Last Wednesday I shared with you my review of the hotel that I found for us to stay in Manhattan in this post, so I needed to follow-up with the details for the lovely hotel where we stayed in Brooklyn, the NU Hotel.
The Hotel:
The first thing that I noticed when we checked into the NU were the pet water bowls and the dog treats on the reception desk – yes, the NU hotel is pet-friendly!! Sadly our pups had to stay at home for this trip, but it’s always worth noting when you do find somewhere that they could come to.
The second thing I noticed was the smell of freshly baked cookies. The NU bakes them in house daily and if you’re there at around midday the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies pervades the lobby area – delicious!!
Our friendly check-in staff welcomed us and gave us all the details for breakfast, the gym and the bar. The NU serves a complimentary continental breakfast daily in the lobby which we really appreciated – a great selection bagels and all the condiments, mini muffins, yogurts, fruit, cereal and hard-boiled eggs with fresh tea and coffee. The bar is open in the afternoons/evenings Tuesday through Saturday.
Our Room:
Our room was lovely, a good size with wooden floorboards and a modern, minimalist style with interesting artwork (kinda sad that we didn’t know about the rooms with the hammocks (!) but next time we know what to ask for). The bathroom is large, bright and white, with gorgeous L’Occitane toiletries (my favourite!)
The NU hotel was perfectly located in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, just off Atlantic Avenue and within walking distance of the Barclays Center, where we were watching the fight (UFC 208), and a host of great bars and restaurants – I took it upon myself to check out Don Chingon (for fabulous guacamole and Paloma cocktails) and Broccolino (for delicious freshly made pasta and wine on tap). On Sunday morning we ambled a few blocks up Atlantic to meet friends for brunch at Colonie for superb Shrimp n’ Grits (get there for when it opens at 11:00 am, or just before, there are no reservations taken and it is popular!)
There was so much more that we wanted to explore in Brooklyn, but unfortunately the weather just wasn’t playing ball making it difficult to get around on foot – so we’ll just have to come back! 😉
Did you read my post about our fantastic hotel stay in Manhattan?
Photo Credit: All hotel photos are hotel’s own.
Flights:
New York is such a convenient destination with three International airports and direct flights from many of the main US cities. John F. Kennedy International (JFK), La Guardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Airport (EWR) just across the river in New Jersey. There will also be direct flights to one of the three from most European Capitals. We booked our flights through Skyscanner as it’s a great way to compare flight prices across the different airlines. Don’t forget to get your ESTA or US visa arranged in plenty of time ahead of your trip!
Once we reached the airport we found that the easiest and cheapest way to get to our hotels was using Super Shuttle the airport shuttle service, which cost us around $20 per person and removed the complication of traveling on the subway with luggage in a city that we didn’t know.
Hotels:
I choose to use Hotels.com for all my trips away as I collect nights on my travels which can add up to free nights in the future. New York has hundreds of fantastic hotels listed as part of their program and you can grab some great rates! Read more about where we stayed in Midtown here.
Travel Insurance:
Please always remember that it’s a good idea to take out travel insurance whenever you are going away. Lost belongings, missed connections or a host of other travel woes can really impact your trip. As expats we always use World Nomads because of their flexible coverage. Be sure to read the policy details carefully and ensure that it is right for you!
