New York City has more than its share of luxury hotels, but when it comes to history, location and sheer swag, there are few places in the Big Apple as perfect for a proposal, bachelor party or honeymoon as The Knickerbocker Hotel.
The Knickerbocker sounds like it’s old–”Knickerbocker” is a Dutch family name that goes back to the city’s beginnings. The hotel opened over 100 years ago, and legend says the martini was invented in its bar. Though the first hotel closed in the ‘20s, in 2015 The Knickerbocker reopened in its current, thoroughly, modern form.
There’s nothing staid about “The Knick,” as it now styles itself. The most recent renovation preserved the venerable Beaux Arts facade while reimagining the inside as a sort of sleek 21st century luxury paradise.
So what makes this such a good place to propose, or to throw your bachelor party, or even to take your honeymoon?
Location. Location. Location.
The Knickerbocker’s address is 6 Times Square, which gives a good idea of the neighborhood: as centrally located as you can get in Manhattan, on the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street. You can walk out the door and be at Central Park, Fifth Avenue, MoMA or pretty much any Broadway theater you want within 10 minutes. If you want to go farther afield, the Times Square Subway station is downstairs, with 12 train lines to take you to any destination in the five boroughs.
Views. Views. Views.
While you won’t see a gorgeous landscape or the infinite expanse of the ocean’s horizon, the rooms at the Knickerbocker offer an even rarer view: the legendary panorama of Times Square. The highest suites and the rooftop are only 17 floors up, so you can check out the action without feeling like you’re looking at a bunch of ants far below. This height also gives you a unique perspective on Times Square’s famous billboards (and when you grow bored of looking at them, you can block out all the noise and neon with soundproof windows and blackout curtains, all activated by the push of a button).
Up On The Roof
The pride of the Knickerbocker is its rooftop bar, St. Cloud. The 8,000 square-foot space, with indoor-outdoor seating, is basically a sky box for Times Square. You can take in all the action while sampling the small plates menu in the restaurant, sipping a custom cocktail in one of the three private “sky pod” VIP areas, or partaking of a fine cigar in the Club Macanudo Cigar Lounge.
Rooms To Relax
All the rooms at the Knickerbocker are amazing, but the cream of the crop are the Tribute Suites, named after some of the most important figures in the Knickerbocker’s history: the Cohan Suite, the Parrish Suite, the Martini Suite and, grandest of all, the Caruso Suite. Named after opera superstar Enrico Caruso, who lived in ostentatious splendor at the Knickerbocker during his storied tenure with the Metropolitan Opera nearly 100 years ago, the Caruso is 1,200 square feet of luxury overlooking Times Square.
Packages
Any great hotel will offer special packages, but the Knick’s are particularly baller. The king of them all is the New Year’s Eve package–the hotel’s location alone would make it worth the price, but when you include the luxury accommodations and rooftop access, including a close-up view of the Waterford Crystal Ball dropping a mere 150 above you, it becomes unbeatable.
Other specials include the Valentine’s Day package, which in 2017 featured a one-night stay in the Caruso Suite, an in-suite NOMI blowout and lingerie fitting for your girl and and an upscale shave for you, as well as an in-suite dinner and breakfast for two.
