Indulge Inspire Imbibe: The Roger

A boutique hotel with a convenient location in Manhattan's Flatiron District blocks from Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building, The Roger New York warmly welcomes travelers to the corner of 31st and Madison with a sophisticated new look.

The hotel building has been around since the 1930s. The public area and 194 guest rooms were recently remodeled in June of this year. I was invited to check out the new space so we made a weekend out of it; boarding the Amtrak on Friday afternoon from Back Bay Station arriving to Penn Station around 8 pm. A short walk later we found a sleek building with black and white striped awnings and neatly kept hedges.

The reception and lounge area reveal gorgeous chevron hardwood floors and soaring exposed white brick walls with floor to ceiling windows draped in luxe silver curtains.

A hodgepodge of furniture including hounds-tooth upholstered chairs, blue velour tufted couches, funky glass lamps, potted succulents and gold accent tables create a unique, eye catching aesthetic. Placed on tall shelving units throughout are framed black and white photographs of celebrities during their stay at various hotels.

We were greeted at the front desk with hot apple cider where check in was a breeze. Our king room on the 11th floor overlooking the street was spacious (by New York standards!) and comfortable with a relaxing color scheme. Large photographs of the city pop against clean white walls. The room boasts rich mahogany furniture and a custom bed set in crown molding with crisp white linens, a plush down comforter and super fluffy pillows. Stylish touches include a snakeskin leather bench at the foot of the bed, a matching desk chair in the shape of a T and an industrial iron reading lamp. There also happened to be a bottle of Merlot waiting for us.

The modern bathroom features mildly scented C.O. Bigelow Apothecary products as well as a bathrobe and additional toiletries for purchase.

The mini bar is well appointed with top shelf liquors, beer, wine and plenty of snacks.

Whenever we ventured out the doorman was quick to greet us and would (when necessary) swiftly hail a cab. After an excellent Friday night dinner in the West Village, a night on the town and then a long day of venturing around the city (walked the High Line, ate lunch in the Meatpacking District, paid a visit to the Guggenhiem Museum and took a stroll through Central Park) a nap was in order and then, a visit to The Parlour bar for some complimentary cocktails (normally $14).

The five seat marble bar sits tucked in a corner of the first floor lounge area, where a pianist plays classical tunes and the friendly bartender pours a terrific cocktail. First, the XXX Dirty Martini with Kettle One, dry vermouth, Tabasco and lemon juice. Second, the Rye Manhattan with Bulleit Rye, sweet vermouth and peychaud bitters.

These cocktails were just the thing to kick off my Saturday night. (Dinner in the East Village, a friends Christmas Party on the Upper West Side, we certainly made the rounds...) Check out on Sunday isn't until noon, providing guests with an extra leisurely morning. We ventured out around 11 am to for some more tourist-centric fun at Times Square, Rockefeller Center and The Brooklyn Bridge. The Rogers central location makes it an ideal home base from which to explore the city. Its chic design and classic comforts create a place where you can look forward to relaxing and hanging out, and to a solid nights sleep once the city sufficiently tires you out.