hotels I love (the nolitan).

I'm not too picky about hotels. 

I've stayed in rooms where I have a menu of available pillows. 

Where 95% of the lights aren't working. 

Where you wake up to the most beautiful view of Big Sur you can imagine. 

Rooms on water. Rooms on stilts. Rooms attached to the back of some lady's Vietnamese hut. 

Hostels in Paris with smells you've never experienced before. 

Rooms where you sleep in bunk beds. 

Where you don't have a "door" or really a "mattress" and your "roommates" are river snakes and lizards. 

Each one an adventure. 

But I am a sucker for a beautiful, creative space. 

A big sucker. 

I booked a couple nights at The Nolitan in the (you guessed it) Nolita neighborhood of lower Manhattan, knowing nothing other than I needed a place to stay, sort of near NYU, and in a "fun" part of town. 

It quickly became one of my favorites. 

I was welcomed with wine and snacks, and everyone was friendly, smart, and totally helpful about the neighborhood. It bears repeating. Wine. and Snacks. 

My room, while COZY in size, made up for it with bright, creative and playful design, furniture I lusted after and a KILLER view. 

It came with great treats like awesome bath products (who doesn't judge a hotel by the quality of their bath swag!?), free slippers, an iPod dock, a yoga mat, etc. 

Every afternoon the hotel offers happy hour, where guests can hang out in the lobby, have snacks and make friends. And the lobby comes equipped with board games, books, and great design, all snuggled into a homage to the epic 1970's conversation pit. 

If you're brave enough to take on the NYC streets, the Nolitan offers skateboard and bike rentals. 

Long story short, it's a pretty cool place. And the neighborhood is one I quickly fell in love with. 

So consider tucking yourself in at The Nolitan the next time you're in the big apple. Maybe hop on a skateboard. Play some Sorry with a friend. It'll be fun. Pinky swear. 

love.lauren