Great hotel but overpriced
We visited this hotel when it first came on the scene and loved it so much we had been raving about it for years. We were so excited to come back to the Library and experience again the quaint and cozy hotel.
The Library Hotel is just as charming as we remembered, with it's book themed rooms and the dewy decimal labeled room numbers. The furnishings were also nice although definitely a lot more worn than when we had first visited. We were advised as we were shown to our rooms that many of the rooms had just been refurbished...this was relayed to us as we were shown to our UNrefurbished room (nice touch!).
We were both taken aback by how small the room was. Our previous visit we had booked the smallest room and the room we were given this time around was meant to be bigger (it was certainly more expensive) and it was, but just. We had a queen sized bed which was just tiny for two people. The bathroom had nice finishing, although also a bit worn, very small and the design slightly clumsy. The tv seemed was a 15in flat screen hidden in the cabinet...epitome of small living.
The area where evening snacks and breakfast are served is quaint although bordering on sterile. The evening nibbles and drinks is a really nice touch and well done, with lots of choice. Breakfast is also nicely done. It is nothing over the top, but quaint, just like the hotel.
The staff are lovely. From the staff at the check-in counter, to the bell-hop, to the staff who oversea the eating area. The check-in staff gave us some great restaurant recommendations and also sent up a bottle of champagne as we were celebrating both an anniversary and a birthday (nice touch).
The location is midtown, which puts you very close to many things: Grand Central Station, Rockafeller Center, lots of shopping. But of all the neighborhoods in Manhattan, midtown is probably the most unexciting and the one with the least character (save the Financial District) given it's made up mostly businesses. Although, that being said, it is quite central.
Overall, it is a lovely, quaint, charming boutique hotel. However, looking at it with fresh eyes, it is massively overpriced at almost $600 per night.