Call the grandparents or babysitter to take care of your children this Valentine’s Day and plan a getaway for just you and your significant other. And since we live in one of the most romantic cities in the world, the alone time can take place close to home.
A key part of this amorous adventure is an overnight stay in the right property. Fresh from a $10-million renovation, Manhattan’s Hotel Chandler oozes boutique elegance, with the warmth and coziness that you might find at a larger New England bed and breakfast — but it’s located on East 31st Street. With only 125 guest rooms and suites, the Hotel Chandler is able to offer something many New York City properties don’t: intimacy. Guests are greeted with genuine smiles and “hellos” from staff, while the hotel’s lovely library room and bar make for excellent areas to simply relax. A new high-end organic restaurant, Juni, by Executive Chef Shaun Hergatt, is set to open shortly and is sure to add to the romantic feel of the property.
Guest rooms boast classic bay windows and pampering touches such as Frette Italian linens and Molton Brown bathroom amenities.
The neighborhood location is quiet, despite being only a few blocks from one of the city’s most romantic icons, the Empire State Building. Purchase the “Chandler Refresh Package,” and you can get all of Hotel Chandler’s romantic elements wrapped up together including late check-out, complimentary cocktails, breakfast, and tickets to the Empire State Building. Rates vary by time of year, so call or go online to check your dates.
Hotel Chandler [12 E. 31st St. between Madison and Fifth avenues, (866) 627–7847; hotelchandler.com].
Using Hotel Chandler as your base, the city has many Valentine’s Day week-specific events and anytime-fun for two. For another incredible view, the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center will host its Winter Starlight Music Series from Feb. 2 to 23, with a special Valentine’s Day performance. Also on Valentine’s Day, you can explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art and end your day with a three-course, prix-fixe meal, including a glass of sparkling wine, for $60 per person at the museum’s Petrie Court Cafe and Wine Bar.
Top of the Rock Observation Deck (30 Rockefeller Plaza between West 50th and West 49th streets, topoftherocknyc.com).
Metropolitan Museum of Art [1000 Fifth Ave. at East 82nd Street, (212) 570–3964].
Many restaurants will be offering special Valentine’s Day menus, but why not skip the meal altogether and go straight to the decadent desserts? The Valentine’s Sweetheart’s Sugartooth Tour is a two-hour escapade featuring a minimum of six stops to enjoy delicious sweets. The tour is available on multiple dates in February, including Feb. 14. Cost is $52.74 per person, plus tour guide gratuity.
Valentine’s Sweetheart’s Sugartooth Tour (Meet at 1471 Broadway at West 42nd Street, sugartoothtours.com).
Pair your chocolate with wine, beer, tastings, and music at “Cheers for Chocolate: A Party for Chocolate Lovers” on Feb. 9 from noon to 2:30 pm and 4 to 6:30 pm at Hudson Terrace on West 46th Street between 11th and 12th avenues. The Chocolate Lovers Ticket includes admission with five chocolate tastes and one glass of wine or craft beer for $45. The event is being sponsored by iAdventure.com, where you can buy tickets online.
Before or after the chocolate, enjoy a “Side-by-Side Massage” at Oasis Day Spa on Park Avenue, a short walk from Hotel Chandler. It costs $240 for 60 minutes of pampering and is the perfect way to start or finish a day focused on the two of you.
Oasis Day Spa (1 Park Ave. between East 32nd and East 33rd Streets; oasisdayspanyc.com).
Stacey Zable is an award-winning veteran travel writer and family travel expert. Her favorite trips are those that she shares with her husband and two daughters. Send travel questions and comments to Stacey at [email protected].
