In New York I stayed at the Sofitel Manhattan, which is perfectly located on 44th Street, between Fifth & Sixth Avenue. It‘s within short walking distance to the shops on Fifth, Central Park, Broadway and Times Square.

This was my second stay at the Sofitel. I used four Suite Night Upgrades and subsequently received a further complimentary upgrade to a Skyscraper View Suite when I checked in.

When I arrived on 27th December, the hotel was still fully decked out in Christmas decorations in the lobby.

My suite had a small foyer with a credenza to place things like keys or hats.

The foyer then opened into a small living room that included a writing desk and the minibar. The suite did not have any tea and coffee making facilities, but I think that may be more of a European thing.

The bedroom was in a separate room off to the left of the living room and could be closed off with French doors, which is especially convenient when you‘ve got jetlag but don‘t want to bother the other person in the room.

The bathroom had a bath and a separate walk-in shower. The cosmetics were by Balmain.

And the views from the room were pretty cool, especially coming from Switzerland, where we don‘t have such a high density of skyscrapers.

Breakfast is served in restaurant Gaby on the ground floor. The service in the restaurant was great. However, there is only the option for à la carte dining, and no buffet. I would say that this is my only criticism with this hotel.

A small gym with a good selection of weights and a few cardio machines is located at basement level.

The design of the Sofitel Manhattan is a bit old fashioned. Even so, I‘ve enjoyed both stays in this hotel. The location is simply excellent, and the staff are all very friendly. Apart from all that, it just feels very comfortable. It‘s a nice place to return to after a day of exploring the busy streets of New York.