gracious pool

Just beyond the front desk, glowing mysteriously, is the most amazing urban oasis

Siren Song? As far as hotel pools go, I think the moodily lit swimming hole
at Grace Hotel has got to be the most unlikely, the most alluring.


A cozy fireplace projected on the wall of the pool room.
What. You've never seen this done before?

I love to wander into hotels and check out lobby decor. You can get a lot of great ideas for arranging your own apartment from hotels, especially in NYC. I think the most shocked and rewarded I've been recently was when I wandered into the Grace Hotel near Times Square. For weeks last summer, I would walk past the sign that said, "Room Mate Hotels" while sipping my three dollar fruit shake after lunch; until one day, I was like, okay, what is the deal with Room Mate Hotels? Do they make you have a stranger for a roommate to save money, or do they charge you double for making you have a roommate? It is New York after all. I wouldn't put it past them to charge you double.

So back to my shock upon entering. I was going to march up to the desk clerk and ask him, "What's the deal with the roommate angle?" but then I saw it. Just a bit past him, glowing mysteriously, was the most amazing urban oasis. Instead, I tentatively asked him, "May I take a look?" as if it would be a privilege to gaze at the wonder of the pool. Why do I get like that? I don't know. The pool was amazing! There was one lone kid sitting in it. So strange. Right next to a full bar. All I could think was, "This kid from Ohio must be having one weird vacation. When he goes back home, his town is going to be so boring. I'll bet his suburban mind is being blown." So was my Brooklyn mind. As a Pisces, I love a good pool. And that chlorine smell! I do admit to loving that too. I wonder what angle I have to work to swim there at lunch?


Room Mate Grace
125 West 45th Street (6th/7th Avenues)
New York 10036
212 354 2323

Grace from the outside. You'd never know.

The front desk from the side

A very very tiny (New York-sized) lobby