A Review of the Kimberly Hotel, New York City

By Rhonda Carrier

Super-comfortable giant sofabeds that could easily sleep a family of six and gobsmacking views of the Chrysler Building while you eat your buffet breakfast or weekend brunch in the 30th-floor penthouse lounge-bar make the Kimberly stand out in a city with a dizzying choice of accommodation. But what first caught my eye about this place was that most of it consists of suites complete with kitchenettes, making it the perfect choice for those travelling with kids and needing a little space and flexibility.

'The views from our 29th-floor eyrie, which came complete with its own balcony, were so good, we all slept with our curtains open so we could enjoy the twinkling cityscape for as long as we could.'

A family of five who find it difficult to source suitable accommodation options, especially in large cities like New York, where hotel rooms tend to be small, we were thrilled with our one-bedroom suite. We opted to give the bedroom with its two double beds over to the kids – not something we’d normally consider, but that sofabed was more comfortable than most regular beds. The views from our 29th-floor eyrie, which came complete with its own balcony, were so good, we all slept with our curtains open so we could enjoy the twinkling cityscape for as long as we could.

By night the top-floor lounge-bar becomes the buzzing, over-21s Upstairs at the Kimberly, but the hotel has two inviting restaurants: the slick, clubby Ibis with its Mediterranean-inspired menu, and a new Italian, Bistango. The latter is a better option for kids since it’s open all day in the week and from 5pm on Saturday evenings, and has a theatrical central pizza oven that was only trumped, for my kids, by the outsize circular fish tank in the lobby. 

The Kimberly’s Midtown location puts it within walking distance of many of the great family-friendly attractions of New York, including the Empire State Building, Central Park and the world’s biggest toy shop, FAO Schwarz, making it an excellent base for sightseeing. 

Read more about the Kimberly Hotel and about family holidays and breaks in New York City including great things to see, taste, hear and do with your family in NYC.