Staycation High In The Sky

Not a day goes by without a reader or friends, coming to New York City with their kiddies reaching out for recommends on places to stay, places to eat, and things to do. I usually taylor my recommendations according to their childrens’ ages, suggesting some classic and iconic options, in addition to some hidden gems of the city. I rarely suggest anything to readers, without first hand experience, because some things may not be as they appear. One perk of my job that I love are the many family staycations we’ve been having in our hometown, while also taking notes for my readers. These experiences leave me super confident when offering information about where they should spend their time and money, with their family. And for parents with kids, a family friendly hotel is everything.

Last week, our family had the opportunity to stay at the Millennium Hilton New York Downtown. Living in Battery Park, the hotel is practically across the street from us, so we actually walked there. Most hotels in NYC look out to the building across, starring into a neighbors’ windows. Well, that was not the case in our room. Located on the 54th floor, our one bedroom king suite had 360 degree views of New York City. We could clearly see the East River, Hudson River, and World Trader Center Memorial. Plenty of light shined into our living room with two pull out sofa beds. The two sofas were a huge plus for a family of five.

The Millennium Hotel is situated in the heart of downtown, directly across from the Oculus, near almost every subway line, and attractions like the ferry boats to the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Observatory, the Seaglass Carousel, and the South Street Seaport.

During our stay, temps were single digits, so we decided to go see the movie Coco at the new iPic theater.  Inside the theater offers table service where you can order drinks, popcorn, and even a full meal right to your seat. Since it was our first time there, we went all out on dinner and a movie! On the way home from the theater, we stumbled upon an outdoor exhibit at the Seaport called Sea Of Light. These globe-like spheres fill the street, changing colors. They’re pretty neat.

After dinner and the movie, it was back to our hotel and ready for bedtime. I had housekeeping prepare the sofa beds for the kids. We put on the television, but they immediately conked out. I waited up for Jason, as I finished some work while admiring our insane views of the city.

The Millennial Hilton offers room service, and The Church & Dey Restaurant in the hotel, but our room was so comfy that we decided to order in. Since we are local, we ordered from our regular deli. Breakfast around the table with the entire family is one of my favorite times of the days. Some of the conversations we spark up are just hilarious, especially now that the kids are getting older.

After breakfast, it was off to the indoor pool, which is such a huge perk for kids and especially during the winter months. Whenever you ask my children about a hotel, the first thing they ask is if it has an indoor pool, so Millennium Hilton was a winner in their eyes. Not to mention, we were the only ones in the pool at the time, so the kids had an absolute blast!

Now I have another family friendly hotel to recommend to friends and readers with large families coming to the city. I will say, try to request a higher floor, so you can experience the same breathtaking views, regardless of the time of year. See more of our stay on VLOG 12!

Hotel and accommodations provided by Millennium Hilton New York Downtown.