Family-friendly hotel in New York City
By Jan Ross
The Nolitan Hotel in NYC (The Nolitan Hotel)
Why Go: The Nolitan Hotel is located in the charming and family-friendly Nolita (“North of Little Italy”) neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan bordered by both Little Italy and Chinatown, where there are lots of little shops and a great variety of restaurants as well as trees, apartment buildings and families. This makes the hotel an ideal base to explore both areas as well as venturing out to the many tourist attractions in Manhattan like the Childrens Museum of the Arts, where they offer workshops and classes for kids, Central Park, and the famous Empire State Building. The hotel offers a variety of unique amenities, including babysitting so the adults can have a night on the town and breakfast daily in Cantine, the on-site restaurant, as well as access to a neighborhood fitness center.
Balcony Room at the Nolitan Hotel (The Nolitan Hotel)
Room Options: The Nolitan Hotel has 57 rooms with eight different styles and configurations. The Neighborhood hotel rooms are on the lower floors and many have balconies overlooking Kenmare or Elizabeth Street while the Cityscape rooms provide a higher vantage point. The Nolitan Suite is the largest room in the hotel and has a separate living room – complete with an iPad! All rooms have hardwood floors, large, flat screen televisions, WiFi, a rain shower in the bathroom, bathrobes and slippers, an electronic safe, a stereo system, a remote controlled ceiling fan, mini bar, and 24-hour concierge service. The hotel also offers laundry and dry cleaning services as well as room service. The hotel will provide a cot for children upon request.
The Nolitan Suite (The Nolitan Hotel)
Just for Kids: The hotel offers a variety of amenities for kids, including in-room gaming systems like Xbox, Playstation and Wii, Bike and skateboard rentals, and iPad and laptop rentals. Classic board games are also available to play in the room or in the comfortable lounge area by the lobby.
Cuisine By Chef Marcel Agnez at Cantine (The Nolitan Hotel)
Where to Eat: The Nolitan Hotel is ideally located in the middle of literally dozens of wonderful restaurants of all kinds, and you should try as many as possible! Stop at the Cupcake Bakeshop for fresh, homemade and unique cupcakes, be sure to pick up some cannoli at one of the Italian bakeries, partake of some spaghetti or lasagna in Little Italy, and then switch to Chinese food in Chinatown. Cantine, the restaurant in the hotel, offers a French-American fusion and is also a great choice for a more gourmet meal. Peanut Butter & Co. is a great restaurant for kids, with a huge variety of ways to enjoy peanut butter, and Cowgirl Seahorse is a fun place for the entire family, especially on Taco Tuesdays. After a day of fun and sight-seeing, an evening in the room with a movie and room service might be perfect for the kids. Check in the mini bar for area restaurant menus, then call Guest Services to place the order and they will take care of the rest.
Getting There: The hotel is located in Manhattan and is easily accessible by taxi or public transportation from any of the airports. Driving your own car in New York City is not generally a good idea as parking is always at a premium and expensive; however, the Nolitan Hotel does offer valet parking for $55 a day with no in and out privileges and an additional charge for SUV’s and large vehicles. Better yet, make use of the public transportation or hail a cab.
(MORE: 5 Family-Friendly Summer Weekend Getaways from NYC)
Getting Oriented: Manhattan is the most densely populated of the five New York City boroughs and is technically an island, although the rest of the city is so easily accessible via bridges and public transportation, you won’t realize you are on an island. Although you will find plenty to do in Manhattan itself, the other boroughs are also easy to access but you should plan plenty of time to get to your destinations as well as time to stand in line at many popular tourist spots. Don’t be intimidated by the New York subway as it’s very safe, reasonably priced, and will take you to any destination in the city.
Insider Tips: The hotel concierge can help you with any travel arrangements and answer any questions you might have. The staff at the hotel is exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Jan Ross contributed this to MiniTime. She writes for a variety of venues, both print and online, and often travels with her photographer husband.
