NYC’s theater district is chock-full of hotels and history, visitors can be overwhelmed with choices when planning their trips. Music fanatics and rewards travelers can rest easy knowing that Hard Rock Hotel New York offers everything they’re looking for in their next visit to the Big Apple.
Hard Rock Hotel New York opened in 2022 just a short five blocks away from the famous Hard Rock Cafe. The location at 159 West 48th Street was chosen for the history of the street, known as Music Row, home to record stores and recording studios that formerly lined the block. The proximity to Broadway theaters, Radio City Music Hall, and Madison Square Garden ain’t bad either.
Stepping inside the hotel, you’ll see a portion of their 80,000+ piece collection of musical memorabilia. From Beyoncé and Jay-Z‘s On the Run II World Tour outfits greeting you at the lobby elevator bank, to each floor being dedicated to different artists’ famous clothes, and the ever-changing display beneath the main staircase, leading visitors upstairs to the Sessions Restaurant. When I visited this summer, Elton John’s sparkling 1976 Statue of Liberty outfit was on display, welcoming guests to New York on the heels of Pride Month.
The rooms are comfortable and glamorous, fully stocked with a fluffy robe, slippers, Lavazza coffee maker and customizable ambiance. Changing the lights depending on your mood helps you feel like a rock star yourself, and you can even order a Fender guitar to be delivered to your room to pluck around or rock out for a while!
Across the room, find QR codes leading to Spotify playlists curated by Hard Rock for their "The Sound of Your Stay" program to amplify your experience, like the one I found on the bathroom mirror, full of shower-themed songs like TLC's "Waterfalls", and belting-worthy anthems like Paramore's "Misery Business".
Some of the best features of Hard Rock Hotel may go undetected. The building is home to an Audacy Live studio, The Venue on Music Row is in the lower levels with CBGB's iconic facade on display, and a 1,600 square foot penthouse fit for your favorite stars called the Rock Star Suite— Dua Lipa was a recent guest.
You might catch a glimpse of your fave musicians if you're lucky, especially if you grab a drink at the gorgeous RT60 Rooftop Bar & Lounge just below the celebrity suite.
It's no secret Hard Rock International has over 200 amazing properties worldwide, and now it's easier than ever for guests to explore each location thanks to their Unity loyalty program. This new program lets members earn points during every visit around the globe at their hotels, cafes, and casinos.
Points can be used for various rewards, like room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, invites to members-only events, restaurant discounts, free play rewards, and more. Unity’s "Come Together" campaign stars Shakira, John Legend, Lionel Messi, and Noah Kahan, featuring an exclusive cover of The Beatles' 1969 classic track of the same name, recorded by Kahan.
To cap off this trip, I got to see Noah Kahan perform his first ever Madison Square Garden concert, which sold out along with the second night’s performance. Kahan thanked the crowd and his family humbly and profusely during the set, while bubbly "snow" fell from the ceiling and paper leaves brought the "Stick Season" singer's Vermont roots to the city that never sleeps.
