A romantic getaway at The Empire Hotel, New York City

In December, my husband I took a well-deserved vacation to the Big Apple. If you can believe it, it was my first time there and one of our first big trips since our son was born…THREE YEARS AGO. Everything was just as I imagined. In fact, it reminded me of a back lot on a movie set (can you tell I live in Los Angeles?). Was I really seeing all these smoking manhole covers, bodegas and brownstones?

We stayed at the Empire Hotel, which I highly recommend for two reasons – it’s both savvy and sassy. Centrally located in Columbus Circle near the Time Warner Center and across the street from the southwest end of Central Park, the Hotel had awesome amenities and a lot of class.

While we made this trip sans children, it would be a snap to bring them. There were quite a few children running around in the afternoon and since we were centrally located, there were a ton of family friendly activities to be had through out the day.

Here are some reasons why we enjoyed our stay at the Empire Hotel and would stay again.

Travel Savvy

Super knowledgeable concierge that will have you dining and traveling like a local. In fact, they were so good with their directions that we didn’t get lost once and someone even asked us for directions. They also pointed us to a small coffee house with some of the best bagels I’ve ever tasted. Ever.

Check out the two restaurants next door, PJ Clarke’s or Ed’s Chowder House for some fine dining at reasonable prices.

Great location. Hop across the street to Central Park, walk north for a look a the City’s Westside or take a subway to a number of nearby tourist attractions like Rockefeller Center or Times Square.

Travel Sassy

Signature cocktails at the lobby bar with NYC inspired names and super fresh ingredients.

Lobby doubles as a hip nightspot on the weekends, complete with DJ.

Luxurious amenities in room with Italian inspired linens and soft duvets for snuggling.

Animal print throw pillows add a little punch to the modern furniture and décor.

If you’re staying at the hotel between Memorial Day and Labor Day, check out the Roof Top Pool Deck complete with a lap pool, sunning decks and one of the best views of the City around.

Moms, when was the last time you had a romantic getaway?

Meet the Author | Christina Montoya Fiedler

Christina Montoya Fiedler is a Los Angeles native - born and raised. Before becoming a mom, and writing for various parenting sites so she could be home full time with her son, she was a publicist representing environmentally progressive architects and contractors - one of whom just finished building a home completely out of parts from a Boeing 747. Now that's cool!