Downtown Traveler

Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood is the perfect place for a romantic getaway, something we discovered in March when we were invited to stay at the luxurious Trump SoHo Hotel.

Although we live in Manhattan– less than a mile from the hotel– we jumped at the opportunity to check out one of the few high-rise hotels in that part of of the city.

We discovered that SoHo is a great place for a romantic getaway, whether you’re from out of town or around the corner!

Modern luxury

The Trump SoHo sits in an area of Lower Manhattan that is packed with restaurants and boutiques.

I knew generally what to expect from the Trump SoHo hotel, since I had previously attended a media event there with NYC bloggers Maria Russo (@traveladdictgrl) and Andrew Hickey (@brooklynnomad). We were given a daytime tour of the hotel and some of the surrounding businesses.

The lobby of the hotel is open and modern, with lots of seating and funky art installations.

Guests are  provided access to the Library, a lounge with free wifi access, comfortable couches and an active fireplace in the winter.

During the press event, we enjoyed breakfast in the $6,500/night duplex penthouse suite, which features a wrap-around balcony with sweeping views of the city. The food was as rich as the surroundings!

Next, we toured the standard rooms and the specialty suites; amenities included a pool table and in-room sauna.

Romantic getaway

Following the press event, Leslie joined me at the hotel for an overnight stay. We arrived around 8pm on a brisk Friday and were greeted by friendly staff.

We quickly settled into our two-room suite with sweeping views of downtown Manhattan and the Hudson River.

Despite the frenzy of activity on the streets below, we couldn’t hear any traffic noise from the room. It was a refreshing change from life in a walk-up apartment.

The TV set was wired to control everything from the lights to the curtains, and each screen displayed my name. Despite being tech-savvy bloggers, we actually struggled a bit with this technology and were unable to get the lights to function properly. Fortunately, the dim lighting added to the romantic atmosphere!

Of course, we took full advantage of the complementary in-room cappuccino maker, although it also took us a little time to figure out. Leslie was impressed that the candy bar included  Trump-brand lip balm– presumably so you can imitate Donald Trump’s famous pucker.

What better way to kick off a romantic evening than with a glass of wine and a bubble bath? The bathroom was modern and spacious, with a separate shower stall and tub.

We marveled at the bathroom’s more extravagant touches, including a flatscreen television and a phone next to the toilet. Although we shudder to think who makes business calls from a bathroom stall!

Local attractions

To our surprise, we discovered that Lower Manhattan has its very own winery, located within walking distance of the Trump SoHo.

I enjoyed a wine tasting at City Winery during my press tour. This local eatery features a full bar, live music, and make-your-own wine programs– right in the heart of Manhattan.

Leslie and I didn’t make it back to City Winery during our overnight visit, but it would be a great way to start a romantic evening.

During our overnight stay, we left the luxury of our hotel suite to explore SoHo’s restaurant scene. We ended up dining at Il Corallo, a cozy Italian eatery located just a few blocks from the Trump SoHo. Every table was filled, and we soon discovered why– the dishes were delicious and moderately priced. We recommend the spaghetti carbonara and the pappardelle with mushrooms.

It seemed like most people in the area were headed to trendy nightclubs (the Trump SoHo lobby was packed with Kim Kardashian lookalikes in club gear), but we decided to take it easy after dinner. On the way back to the hotel, we passed several cute boutiques.

The rich meal made us a bit lethargic, and we spent the rest of the evening in the Trump SoHo suite, finishing off our remaining wine.

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Details:

Trump SoHo Hotel
246 Spring Street, New York, NY, 10013
Phone: (212) 842-5500
www.trumphotelcollection.com/soho
trumpsoho@trumphotels.com
Twitter: @TrumpSoHo

Il Corallo
172 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
(212) 941-7119
www.yelp.com

City Winery
155 Varick Street, New York, New York 10013
Phone (212) 608-0555
www.citywinery.com
info@citywinery.com
Twitter: @citywinerynyc

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