Kimpton Hotel Eventi

When Kimpton Hotel Eventi opened in summer 2010 in a humdrum section of northern Chelsea famous for its knock-off vendors, discount emporiums, and flower warehouses, it was a big step in the neighborhood's slow and steady march toward hipification. (The 2009 opening of the nearby Ace Hotel was the first sign of the area's evolution.) Today, fabric stores, jewelry wholesalers, and nondescript pubs neighbor trendy establishments, like matcha cafes, beer bars, and boutique fitness studios. Kimpton's beautifully designed lobby, modern and spacious rooms, and friendly and professional service make it an excellent place to stay, and its location is convenient for getting around the city, with seven subway lines only four blocks away.

What this slightly boring pocket of northern Chelsea lacks in charm, it makes up for in convenience: the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, Madison Square Park, the New York Public Library, and Times Square are all within walking distance. The hotel is four blocks south of Herald Square, which is home to seven subway lines (D, F, M, N, Q, R, W) and the world's first Macy's. It's a five-minute walk to the the 1, 2, 3 subway lines, Penn Station, and Madison Square Garden. A seven-minute walk will bring you to the beautiful Madison Square Park, home to Shake Shack, one of New York's most popular burger joints; Eataly; and the seasonal Madison Square Eats, a seasonal food festival of local vendors.

Kimpton's most basic category, King Rooms, is spread across floors 6 through 12 and are 275 square feet -- well above average for New York City. City View King Rooms, located on floors 14 and above, are the same size as King Rooms, but have better views of midtown Manhattan. King Deluxe (all corner units located on floors 6 through 12) and City View King Deluxe (corner units on the 14th floor or above) units go up to 300 square feet. The largest of the room types is the Queen Queen Room, which offers two queen beds and 325 square feet of space.Kimpton's six suite options start with the 400-square-foot Executive One Bedroom Suite and go up to the 1,685-square-foot Live Suite. Suites have king beds and separate living rooms with pull-out couches, and some have enormous private balconies and dining rooms.All rooms and suites come with floor-to-ceiling windows, flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, minibars, and yoga mats. Beds are dressed with Frette linens and marble bathrooms have rainfall showers. Bathrobes and toiletries are provided. Wi-Fi comes at a fee, though it is free for Kimpton InTouch members. (The membership program is free to join.) The hotel will provide loaner iPads, MacBook Pros, wireless speakers, and other tech items.

The menus at Kimpton's two food outlets are designed by celebrity chef Laurent Tourondel: The Vine is a casual all-day spot (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily) for meeting, eating, drinking, and L'Amico is a refined-rustic Italian restaurant (open for lunch and dinner daily, plus weekend brunch). The Vine's all-day menu features casual options, like turkey clubs and roasted chicken, while L'Amico's menu is more upscale and staunchly Italian, featuring pizzas, pastas, meats, and seafood. Both The Vine and L'Amico serve wine, beer, and cocktails. L'Amico closes between lunch and dinner service, but The Vine is open all day. Room service is also available 24 hours a day. The hotel offers free coffee and tea in the lobby in the morning, and a free wine reception every night.A 24-hour fitness center has ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes, weight-training machines, medicine balls, mats, and even hula hoops. Across the hall is the small Spa Eventi, which offers massages, facials, waxing services, and other treatments. The hotel has 20,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting and event space, including a grand ballroom, flexible meeting rooms, and two suites. The Veranda -- Eventi's fifth-floor outdoor courtyard -- is a 4,500 square foot wraparound space that overlooks Sixth Avenue and has a great view of the Empire State Building. The Veranda is accessible by two of the Eventi's most luxurious suites (The Veranda and The Eventi) and the screening room. There is also a 24-hour business center, and free loaner iPads, MacBook Pros, headphones, chargers, GoPro cameras, and wireless speakers are available to guests.As part of the Kimpton Kids Program, kids get welcome gifts and parents can take advantage of free loaner cribs, strollers, scooters, and other equipment. Same-day laundry and dry cleaning are available. There is a parking garage beneath the hotel (rare in New York!) with valet and self-parking available.