A little trace of Paris located steps away from the Empire State Building in Midtown; the Roger New York is the perfect location for a mini-getaway in the Big Apple. If there’s one tip I give everyone, including myself is that life is too short to NOT travel and enjoy the things you love. Cliché isn’t it? But it’s true.

Life motto: Don’t wait. YOLO.

A week prior to my travel, I checked my travel rewards and realized that I have A LOT of points saved up. Before booking my tickets, I kept telling myself that I would continue to accumulate those points for an even BIGGER and better travel destination but then I re-evaluated that thought. If you’re anything like me, you love collecting points and rewards because who doesn’t love free stuff? I do.

Without hesitation, I thought to myself why wait to redeem my points later when I can now because let’s be honest, I will always keep saving up for a better travel destination and in the end I’ll be left with all these points that I never use. Rant over. I ended up redeeming my points for my last-minute trip to New York City and let me tell you, it was worth every penny!

Meet Roger.

Upon my arrival, I met Roger. Just kidding. I was greeted by some of the most hospitable staff I’ve come across at the hotel. Coming from the hospitality and tourism industry, I’ve had my share of shitty customer service but the team at The Roger made feel like royalty. The check-in process was seamless.

I received the key card to my room located on the 16th floor. When I first entered the elevator, I didn’t see a 16th floor but saw a button for PH. I stepped out of the elevator twice to realize that my room was in fact located on the top floor of the hotel. The excitement built up. The elevators opened, I walked to my assigned room, inserted my key card and I was in complete awe. I felt like Carrie Bradshaw from the first Sex and the City movie when she opened the doors to her dream apartment in Manhattan.

The feeling was surreal.

If there’s one thing The Roger hotel does really well, it's paying attention to details! Located beside the door was a bottle of red wine, some nibbles and a lovely hand-written note welcoming me to the hotel. But really, they had me at the bottle of wine. It was just what I needed after a long day exploring the busy streets of New York City.

The interiors of the room kept in line of the hotel’s Parisian theme. It was blue, white and luxe. Aside from the beautiful studded headboard and other fine details, the one feature that made sure I got good nights sleep is the bed! Typically while travelling, I find it hard to sleep because the bed is either too hard or too soft. Luckily, this one was just the right.

I slept like a baby.

Now you’re probably wondering, what made this room so special that I had a Carrie Bradshaw moment from Sex and the City? Well… the highlight of my penthouse suite was a private terrace that overlooked the streets of New York and wait for it… The Empire State Building. So I guess not only did I have a Carrie Bradshaw moment but I also felt like Jay Z and Alicia Keys with an Empire State of Mind. While of course, sipping on my glass of wine enjoying some ME time. Can it get any better than that? I don’t think so! I had to pinch myself to realize that I was in-fact living the dream.

After spending my evening out on the terrace, I took a relaxing hot shower, threw on the Roger’s comfortable robe, tucked myself in bed and called it a night.

"oh, new york."

I have to admit, there’s nothing quite like waking up in New York City looking up at the Empire State Building and looking down at the streets. Personally, I love seeing the hustle and bustle of the city. In a way it fuels my creativity and pushes me to aspire, dream and push myself to achieve my goals!

I woke up refreshed and HUNGRY.

Food is life.

There’s no better way to start the day than with an epic breakfast spread, am I right? Unfortunately the hotel doesn’t offer room-service for breakfast but if you head a few floors down, they offer a drool-worthy breakfast buffet at their in-house restaurant: The Parlour. The restaurant is marble heaven with the perfect round marble tabletops. Instead of eating in at the restaurant, I opted to take my breakfast up to my room and enjoy the feast in bed while taking in the views of the city. As you can tell, I spent more time in my room than anywhere else. It’s not everyday you get to enjoy a luxe room such as this one. I made the most of this experience till it was time to check out.

Overall, the Roger New York gave me the ultimate Manhattan experience. One that I only dreamed of while watching movies. They turned my childhood dream into reality and I can guarantee they will do the same to you. I'm counting down the days till I'm back.

Until next time, Roger that.

Photos captured by Ryan Whitman.

Meet Roger New York