Visiting New York and not sure where to stay? Well, if you love boutique hotels for their homey feel, HGU New York is the number one pick for you!
HGU New York
Address: 34 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016, United States
Phone Number: +1 212-779-3432
Website: https://www.slh.com/hotels/hgu-new-york/
Check-In Time: 3:00PM*
Check-Out Time: 12:00PM
*We were granted an earlier check-in at 1:00PM at no additional charges.
About HGU
HGU New York, located in NoMad, is part of the Small Luxury Hotels collection and has been coined one of New York City’s best boutique hotels by Forbes. Its historic 1905 Beaux Arts structure spans across 10 floors and houses 89 rooms. As to this day, much of the building’s original, historic architectural charms have been preserved making it an old-world gem with modern flair.
Getting Here
We’d stayed at a different hotel in Times Square prior to checking in at HGU hence did not arrive directly from the airport. However, Midtown Manhattan and NoMad are only about a 5 to 10-minute drive away. Having said that, getting from LaGuardia Airport (closest airport to HGU) to our first hotel took approximately an hour by taxi and cost us $44.42 USD. This was inclusive of a $10 rush hour surcharge and do keep in mind that New York has terrible traffic. Depending on your arrival time and how busy the roads are, it may or may not take as long/cost as much to get to HGU by cab.
King Suite
HGU offers five different room types from Queen and Queen Deluxe to King, King Deluxe, and King Suite. (Additionally, there an exclusive Joko Suite, as named after John Lennon and Yoko Ono to honor patrons that HGU used to host.) King Suite is the second biggest and can sleep up to four people. It features one king-size bed and one queen-size pull-out sofa bed in the living room.
Two full bathrooms with the right one being the ensuite bathroom.
What I love about staying at boutique hotels is that sense of homeyness. HGU’s room layout very much resembles that of an apartment suite. Talk about an ideal home away from home!
Lumaca
Osteria Lumaca is HGU’s newest Italian restaurant by celebrity chef John DeLucie. (It opened in October 2019 and our visit was mid-November.) Lumaca in Italian means “snail” and the restaurant perfectly exemplifies the Italian way of enjoying a meal, which is by savoring each bite slowly and truly appreciating the experience.
Lights are dimmed for dinner service. Super romantic!
Hamachi. Yellow tail, citrus, crispy rice cake, black garlic aioli.
Arancini. Lascarpone, black truffle, regiano, lemon aioli.
Paccheri Al Forno Con Cingale. Large tubular pasta, wild boar ragù.
Bistecca. NY strip steak, roasted marble potatoes, garlic, arugula.
Crostata Di Mele E Pere (apple and pear tart, vanilla gelato) left; Pistacchio Tiramisu right. Selected by our server.
The food was absolutely divine and I adored the Arancini and Bistecca. Since DeLucie is originally from Puglia, Lumaca’s dishes are heavily influenced by his Southern Italian roots. I would say that items on the menu aren’t what you would find at a typical Italian restaurant and are definitely worth a try. Service was superb as well and I highly recommend dining here!
Around the Area
Grand Central Station.
Great thing about staying at HGU is that it is within walking distance to major attraction sights like Empire State Building, Madison Square Park, Flatiron Building/Eataly NYC Flatiron, and Grand Central Station. (Times Square is also relatively close although the walk takes 20 minutes give or take. We did it so it’s doable, but this might not be considered “walking distance” for everyone.) And of course, you can’t forget about Koreatown either. If you’re an adventurous foodie looking for a new culinary experience, there are plenty of KBBQ choices in the area too.
Additional Photos
Final Verdict
Amenities: ★★★☆☆ (no gym, meeting/banquet facilities available, one restaurant, rooftop bar, no pool)*
Cleanliness: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★★
Proximity: ★★★★★
Quietness: ★★★★☆
Safety: ★★★★★
Space: ★★★★★
Value of Price: ★★★★★
Internet Access: Complimentary
*While there are no gym or health and wellness facilities onsite, HGU has partnered with local gym, meditation center, and spa. Note that hotels in New York also generally do not have pools.
