NYFW // Home Sweet Hotel

I love traveling, but sometimes being away from home for longer than a weekend is tricky, especially on a business trip. For me, NYFW was a definite business trip and I seriously missed snuggling up in my bed, eating meals at regularly scheduled times, spending time with my boyfriend and having my pup, Lucy, to come home to. With a previous season already under my belt, I knew I’d want to stay somewhere that would feel like home and not a teeny-tiny little hotel room in the city.

Enter the Library Hotel Collection, which I called home for the week I was in New York. The first part of my trip I stayed at their property called the Hotel Elysee off of East 54th street and then moved to the Hotel Giraffe off of Park Avenue South for the remainder of NYFW.

Each property had a distinct feel & different feel, which I absolutely loved. The Elysee was definitely more classic and refined. It felt like a hotel I’d step into in Europe; just a few blocks away from Fifth Avenue the hotel was quaint but not in a stuffy sort of way. The staff were so friendly, the rose in the restaurant was divine and the bed seriously comfy after a long day of running around to shows. It’s definitely tricky in the city to find a hotel that is immune to the 24-7 honking and noises in the city, but I had no trouble sleeping at the Elysee and loved the complimentary breakfast every morning!

A few days later, I moved over to the Elysee’s sister property The Hotel Giraffe. Still in the same collection of hotels, but totally different than the former! The Giraffe is chic and sleek. Clean lines when you walk up, right off the corner of Madison and easily accessible. This hotel was really quite central to the shows, just about a five to seven minute cab ride depending on the traffic to the tents. Grab drinks at the rooftop bar or even have a party in their private meeting and terrace space.

Vest (with faux fur) // Shirt (similar) // Skirt // Shoes // Hat (last season, similar) // Sunglasses // Earrings // Ring // Watch // Bracelet // Purse

The Giraffe also offers complimentary breakfast in the AM and wine & cheese in the afternoon. I enjoyed grabbing a glass of wine upon returning to the hotel after shows and relaxing in one of the comfy lounges before gearing up for dinner plans. Contrary to the Elysee which had a more urban feel tucked down a side street and looking into other tall office buildings, The Giraffe had more of a neighborhood feel with less hustle & bustle.

The other thing I loved about the Giraffe was the endless amount of light. There were lots of windows throughout the property and even some floor to ceiling window-doors that opened onto terraces. Did I say terrace?! Yes, even in NYC it’s possible to stay somewhere with rooms big enough to allow for a terrace!

One evening into the stay I grabbed dinner at the connecting restaurant to The Giraffe, Bread & Tulips. Actually, I loved it so much, I ate there a second night as well. Consider Bread & Tulips a cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant that’s rustic with it’s underground interior (you could definitely hear the subway going by the walls), but super cool and modern in the type of Italian food it served. I am a sucker for good meatballs and cheese, and boy were these good! Felt like I had landed back in the streets of Italy from the time I spent there as a young girl many years ago.  Lauren Anderson photography

I would definitely suggest either sharing a few appetizers with friends for a meal, one of my favorites, an Antipasti plate, or if you’re hungry, try the Bucatini all’amatriciana – it was seriously delicious!

After my full on face stuffing (I didn’t have a chance/make much time for myself to eat regular meals during the day, as my schedule was pretty packed), landing in this perfectly divine bed in the King Suite at the Giraffe was exactly what the doctor ordered, in order to recoup and be ready for another day of NYFW ahead.

This post was brought to you in partnership with the Library Hotel Collection, specifically the Hotel Elysee and Hotel Giraffe. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting brands that help make Girl Wonder Life possible.