Worth Traveling For
The famed Beaux-Arts facade of The Knickerbocker Hotel has attracted the spotlight for more than a century. With frontage on Broadway and 42nd Street, the hotel is in the epicenter of Times Square chaos, yet from the moment you walk into its elegant lobby, you’ll feel at ease and at a pleasant remove.
Legend has it that the Dry Martini was created by bartender Martini di Arma di Taggia — for John D. Rockefeller, no less — one evening at The Knickerbocker sometime between 1907 and 1912. The tale may indeed be more legend than fact, but a good origin story goes a long way.
What’s not up for debate is the property’s history: The Knickerbocker first opened in 1906 as a grand hotel built by John Jacob Astor IV, a guy who knew a thing or two about grand New York hotels (see, also: The St. Regis and The Waldorf-Astoria). Fittingly enough for a hotel known for its martinis and nightlife, it closed in 1920 partly as a result of lost revenue due to Prohibition. After playing myriad roles over the next century, including a stint as the Newsweek Building, the hotel reopened in 2015 under its original name.
The Knickerbocker has an innate appeal to a wide swath of visitors from history buffs and cocktail lovers to theater goers coming in for a show, and anyone looking for a quiet haven amid the buzz and flash of Times Square.
Hotel Highlights
Small touches elevate rooms at The Knickerbocker, such as remote-control blackout shades, Diptyque toiletries, and The Turkish Towel Company robes. The property even has an exclusive Caruso cologne, something that can be nabbed from the lobby along with several hotel books, including one on the Dry Martini.
While you can quibble with whether or not the cocktail was invented at The Knickerbocker, you can’t quibble with the experience of enjoying one — or several — while staying here. Head to the aptly named Martini Lounge, where you can order the original Dry Martini prepared on a tableside trolley for your viewing pleasure, the drink paired in this case with a chorizo croquette adorned with Osetra caviar. After becoming acquainted with the original, consider trying a modern riff called The Perfect Knickerbocker Martini.
When it’s time for something more filling, head to Charlie Palmer Steak IV or up to the rooftop where you’ll find the St. Cloud bar and lounge, as well as Akoya sushi bar. At the latter, order from a creative lineup of signature rolls and handrolls. There’s also the lobby cafe Jake’s for a casual breakfast or lunch.
Rooms & Experience
The Knickerbocker features 330 rooms including 31 suites, with a contemporary, somewhat minimalist aesthetic showcasing natural woods and clean, neutral colors. Starting Superior rooms are 345 square feet in size and offer Stearns & Foster Euro-top beds, sound-reducing windows, and marble bathrooms separated by frosted glass doors. Premier City rooms showcase a view of the hubbub that awaits beyond the hotel’s doorsteps. A Junior suite, meanwhile, provides a worthy enhancement with 532 square feet of space.
For travelers who are capitalizing on the city that never sleeps, 24-hour room service ensures a snack is always on hand. The hotel also offers a small but well-equipped fitness center, as well as a separate movement studio.
What to Know Before You Book
Several tantalizing suites await for those looking to book something special. Called Tribute Suites, there are four offerings that range from 700 to 1,200 square feet and pay homage to an aspect of The Knickerbocker’s history. If the hotel’s cocktail bonafides are what keep calling you, look no further than the Martini Suite, a 15th-floor corner offering that comes equipped with Waterford crystal glassware for all of your in-room imbibing needs. For a touch of history and storytelling alongside your drink, stop into the Martini Lounge’s Daily Martini Minute at 5pm.
Address: 6 Times Square, New York, NY 10036
Closest Airport: Newark and LaGuardia airports may take 30 to 45 minutes, while JFK will take between an hour and an hour and a half.
Feature image courtesy of The Knickerbocker. Travel Curator may earn a commission from product or booking links on this page.
