As you can probably tell from the blog, when it comes to travel, I’m really all about how people and places make me feel. And it’s usually the unexpected places that leave the greatest impression.

One such place is, of all places, the Roger Hotel lobby bar in New York City.

A friend and I wanted to meet up, yet neither of us were in the mood for something loud and crazy or tiny and cramped. So, with a veto on noise and claustrophobia, we started looking around different neighborhoods. We had last met up in Chelsea, and there was nothing near me in Midtown East, so we settled halfway in the middle.

The Roger recently underwent a renovation, and it is everything a boutique hotel should be: small, beautiful, and welcoming.

We sat in the lobby, which felt more like we were in some super stylish friend’s swanky apartment. Super tall ceilings, blue velvet sofas, and a piano man playing, basically, just for us. How cool, no? There were maybe 10 people in there total, from two older women who were singing along with the piano man to my friend and I, sitting on the sofa at the back.

We both had a few drinks, and the bartender herself came up to take our order. She was super friendly, and made a great drink. And she also brought over bar snacks, oh hey wasabi peas!

Prices were no different than your usual Manhattan bar, and the experience was way different than the usual NYC night out. Highly recommended.