The Beekman Hotel in NYC; a review of our stay
In New York City, with over 700 hotels, it’s very difficult to stand out. But The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel, located in lower Manhattan, is a notable hotel.
The hotel building dates back to 1881 and features a nine-story atrium and two top-tier restaurants.
View of the atrium in The Beekman Hotel in NYC. Below, on the first floor, is The Bar Room.
On Valentine's Day, Debbie and I stayed at The Beekman, taking advantage of the American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts benefits that come with my Amex Platinum card.
The regular room rate plus taxes and fees was nearly $500, normally over our hotel budget, but the Amex benefits reduced the cost significantly.
The benefits include:
Annual $200 credit on one stay
Noon check-in, if available.
Room upgrade, if available
Daily breakfast for two - $30 per person, per day.
$100 food and beverage credit.
So, we took advantage of $360 in credits, allowing us to enjoy a wonderful stay that would normally be very expensive.
The front desk at The Beekman Hotel.
When you arrive at the registration desk, you’ll notice that the decor is different than most hotels. The desk is decorated with fancy carpets and vintage lamps.
After a very efficient check-in process, we took the elevator to our 9th-floor room.
On the way to the elevator, take note of the massive bookcases that mark the border of The Bar Room bar and restaurant.
Once off the elevator, you’ll be treated to a view of the impressive atrium with the skylight and intricate iron railings.
The Rooms at the Beekman Hotel
View of our 9th floor room.
Lower Manhattan is notorious for small rooms since the area is so cramped. Our upgraded room was certainly reasonably sized.
Most importantly, the bed was very comfortable, and the sheets were high-end.
In keeping with the hotel’s eclectic theme, the room was appointed with interesting lamps and a huge wood armoire.
The bathroom was very large, with classy tiling and a huge shower.
To make better use of the square footage, the bathroom was closed with a huge sliding wooden door held in place with an iron railing.
The Dining Options at the Beekman Hotel
The hotel offers three dining options: The Bar Room at Temple Court, Temple Court restaurant, and chef Daniel Boulud's restaurant Le Gratin.
Le Gratin’s dishes are inspired by Daniel Boulud's hometown of Lyon, France.
Dishes include Burgundy Snail Tempura, Braised Lamb Shoulder, Seared Branzino Filet, and Spit-Roasted Chicken,
Since we visited Lyon last year (See our Visiting Lyon, France post here), we would have loved to dine there, but it was Valentine’s Day, so it was sold out. Plus, our dining credit was not valid at this restaurant.
The entrance to the colorful The Temple Court restaurant.
Another celebrity chef, Tom Colicchio, operates The Temple Court restaurant.
As you enter the restaurant through the drawn fabric curtains, the first thing that catches your eye is the wall of stained glass windows.
The menu includes Striped Bass, Roasted Rohan Duck Breast, and Roasted Diver Scallops.
This was a last-minute stay at the hotel, so this restaurant had no reservations either.
While The Bar Room at Temple Court may be the third on the hotel’s high-achieving restaurant list, it has a great reputation and is located in the hotel’s marquis atrium.
Luckily, there was a table available, so we seated at an old chess table with interesting mismatched chairs.
The whole dimly lit room is so visually interesting, especially the giant atrium above us.
The Bar Room at Temple Court below the hotel’s atrium.
The drinks were a steep $25, but Debbie still talks about her Espresso Martini; it was fantastic.
Since our trip to Spain, we have been obsessed with Serrano ham (our blog post - What to eat in Spain ). We were not disappointed with our Serrano ham appetizer.
Debbie ordered the braised rib ravioli, it was delightful. My sea bass was excellent also.
The dinner ended with a $200 bill, but the damage was minimized by our $100 dining credit.
The great food, excellent service, and totally unique environment made this a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner
We topped the dinner off with a chilly walk halfway across the nearby Brooklyn Bridge, which recently has been lit up at night.
New lighting makes an evening walk on the Brooklyn Bridge even better.
The Bar Room is the only spot that serves breakfast, so we made a reservation through Resy for the late next morning.
Among the options are Brioche French Toast, Scottish Smoked Salmon Toast, Heirloom Grains & Sunny-Side Up Egg, and Avocado Toast.
A bit later in the morning on weekends, they offer a jazz brunch. Even if you don’t take advantage of the brunch, you can hear the jazz music throughout the atrium.
After breakfast, we lounged around the hotel, taking advantage of our 4 pm late checkout.
We thoroughly enjoyed our overnight stay at The Beekman. While it might not make sense as a home base for a longer vacation in NYC, it is an absolutely fabulous spot for a weekend getaway.
We also used our American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts benefits on a memorable trip to Eze, France. You can read about it here: Visiting the Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d’Or
Other New York City blog posts:
In New York City, with over 700 hotels, it’s very difficult to stand out. But The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel, located in lower Manhattan, is a notable hotel.
The hotel building dates back to 1881 and features a nine-story atrium and two top-tier restaurants.