We fell in love with Gild Hall during our trip to New York. It’s a beautiful city with so many places to stay depending on where you’ll be spending the majority of your time. For some people, they love being in the hustle and bustle of the city and staying close to Times Square where all the action is. For others, a more discreet, low key location is what they’re after. Gild Hall in New York has the perfect mix of both and is a hidden gem in the Financial District, near the illustrious Wall Street. It’s just 20 minutes away from Times Square via subway and can be found in the heart of Lower Manhattan on the historic Gold Street. Designed by Jim Walrod, the hotel is high-end but still has a warm and homely feel, with it’s custom-designed wooden furniture and twelve-foot ceilings. Just minutes from Battery Park City, Brooklyn Bridge and South Street Seaport, it’s the ideal place to explore the entirety of New York.
- The lobby
We love readings, books and libraries, so when we walked into Gild Hall the first thing we noticed was the lobby library. It’s the ideal place to relax and unwind at any time of the day. While the entire hotel is full of character, the library is particularly impressive and for a moment, you forget you’re in the city that never sleeps because it’s such a haven. There’s a chess board and a chequers board to enjoy while you’re having a drink or planning your day. The lobby has a chilled out atmosphere and it’s a setting that is both contemporary and classic. The warm ambiance and elegant wooden furniture is beautifully unique.
- The location
Situated on a quiet street, you’ll have time to relax and recuperate before heading out to explore the city. Walking distance to subways is important for most people when visiting New York because there are so many different neighbourhoods and places to explore. Gild Hall is about three blocks away from the Fulton stop, which has a number of different connections to different boroughs in New York. It’s well connected to other parts of the city and you can get to the exciting Greenwich Village or Central Park in around 15-20 minutes. With the helpful staff and Wi-Fi in the hotel, it’s easy to plan your route and organise your journey before you leave.
- Felice Ristorante and La Soffitta
Easily one of the nicest restaurants we visited in New York, Felice Ristorante is the perfect place to go for authentic Tuscan cuisine. The bar and restaurant is next to the lobby and is ideal for a drink and a snack. They close at midnight so we went twice (yep, it was that good!) before heading out for the evening. The bar was still open when we came back, so we enjoyed a nightcap and a free prosecco from the lovely lady serving us. If you want to carry on the party, the library bar upstairs stays open until 3.00am. The upper-level wine lounge, La Soffitta, will stun even the most experienced wine connoisseurs with it’s extensive and varied collection of vintage Italian wines and a wide list of cocktails to choose from.
- Spacious rooms
There are 130 rooms in Gild Hall and it’s such a distinct boutique hotel, making it the perfect place to escape and explore. Each guest has the luxury of a complimentary 24-hour fitness centre, business centre and Wi-Fi, as well as in-room minibars and a daily turndown service. The bedroom was large and spacious, especially by New York standards. With a built-in book case, wardrobe, mini fridge, comfortable chair and all the amenities you could want, this room has everything you’ll need.
- Friendly staff
The staff at Gild Hall are so friendly, welcoming and helpful. They would all greet us with a warm hello and a smile, and would ask if there was anything we needed. Every morning, the staff would be genuinely interested in what we were doing and would offer us tips and advice on what to do. We had a rainy day while we were there and unfortunately couldn’t go and see the One World Observatory, but the staff offered us a number of alternatives and we ended up having a really perfect day, exploring all of the nooks and crannies of New York that only locals know about.