Pros
- Extremely friendly and hospitable staff
- Reception provided us with countless activity and restaurant recommendations.
- The bell boy helped with luggage to our room + gave a great tour of our suite.
- Within walking distance to major attraction sights
- Spacious lobby lounge
- Perfect for waiting around for taxis or just lounging after check-out
- 24-hour room service
- Pets are allowed
- Incredibly roomy suite – especially for New York standards
- Our suite had two full bathrooms
- No fighting for the washroom in the morning or debating who gets to shower first!
Cons
- Only two bottles of complimentary water for the room
- There is water for purchase in the minibar or you can even drink water straight from the tap.
- One of the bedside lamps was broken
Lastly, this isn’t a pro or a con, but the room was a little dark. I’ve noticed that this is quite common for hotels in New York though. I’m guessing it’s because all the buildings are so close together that it’s hard to get natural light in. This may bother some, but I for one did not mind it.
To get a better sense of what the room looks like, check out my latest vlog from 5:19 to 6:49.
Like what you see? Check here for availabilities and book today!
Looks like such a beautiful place to stay! The rooms look so lush and the food looks amazing! Would love to stay here one day.
You’d love it, Samantha! I high recommend it 🙂
What a beautiful place to stay in New York. I didn’t realise many of them don’t have pools. The food looked delicious!
I didn’t either until my visit, but I guess it makes sense since there’s literally no space.
Wow! This place ticks all the boxes for me. The hotel looks clean, comfortable and I am loving the design and decor however what ticks it for me (as well as the location) is the bed looks very lush and one that I can crash on to and sleep straight away. Would consider staying here on my next visit to the Big Apple.
So happy to hear that, Danik! The bed was definitely one of my favorite aspects along with the decor and cleanliness. If and when you do visit, make sure to let them know I sent ya 😉
Knowing a gem of a place to stay in New York is always a great thing to know, and this boutique option looks perfect. I wish I’d known about it when my daughter and I visited the Big Apple a few months ago. Saving for next time!
Aww next time for sure! 😀
HGU New York looks modern, spacious and luxurious. Love all the amenities and no wonder it is featured in Forbes. The food looks delicious and on the lines of Michelin star type dishes presentation. I can only imagine the wonderful experience you must have had.
It was such an unforgettable experience and I hope this inspires you to book a stay with them the next time you find yourself in New York!
We visit NYC a bit. So always interested to read about new hotel options. The King Suite looks like the perfect spot to enjoy a few days. Having a great Italian restaurant so close by, I might never want to leave. Every part of your meal looked delicious. Thanks for showing us a new hotel.
Hahaa right!? I almost didn’t want to leave myself! You’re most welcome and I’m excited for you to check them out!
The hotel is so nice and cosy. Decor and interiors seem welcoming and the food looks yum as well. Good pick for NY. Should keep this one in mind.
You must! It’s the perfect hotel for exploring New York and you’d love it, Punita 🙂
Definitely upscale by all standards, and a different feel than our usual camping trips! The food at the Lumaca looks really impressive and mouthwatering! We like to treat ourselves with fancy dinners here and there, and I could totally see us there for such an occasion!
The food at Lumaca was absolutely divine. You’ll definitely have to treat yourselves if you’re ever in the area!
The most memorable stays in NYC are definitely in hotels just like this. I’ve stayed in a hostel with a somewhat similar vibe, and I remember it much more fondly than when I stayed in modern hotels without as much character. This is also an excellent location. I’ll definitely keep HGU in mind the next time I’m visiting Manhattan!
I agree that hotels with character definitely have a factor in making trips memorable. Hope you’ll get to book a stay with them in the future as I’m sure you’d love it Kevin!
Definitely looks like a cozy option for saying in New York. I haven’t visited there in about 10 years but definitely planning to go back soon with our kids!
This was actually my second trip back to New York in almost ten years! It’ll be fun to see what’s changed for you and definitely keep HGU on your radar 🙂