Arrival/Check-In: The Roger New York is conveniently located at 31st and Madison, about a 10-minute walk from Penn Station. When booking, I was told renovations had just been finished in May — about a month before my stay. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived and a friendly doorman immediately greeted me and took me to the front desk. Only one other person was checking in at the time, so it went fairly smoothly, taking about five minutes. Because I checked in around 9:30 a.m., my room wasn’t ready, so they kindly stored my bags for the day.

Guest Quarters: When I checked in, the front desk attendant handed me my key and told me I would be staying on the penthouse floor in Room 6. Knowing the penthouse is the top floor, I was eager to see my room and figured it would be on the larger side. I was a little unhappy to see it was actually no larger than a standard room at many other hotels I have stayed at in the city. The one big bonus of the penthouse level, though, was that I had a balcony with two wicker chairs for relaxing. The room was beautifully designed and had a very clean feeling. The bathroom had beautiful fixtures from companies like Toto and great products from C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries. The lighting in the bathroom was minimal, which I didn’t appreciate in the morning when trying to apply makeup.

Services/Amenities: The restaurant, Roger’s Dining Room, opened at the beginning of June, so I was excited to try it. From the lobby, you walk up a small staircase to get to the restaurant. It was a bit difficult to find because it didn’t really resemble a restaurant. There were about 10 small, round tables upstairs and an island that held various bottles of alcohol, an extension of their bar in the lobby. The kitchen was hidden, and the menu offered mostly bar food. My co-worker and I ordered a bit of everything — mac and cheese and guacamole to start, and salmon and tuna for our main courses. The dishes were good but a bit overpriced for the quality. The Roger has a 24-hour fitness center with all the basic machines, sufficient for someone staying in New York for a few days on business. As a small hotel, The Roger isn’t set up for large-scale meetings; one of the guestrooms was converted into a meeting space for 20–25 people, and the Veranda 411 Terrace accommodates outdoor events for 75 people.

The Experience: Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at The Roger New York. I loved the design of the lobby, which included stark black and white stripes, pops of color such as teal and orange, and a raw wood floor. Their signature logo, a polka-dot bowtie, was everywhere, even on their stationery, door hangers and business cards. The bar in the lobby was small but inviting. If you’re looking for a place with abundant amenities, I would suggest looking elsewhere; but if you want a trendy yet classy place in a great location, look no further!

GT Checklist

• Doorman/valet
• Less than 10 minutes for check-in
• Separate tub and shower
• Large vanity
• High-quality towels
• Powerful, unattached hair dryer
• High-quality bed linens
• Large, flat-screen television
• Large desk with convenient outlets
• Large, complimentary laptop safe
• Complimentary in-room WiFi
• Complimentary bottled water
• Stocked minibar
• Ample lighting
• In-room coffeemaker
• Iron and ironing board
• On-site restaurant and bar
• 24-hour room service
• State-of-the-art fitness center

The Roger New York

131 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10016
tel 212 448 7000
therogernewyork.com