Ida I would be feeling the same way but the 'skeerier' part for me would be getting around town!

Wasn't Dash Riprock on the Flintstones?

(I love that minibar cabinet!)

Is that tub surround all mosaic tile? After you've checked out, care to share the name of the hotel? It looks gorgeous. Have fun in Manhattan!

Don’t even look at the mini bar. It might have biometric eye contact technology. Every look is $16 bucks.

Ah, Skibby!! That’s funny!!! I bet they did! I’m going to google the band now. So funny!

That’s a gorgeous tub! Have fun in the big city, girl!

I hope you were able to explore this afternoon.

Many years back I brought a group of community representatives to a small conference held at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey. I don't know how they did it but the sponsoring agency got it for the Federal lodging rate for that area. On my team were some that had not traveled much.

We were visiting in the lobby after checking in, discussing how nice the accommodations were. One of the participants came down and remarked how hungry they had been and how appreciative they were for all the soft drinks and snacks in their room. They'd never encountered an honor bar before. The participants were responsible for "incidentals". They were shocked.

Very nice. Which hotel is that?

Ditto checking your bill at check-out. Just touching the top of a bottle may trigger the sensor.

Don’t let the initial feeling overwhelm you, Jen! Just walk around. It’s a walking city and you’ll be surprised how much you enjoy it. Have fun! And oh, the sensors in the mini bar sometimes trigger billing. Check your invoice before paying.

How’s the weather up there? Hope you’re not getting the snow that’s coming down now in Philadelphia. Oh go on. Have one of those little $25 bottles of wine.

Looks like the 4S. They don't use sensors on their mini bars. They are manually assessed.

So sorry you got snow! A good excuse for a soak in that wonderful tub! Isn't the Whole Foods practically downstairs? You could go there if you wont want to use the minibar. : )

ETA - hmm maybe that property does use sensors; the drawer layout is odd.

Ida, I can picture you lounging in that lovely tub, sipping on an adult beverage from the mini-bar. Tomorrow morning you will see some fluffy white stuff, but don’t let that stop you from walking after your meetings. You might have to shop for boots!

Ahhhhh business travel. Hope the next hotel is just as wonderful! Did some of your colleagues commit to staying over too?

LOL, Jen! When we went on a Mediterranean cruise some years ago we spent two nights at the Grand Bretagne in Athens. I have photos of that bathroom!

Donna

Jellytoast - character of the same name in the Flintstones. Ida - have fun in Beverly Hills/Bedrock!

I am not sure I'd ever leave that tub!!!

Here’s the tub ( and loo) in my room in Montréal. Ahhhh.

Ida, have such a good time while you’re there. Those mini bars are why I always pack a flask of Bushmills.

Some friends and I went to some hotel (I don't remember where?), knew about the insane uncharges for the mini bar, and so brought our own stock for the mini bar. We unloaded the hotel mini bar to the countertop and restocked. What we didn't know about were the sensors in the mini bar! Oh my lord- the hotel bill was sky high! Some 'splaining to do, but they were very nice about it!

Dedtired.....no way would I take a bath with that big mirror showing my full reflection as I got in and out! Horrors! Lol. But it is a nice bathroom.

Looks like the Westin or JW to me.

Dedtired - where are you staying? We’ll be at the Ritz Carlton for our 10 year anniversary in May.

Jen (we share a name) Please go to Buvette because I can’t!

I admit, I have photos of the bathroom in my room at the Tokyo Hilton. At some point, I want that at home!

I'm trying to "like" all your comments because they're making me giggle like mad, but that feature is working haphazardly for me, so just know that I appreciate the shared stories and kind words! Yep, I'm at the 4S and haven't had a chance to soak in that lovely tub yet, as a friend and I set off for Times Square where we bought tickets to see Jersey Boys (loved it!) and traipsed around in the rain and snow til we looked like drowned rats. Took the subway and got yelled at by a man who was completely out of his mind ... he actually screamed at us that he had never had a certain male appendage in his mouth, and of course we did not engage with him but looked at each other with baffled expressions because it was all so random and bizarre! Hello, New York!

The city is a lovely sea of humanity though.

Did you take that photo? Wow, that’s a good one.

Thanks! Took it just shortly before we went to the theater.

That would sell !

1929, we stayed at Hotel Place D’Armes. It was in a wonderful, walkable location.

Joanie, I’m near sighted and left my glasses off.

Ida, aren’t you just loving NYC? So much energy. You got a real initiation with one of the resident crazies ( poor souls).

