Two articles on the same topic in a week? Is this an editing disconnect? Or a brave stand for the rights of oppressed parents yearning to be to free hip again?
In the New York Times, David Handelman has a funny article about taking his two daughters--who loved The Delano in Miami Beach, mind you--to stay in a 'hip hotel' in NYC.
And how'd that work out? 60 Thompson, The Gansevoort, and The Mercer told them to stay away. Seriously, as if they were black folk in Selma or something.
So they end up at the Hudson, a Schrager hotel, which the reservation agent told them was a child's paradise. Surprise, surprise, it wasn't, and it sucked, and the service sucked harder. [Note to David: they probably weren't discriminating against you; the service there sucks for everybody.]
I see a whole new civil hipster rights movement, though, combined with stunt journalism: stage a kid-in. Change a blowout on the stair/bleachers at the SoHo Prada store; demand a highchair at Nobu; put the infant carrier in the aisle at the MTV Awards...the guestlist says +1, and I'm bringing the kid.
Of Course, Families are Welcome. Oh, You Have Children?? [NYT]
Previously: NYT on 'Hip Family Hotels'
Related: NYC Mens Room Changing Tables: Hotel Gansevoort - NO
Elsewhere: Searching for lost youth, Dad books Hudson for family of four [Hotelchatter.com]
Schrager hotels just ... suck ... hard... kids or not. The 90s are over. Lose the attitude folks.
The 'W' seems pretty kid friendly and hip to boot. We stayed their sans the kids (that's what Grandparents are for) but there certainly were a lot of them wandering around the Times Square W.
I like the kid-in idea. I'll ba changing dirty diapers on the floor of the Westchester Mall this sunday since the mens rooms lack changing tables.
I thought the Westchester has a couple family lounges? I remember our 3 month old (at the time) daughter have a blowout there and us lacking spare clothes at the time. I remember little else about that day.
I'm staying at On the Ave on the Upper West Side in February and they didn't raise an eyebrow when I requested a porta-crib. Maybe they're not hip enough to be choosy.
Kaz - they have a family rest room all the way up in the food court... there's only one elevator that goes up there - otherwise it's the escalator...
In the Mens room near Pottery Barn there's a marble (faux actually) ledge that's allegedly a changing table... Thanks. Unless it's an emergency I'll pass.
Jeeze... listen to me... I sound like a suburban dad.