (sans an apartment with five manual key locks or poor plumbing), staying at a boutique hotel is the closest thing to authenticity. Plus, you gain instant room service and a super hip, stylistic place to lay your hat and tired body down.

A boutique hotel is as unique as the city it represents, as independent as an artist, and friendly as a hometown neighbor. Intimate and often luxurious in unexpected ways–well, that’s a boutique hotel for you.

In fact–New York City is home to the whole boutique hotel craze, and it makes sense. Manhattan is a city that boasts one of the highest room rates ($238 on average in NYC according to Smith Travel). So traditionally in NYC, it used to be that you had to drop a ton of money or scrimp and wish for the best–don’t let the bed bugs bite!

But now there’s a middle ground. A boutique hotel offers a median rate between a luxury hotel and a 2-star low-grade vacancy. It takes the positive things from each of the extremes like superior service, fine amenities, yet with a smaller room count and more personal feel. Promising cool design and a nod to local flavor with reasonable rates–“budget boutiques” made traveling to metropolitan cities in style more of a reality.

At the MAve Hotel, our sharp staff works diligently around the clock to make you feel right at home. We try our best to remember your name and point you to all the cool spots in the city–or even right outside the door, like Pranna across the street, Nomad around the corner, and The Jazz Standard nearby.

Inside our sleek rooms you’re guaranteed free Wifi, deluxe bathrobes, ultra-plush pillow-top mattresses, the best boutique spa products, iHome for your gadgets, your own USA Today, videos on demand, breakfast on the go, lunch at your door, and someone there in a flash to clean up your entire mess. And with our location almost in the center of the island–the whole city is your calling card for adventure.

To extend your stay or book a visit with us, call us at: (212) 532.7373

We’d love to hear from you, and we promise to make it a stay you’ll never forget!

The post Why Boutique Hotels Are All the Rage … appeared first on The MAve Hotel.

1. Pete’s Tavern – 129 East 18th St.

A Civil War era survivor, this old staple draws in neighborhood types along with hotel guests in search of that old New York feel. Pete’s Tavern, the oldest operating restaurant and bar in New York, continues to serve Italian-American cuisine along with its famous 1864 House Ale.

The old creaky bar is traditionally decked out around the holidays with lots of festive garland, a twinkling bulb-lit ceiling and Christmas lights dripping around the old mirrors.

Belly up to the bar for standard suds that include 16 beers on tap in bubbling frosty mugs, and a special homemade eggnog around the holidays.

2. Old Town Bar – 45 East 18th St.

One of the oldest bars in New York, Old Town Bar is one of the last reminders of a thriving German community that faded in the 1960s with the old Union Square neighborhood. Old Town was frequented by greats such as Andy Warhol, Bill Murray, Keith Richards, and others. With close proximity to the Broadway rehearsal studios, many actors enjoyed gathering here along with legendary writers whom the owner built great relationships with.

A bit of Old New York is felt in every square inch of this den from the beveled lights and mirrors, to gaslight fixtures, to call buttons at the tables–all under its towering 17-foot ceilings.

You may recognize the interior of this bar from movies like The Devil’s Own, Bullets over Broadway, and Last Days of Disco.

3. Gramercy Park Hotel (Rose Bar, Jade Bar + Gramercy Terrace) - 2 Lexington Avenue

A landmark in NYC, the Gramercy Park Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel that first opened its doors in 1925.

With a retractable roof seventeen stories above the city, Gramercy Terrace Bar features a series of intimate and whimsical spaces that seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor space, with a seasonal menu of favorite American dishes. The Terrace is open to the public daily until 3pm.

The Rose Bar and Jade Bar inside the Gramercy Hotel are two incredible candlelit spaces with an edgy sophistication. Hearkening back to the golden age of the cocktail hour–the small menu ranges from classic aperitifs to fanciful drinks to modern classics.

The ever-changing music from custom designed playlists features DJ’s from New York to London to Rome.

Reservations are required after 10pm for both the Rose Bar and Jade Bar. Reservation requests can be sent to Rosebar@gramercyparkhotel.com.

They will respond within 24 hours if there is availability.

The post 3 Historic Flatiron Spots for Beer + Cocktails appeared first on The MAve Hotel.

Famous for its flavor and epicurean delights, taste the flavor of Barcelona in Manhattan. And even better–the Flatiron district (where the MAve is anchored). Our boutique hotel guests love the flair of this fun-loving Flatiron tapas bar strung with pendant lights and chic leather banquettes. And as an NYC guest, if you’re up for making friends–opt for a communal table that runs down the center of the dining room.

“The room (along with the uniforms of the competent, terminally perky waitstaff) is carefully coordinated in tones of toffee, beige and sandy brown.” – New York Magazine.

Offering a wide variety of “market fresh” specials, feast your eyes and lips on the fried quail eggs and chorizo on roasted bread or the mushroom and ham croquettes. Traditional churros come with a thick hot chocolate for dipping–a perfect plate for sharing.

A surfeit of tasty Spanish wines garnish the menu from vinos blancos to vinos tintos, dubbed elegant, earthy, or powerful. A good variety by the glass or by the bottle complement the exquisite flavors with perennial favorites like the Datiles con Beicon, or the Patatas Bravas. A Spanish take using all fresh ingredients, chefs use suppliers and local farmers through the Union Square Greenmarket.

Boqueria is a 12-minute walk from the MAve Hotel, past Madison Square Park, located at 53 West 19th Street (between 5^th Ave and 6^th Ave).

If you’re tired from a day of shopping or wondering the streets, call ahead and order takeout, then bring it back to the MAve and relax.

Takeout at Boqueria is available from noon to midnight, Thursday thru Saturday, and noon to 11pm on Sunday thru Wednesday.

Call: 212.255.4160, and check out the menu ahead of time here.

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