Many years ago Steve Allen used to do a segment called "Only in New York" with funny stories about things that could only happen in NYC. A friend of mine had one such story. He was standing on the corner waiting for the light to cross. A bag lady was standing next to him. A limo pulls up, the rear window rolls down and a Japanese man leaned out and asked, "Can you tell us how to get to the UN?" The bag lady hollered back, "You found your way to Pearl Harbor! You can find your way to the UN!"

Only in NYC.

Hey, IdaClair, DH is heading to NYC Monday morning (I hope his clients can all make it to work!) So if you get lost, just ask him or better yet just jog along behind him, that's what I did lol.

I have so many memories of quirky "only in NY" moments from my few visits there. A good friend from the PNW was living in Manhattan, young, social worker type. Hard to find a place to live - and she found some doozies. On one of my visits there she was moving from one shared apt to another one, so I helped her get all her stuff to the curb and she called a taxi - to move! He pulled up, saw all her stuff and asked if she was moving out or if she'd been evicted. We managed to cram it all into the taxi and then unload it at the other end. Probably not a totally "only in NY" moment, but I thought it was such a hoot. Probably a hick in the city moment, actually.

Hope you're having a great time!

I couldn't remember when you were going and thought of you when I saw the weather there on the Today Show yesterday. But, looks like you made the best of it and had fun!! Did you have some yummy food too?

Haven't been in years but I adore NYC...I love the grittiness and the weirdness and the hectic pace and the 24 hour life...

My first experience in the city, was one guy chasing another waving a gun. We were too gobsmacked to duck or run...

We had our honeymoon in NYC!

My first visits to NYC were in the 80s. Does anyone else remember what a mess it was? Even in the "nice" areas, you were assaulted by the smell of pee every few steps and every corner had a shouting crazy person. Guys were running around in the streets with filthy rags trying to "clean" car windows for money. Times Square was seedy and dangerous.

Now when I go I still can't wrap my head around all the gentrification. Have fun! Sounds like you have a great start.

Well, the hick got to tour the NYSE Trading Floor today which was very interesting! Lots of history in that place and I enjoyed learning some new things. I love the statue of Fearless Girl, who symbolizes female empowerment in corporate America.

I haven't been able to take nearly enough pictures yet. Here's a shot of Freedom Tower that I managed to get though.

Glad you’re enjoying your time there. I’m “due” to go back!

OT but just know the guy who made the sculpture of the bull that girl sculpture is in front of is not at all a happy camper. He is furious that what he made now looks like it is charging at a person, a child none the less. If someone had told him to make a bull that looked like it was charging at a child, he would have refused. i get the girl power narrative. But I get the context narrative too.

Zalco, the Fearless Girl statue was only in front of the Bull for a short time. It has been moved.

Enjoy NYC Ida, there really is no place like it!

Zalco, perhaps in response to that artist (who sued), she has been moved.

Fearless Girl is a likeable statue, but I agree it was inappropriate to have her being charged by the (unwitting) bull. I also think the whole thing is sullied by its corporate advertising roots, and also wonder if a young, pretty girl is the most apt symbol for feminism. It looks like a depiction of women in power in sort of a cute,non-threatening rom-com way.

Sorry for hijack, Ida. *waving*

So sorry for not knowing the girl sculpture was moved. Removing foot from mouth now. Apologies.

It was recently IIRC, Zalco. Still an interesting discussion.

I always viewed her as standing up to the charging bull, unafraid of anything in her path. But yeah, she now stands alone facing the NYSE building. I like her. :-)

Well, I'll vote. That statue of the "girl" is horrible in all ways.. Yuck. Ugh. Ew. No, just no.

Also sorry for the hijack....Seems like you're having a great time, Ida!

Yes, she is standing up to it. I am looking at it from the POV of the bull/bull sculptor. He created a work of art and someone totally changed its meaning. I think it was fine for "performance" art but agree w the decision to give her her own space.

Take an extreme case... Let's say you had a statue of a confederate war hero. Then someone added a statue of a slave kneeling at his feet.

Or one might put it another way: Let's say you had a statue of a Confederate soldier (war hero/traitor) and someone put a statue of a Civil Rights hero (MLK, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, etc.) standing defiantly in front of it. That might be a better analogy. ;-) Of course, I would support that though, so take it as my opinion only.

Ida, so glad you are enjoying NYC! Looks like such fun!

I trust you're dressed for this weather, it's unseasonably cold and windy today. And I hope you'll take a few more photos- the ones you've posted are great.

As for Fearless - I thought they should have placed her in front of the Plaza because she reminds me of Eloise.

One more piece of trivia about the charging bull. It was a piece of gorilla art. The artist and foundry that made it installed the "Bull" in front of the NYSE without permission. The police impounded it but there was a huge demand for it to be returned. It was temporally placed on Broadway a few day later, where it still stands.