The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York

About The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York

The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York suits travelers who want Midtown East as a base rather than a destination in itself. Business guests are within a short walk of Grand Central Terminal and the office blocks around it. Couples and small groups get Central Park, the Museum Mile stretch of Fifth Avenue and the Theater District within easy reach on foot or by subway. Late arrivals land at a 24-hour front desk. The address on East 50th Street keeps the evenings quieter than Times Square, while the lights stay a short ride south.

The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York is a 4-star hotel in Midtown East, Midtown Manhattan, with a supplier guest score of 4.1 out of 5 from 1,472 reviews. It is a full-service city hotel rather than a small guesthouse. Rooms come with air conditioning and internet access, and the building holds a fitness center, a business center, a bar and banquet space. Families can book family rooms, and drivers have parking and valet parking. Check the total price with taxes and fees when you book.

Rooms and listed facilities

The listed facilities cover the basics well. Couples get air conditioning, internet access and a fitness center, plus a bar for the end of the day. Families can ask for family rooms, a cot and a kitchenette. Business travelers have a business center, banquet space, laundry service and luggage storage. Late arrivals find a 24-hour front desk and 24-hour security, and lifts serve every floor. Parking and valet parking are listed, as are wheelchair accessibility and pet friendly stays. Confirm the room type, the pet policy and any facility fee with the property before booking.

The listed facilities are worth reading against your own plans. Wifi and internet access cover working mornings, the business center covers printing and calls, and the fitness center covers a short session before dinner. A kitchen and kitchenette help families and longer stays keep breakfast simple. Couples can treat the bar and banquet space as the social side of the hotel. Ask the property directly about room layout, accessible rooms and what the parking arrangements involve.

The setting

East 50th Street places the hotel on a side street in Midtown East, between the office towers around Grand Central Terminal and the blocks that run east toward the East River. Straight-line distances show the position: about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) to Grand Central Terminal, about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) to Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, about 0.7 miles (1.2 km) to Times Square and about 1.2 miles (2 km) to Penn Station. LaGuardia Airport is about 5.3 miles (8.5 km) away, Newark Liberty about 12 miles (18.7 km) and JFK about 13 miles (20.7 km).

Location and neighborhood

Turtle Bay sits east of the office core, on the side streets between the United Nations and the East River. Couples often settle here for the pace: evenings are calm, mornings start slowly, and a weekend can be built from two or three short walks rather than a schedule. The blocks are mostly residential, with the river at the end of the street and the Theater District a walk west. Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building anchor the southern edge. Slow travel suits this neighborhood. Plan less than you think you should and let the side streets fill the time.

Midtown East runs from Fifth Avenue to the East River, between 42nd and 59th Streets, and holds two moods. Near the avenues the blocks are busy with offices and lunch crowds. Toward the river they thin out after working hours, and that is when the area suits a couple on a slow weekend. The street grid is easy to read: numbered streets run east to west, avenues north to south, and Fifth Avenue divides East from West addresses. The United Nations sits on the riverfront near 42nd Street, and Grand Central Terminal is the transport anchor at 42nd and Park Avenue.

Getting there and around

Grand Central Terminal is around 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York, with subway and commuter trains under one roof. The subway runs 24 hours a day. Payment is by tapping a contactless card or phone at the turnstile, and the older swipe card is being phased out, so tap to pay where you can. The airports are around 13 miles (20.7 km) away by road: JFK by AirTrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach, Newark Liberty by its AirTrain and a train into Penn Station, LaGuardia closest by road with the free Q70 link to the subway. Check service changes before a late arrival. The central Midtown blocks are around 0.7 miles (1.2 km) from The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York.

Nearby sights and food

Most of the well-known sights sit within a short walk or one subway ride of the area. Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue, rewards an unhurried look at the concourse, and the Chrysler Building stands a block east. The United Nations occupies the riverfront nearby; visitor access can change, so check ahead. The Museum of Modern Art is west of Fifth Avenue, within walking distance. Two observation decks are close: one at the Empire State Building, one next to Grand Central. The Intrepid Museum, on the Hudson, and Hudson Yards with the Vessel are a longer ride west.

Eating well needs no research in Midtown East, though the better places tend to be quiet rather than famous. Turtle Bay holds a cluster of Japanese restaurants, from noodle shops to counters serving sushi and rice bowls, plus Irish pubs and Italian trattorias on the side streets. Near Grand Central, steakhouses and food halls feed the office crowds at lunch. For a slow weekend, look for a bakery in the morning, a wine bar in the late afternoon, and a neighborhood dining room where nobody hurries you out. Reserve ahead for Saturday dinner.

A day from The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York

A day from The Fifty Sonesta Hotel New York starts slowly. Coffee and a pastry on a side street, then west to Grand Central Terminal to see the concourse before the crowds build. Continue to the Museum of Modern Art for two hours, or skip it and walk north through Midtown to Central Park, which is free to enter. Lunch near the office blocks, then a rest. In the late afternoon, take an elevator to an observation deck, or head west to Hudson Yards and the Vessel. Dinner in Turtle Bay, then a Broadway show; curtains are usually at 7 or 8 pm, so check the show.

Distances

Facilities listed by the supplier

As listed by the booking supplier; a facility not listed here may still exist. Confirm anything important with the property.

• 24 Hour Front Desk
• 24-hour security
• Air conditioning
• Alarm clock
• Banquet
• Snack bar
• Bars
• Bathroom
• Business Center
• Cleaning
• Coffee
• Crib
• Desk
• Dishwasher
• Dry cleaning service
• DVD player
• Express check in
• Family rooms
• First aid
• Fitness Center
• Garage
• Hairdryer
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Kitchen
• Kitchenette
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Lounge
• Luggage storage
• Market
• Microwave
• Non smoking rooms
• Parking
• Pay per view
• Pets allowed
• Radio
• Refrigerator
• Safe
• Security Features