New York Minute Part 1: Mondrian SOHO

New York Minute is definitely an apt name for my post on my very short trip to the Big Apple last week. It was short but very sweet. In fact, too short cos everything's in such a rush that it felt all blurry like it was a dream. The two full days of long haul flight didn't help either and now I'm sitting here at 4am, all jet lagged.

Anyhow, there's just so damn much in NYC and tons of photos I'm not sure where to start. I'll start with introducing the boutique hotel I stayed in at the heart of SOHO which is simply amazeballs! Located at 9 Crosby Street, the Mondrian Hotel is simply awesome in terms of its convenient location to Broadway (all the shopping!) and the subway (Line N,R and 6 at Canal Street Station).

Tucked away at the beginning of Crosby Street, you can't really miss the quaint little entrance that's greened up with plants that leads you to walk through a lush green tunnel to get into the main lobby at the Ground Floor. A little like jumping into the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. 

Once you get out of the rabbit hole, blue is definitely the key color of the Mondrian SOHO as the hotel is decorated with a strong blue accent. Inspired by Jean Cocteau's cinematic marvel "La Belle et la Bete", Mondrian SOHO exudes such lovely ambiance with a perfect interplay of modern and retro motifs like vintage roses on the vine.

 

 

Like most hotels in NYC, the rooms are on the small side but the lovely deco makes up for it. I love it a hell lot in fact. It's very me! The pop of blue against a white back drop makes it so pretty that I had to make myself get out of the room to go out and pound the city's pavement instead of holing up in such a simple yet amazing room.

With a retro and Parisian feel to it, wash basin out of the bathroom and definitely acts as a key part of the decoration. Some don't like that concept but I actually dig it cos the vanity mirror and basic cabinet and all the crystal glasses give it such a cool vibe.

The attention to detail is great too. There's a postcard with cool message on every bed to add on a personal and intellectual touch, and every room comes with an iconic blue notebook. Mine has "Secrets and Lies" etched on its cover and it apparently comes in many different lines too. It's even got a matching pencil to the cushion on the bed. Definitely a finishing touch that makes such a big difference!

 

With a view from my window facing the Lafayette Street, say hello the good old iconic fire escape NYC style! Just a bit of warning though. The streets of New York do get quite noisy at night sometimes especially when there's fire engine passing through (which is quite a common occurrence cos I saw quite a few every single day!). Nonetheless, it's generally okay and it's considered to be one of the more quiet streets in SOHO. 

 

Mondrian Hotel also has an amazing restaurant named Imperial No. Nine, a sustainable seafood restaurant by Sam Talbot. The glass house restaurant has such amazing decorations of pretty chandeliers and a row full of kitschy glass jars in all shapes and sizes that I would love to own!!!

The food is pretty amazing too! I had breakfast there once and it's yum! Seen below is the egg white fritata which is such a spectacular sight! Instead of doing it the plain old boring way, they whipped their egg white and make it a light fluffy version that both great to the sight and taste buds! My Egg Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce was didn't disappoint either! It's stacked on fluffy German bread (can't remember the name) and a bed of marinated spinach that was absolutely flavorsome!

 

I love the Mondrian SOHO for sure and I think I would definitely come back to visit the next time I'm in the Big Apple cos the service is good, the hotel is lovely and the location super convenient.  Highly recommend this place!

Now that I've got the accommodation out of the way, more posts on the Big Apple on place to go, food and shopping to come! Stay tuned and I'm gonna try to sleep now that it's closing 6am. Jet lag isn't fun! Wish me luck!