Next review set : Iroquois New York, New York City

PHOTO: Iroquois Hotel courtesy of Iroquois Hotel

Three generations have managed the Triumph Hotels, building a beautiful company of seven boutique hotels in New York City. Hotel Chandler. The Evelyn. Hotel Belleclaire. Cosmopolitan Hotel. Washington Jefferson. Edison Hotel. Iroquois New York.

Each hotel embodies the architectural details of the neighborhood in which it is situated, as well as the era in which it was originally built. Particularly, the Iroquois New York in Midtown Manhattan near Times Square and Grand Central Station has an enduring resonance, speaking well to the history behind this elegant turn-of-the-century design. In fact, the New York Times wrote on July 28, 1911, "There is no more frequented block in New York than West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.. It is a block of hotels, restaurants and fashionable clubs … On the block are The New York Yacht, The Yale, The Harvard, and City Clubs… opposite the hotel is the New York Bar Association, half a block west is the Hippodrome…"

The same statement has held true throughout the 21st century, and over the years the hotel has housed numerous celebrities indefinitely, such as the incomparable James Dean for two years -- Rebel Without A Cause and the seminal Texas movie Giant for the uninitiated.

Today, while still embracing its storied and sometimes luried past (there was a murder at the hotel in 1911, and the man sentenced held the longest prison sentence in the Guiness Book of World Records), the 114 rooms and 9 suites have been classically enhanced with contemporary details such as a jacuzzi tub while the mandatory, modern luxury hotel detail of a comfortable bed has been precisely met. Over $13 million dollars was invested to bring the hotel up-to-par and its association with the darling Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand is a welcomed branding opportunity!

I am certainly looking forward to my first stay this week. Be sure to tune into the blog later this month for a full review!