In my opinion, one of the bonuses of European travel is the generous selection of small, lovely hotels that dot the landscape of cities like Paris, London, Rome, and beyond. I think of such boutique hotels as “homes away from home.” These accommodations focus on the basics of hospitality (commonly overlooked by the gigantic corporate hotel chains) including well-appointed rooms, comfortable common areas, extremely attentive staff members, and those “little extras” (complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, etc.) that provide pleasant surprises after a long day of site-seeing. To replicate this experience, a New York tourist—or destination wedding couple—would be well-advised to visit one of the small hotels run by the HKH Corporation. The constellation of hotels, including the Library, Hotel Giraffe, The Casablanca Hotel, and Hotel Elysse, are part of a family-owned company—and it shows. The Library and Hotel Giraffe provide services for weddings (including reserving hotel room blocks), but all are fine places to stay in NYC.
My first experience with an HK Hotel was last winter when I officiated the marriage of Gordon and Anne, a fabulous couple from Scotland. The wedding was held on their top floor terrace area, and couldn’t have been any sweeter. At the time the event coordinator for the Library was Jayla Hughes. I was impressed by professionalism and warm personality, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that she had received a promotion to serve as the Director of Sales at the Hotel Giraffe, another HK Hotel. The Hotel Giraffe is a stylized, chic spot at 365 Park Avenue (at 26th street). The art deco inspired hotel is a stone’s throw away from many NYC attractions including the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, Macy’s at Herald Square, and New York’s famous “boulevards” including Park, Madison and Fifth Avenues. It is in close proximity to cultural stops ranging from the fashionable Gramercy Park, the NY Public Library, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), and the International Center for Photography. Finally, the Hotel Giraffe is a stone’s throw from many of New York’s excellent restaurants such as Eleven Madison, Tabla, Union Square Café, and Gramercy Tavern. The list goes on and on.
This hotel will gladly host your wedding ceremony, rehearsal dinner, or guest accommodations. Hotel Giraffe has put together affordable wedding packages that offer space for a NYC wedding (along with set up and breakdown), a well-appointed reception, and guest stays in the hotel. Site selections include their roof-top garden and the piano suite penthouse. If you are looking for a place for your wedding or simply a wonderful place to stay on your visit to The Big Apple—or maybe just a nice spot to enjoy a cocktail, head to the Hotel Giraffe and wait to pleasantly surprised….again and again!
