Most Hotels near Grand Central Terminal in New York City service large groups and crowds. But the following two hotels, The Bernic, and Hotel 48Lex, are smaller, more intimate. And yes, boutique.
These are excellent places to stay in the city if taking the Boston to NYC train.
For dreamy hotels a bit farther from Grand Central – check out our Great Romantic NYC Hotels That Are Sexy As Hell.
And, discover more farther flung escapes with your best friend within New York State, on this Best Romantic Getaways in NY post.
Two Best Boutique Hotels Near Grand Central Station
The Bernic Hotel, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Certain hotels understand how to make customers happy right off the bat. Give ‘em booze! The Bernic Hotel, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel, near Grand Central in New York City, offers a stem of Prosecco upon arrival – putting guests in a celebratory mood almost immediately.
It’s just one way that this smallish boutique stands out amid a slew of hotels near Grand Central Station, in Midtown Manhattan East, an area dominated by corporate and professional office buildings.
First Impressions of The Bernic Hotel
You can’t miss the Bernic Hotel on 47th between Lexington and 3rd. A slim modernist glass and steel structure wedged between two older brick buildings. It could be confused with a condo complex that features the rarest of NYC commodities – balconies. (In fact, the building was going to house condominiums, but the owner pivoted to hospitality after construction was completed).
The reception lobby is small – a vestibule, really. But a fun, interactive, wall-sized light-art installation livens up the space, and makes it feel larger.
This back-lit installation was created by “blind contour” artist, Ian Sklarsky, who is not blind, but is devoted to the blind contour method of drawing (etching the model without lifting the pen or looking at the paper). Images change seasonally, and, for added enjoyment, can be manipulated virtually on cell phones. Answer a secret question correctly and you might win a free piece of Sklarsky art.
Rooms at The Bernic Hotel
In addition to the Light-Art in the lobby, Sklarsky created Miro-like pieces that hang above the bed in each of 96 rooms, depicting one of eight different cities, scattered throughout the hotel. Each card key corresponds to the city represented in your guest room. (Mine was Tokyo).
Contemporary guest rooms are compact and tidy. They include features not often found in mid-range hotels – like heated bathroom floors, Nespresso coffee machines, comfy-hoodie robes. Oh, and Beekman amenities in bathrooms with large glass showers. And, of course, those balconies.
About 75% of the guest rooms include a private balcony – a stamp-sized space that encourages even the least voyeuristic among us to watch office workers toil away right across the street.
OK, I admit I spent a few minutes observing people at their computers and drafting tables, and in one room, what appeared to three young men animatedly pitching an advertising project. Oh, the stories one could concoct just by staying here and staring out the window!
There’s a seasonal rooftop bar with romantic views of the Chrysler Building and Pepsi Sign, as well. Though closed in wintertime, this bar in the sky is the place to be in summer.
Dining at The Bernic
Although the hotel does not own the restaurant access to raved-over Allora Restaurant is through The Bernic lobby. This makes it the perfect choice on cold and rainy nights. If you like old-world fawning service, traditional Italian cuisine, and a low-lit intimate dining room where you can actually hold a conversation, Allora is the best pick in the area. The Seafood Appetizer – calamari and octopus – is not only delectable, it looks pretty on the plate.
But if you order nothing else, go for Allora’s signature “30 Ft. Pasta” and Meatballs. Waiters cut those hand-rolled noodles, that are as long as a 3-story building is tall, into manageable portions right at the table.
That, and a bottle of wine, and you and a friend are set for the night. But you can’t go wrong with almost everything on the menu.
Check website (or discount sites) for rates and promotions.
Hotel 48LEX
Hotel 48Lex, a boutique hotel near Grand Central Station, was one of the first “lifestyle” boutique hotels to open in Midtown East, in 2011. At that time, it was touted as a design-forward, customer-oriented establishment on the cusp of a growing demand for this kind of lodging.
First Impressions of Hotel 48LEX
Walk through the nondescript entrance of Hotel 48LEX into a long slim foyer fashioned with elements of Mother Nature: one wall of up-lit roughly chiseled New York schist opposite orange leather benches and spindly plants.
When first opened, reception was on the 2nd floor, in The Lounge. Now, however, check-in is situated in a small area on street level where friendly staff usher you quickly through the process and into your room.
Rooms at Hotel 48LEX
Guest rooms are crisply posh and modern with a certain masculine cachet; charcoal pinstripe carpeting and floor-to-ceiling windows presenting dioramas of midtown commerce framed by grey curtains.
Bathrooms gleam with white subway tile and large glass showers – and, thankfully, plenty of lighting.
The Lounge at Hotel 48LEX
Guests can order a glass of wine (or craft coffee) and nibble on cheese and other small bites in the 2nd floor George-Jetson-hip Lounge, while looking out over several iconic NYC buildings.
Fitness Rooms
In the basement, fitness areas are divided into two rooms. One is for treadmills, elliptical, and other machines. The second for weights and balls.
Check website (or other discount sites) for rates.
More Boutique Hotels Near Grand Central Station
Hotel Boutique
Modest in it boutique-iness, but massive in its proximity to Grand Central, the Hotel Boutique is a two minute walk from Grand Central, and a budget-friendly (for New York City) option.
Andaz 5th Avenue
A five minute walk from Grand Central, Andaz 5th Ave opened in 2010 in the 1916 building that once housed Tommy Hilfiger’s Headquarters. The swankiest (and most expensive) of the boutique hotels near Grand Central, it’s location, right on Bryant Park, is close to all the Broadway action in Times Square.
