The Best Room at...The Benjamin HotelCharlie Bennet
Location, location, location: it's the number one rule in real estate—and the same could be said for choosing a hotel in New York City. You want to be close to iconic sites, but not smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle, within walking distance of a well-connected subway, but not swarmed by tourists when you step outside the lobby doors.
Enter: The Benjamin. Located in midtown, less than a 10-minute walk from Rockefeller Center (making it an ideal Christmastime pick), and a quick stroll from Grand Central, the property is perfectly situated to serve as a home base for your next NYC vacation. Just a few years shy of its 100th birthday, the hotel offers charming architectural details and a storied history—its facade even featured in Georgia O’Keeffe's 1929 work “New York Night”—but a recent $25 million renovation brought the residential-style rooms and suites up to date with all the modern fixtures a 2025 traveler has come to expect. Plus, even the entry-level guest room is spacious by city standards, and offers a fully functional kitchenette to help create that home-away-from-home experience. (Or, if you'd rather dine-out, the hotel's new restaurant will arrive this fall.)
Here, The Benjamin's General Manager Simon Chapman and the Royal Sonesta's Andrea LoPiccolo share their thoughts on the best room at The Benjamin—the gorgeous Beverly suite—the hotel's history, and a few can't-miss New York City attractions.
The iconic facade of The Benjamin.Charlie Bennet
Tell me a little bit about the history of the property.
Simon Chapman: In 1927, when it was built, this whole area was a hotel alley—there was the Waldorf, the Barclay, also the St. Paris. That was that period when these properties were all being built, servicing Grand Central, one of the main hubs into the city.
And the hotel has gone through several transformations since then. It was called the Beverly, which is why Beverly Suite is an ode to that history. And at one point it was apartments, so it's transitioned. But the main reason why this hotel is the way it is, is that it was taken over in 1999 by the Denihan family, and they've subsequently owned all four of the Sonesta properties. But this was their favorite, which is why it came to be named named after the founder, the Benjamin.
Then Sonesta came along, they did spend the money, $25 million on a renovation, and it's just going to keep increasing. This property definitely needed an investment. But it was still a favorite for this area. Just even speaking to some of my friends who are attorneys around this area, they know the Benjamin, and they've stayed here. Also Georgia O'Keefe painted the facade of the building. It inspired her. And that’s just a beautiful tribute to the hotel itself. We're actually also a landmark hotel as well. We received our landmark status in 2017.
How would you describe the guests and vibe at the hotel?
SC: It can really depend on the time of year. If you look at where we are in this part of town, it's a lot of business travelers. It’s people who work in the financial sector. It's attorneys. I can tell you in the summer we have all our hedge fund interns that stay with us. We have UN business, heads of states, delegations.
During the U.S. Open, we see athletes. It's a big mix. It’s a lot of business travelers coming into town. But during the summer, it was all leisure, many families. And then December as well.
Andrea LoPiccolo: Thursday through Monday, is our family business. You have the multi-generational families, the grandparents with the grandchildren, or the grandparents with their children and their children. And the size of the rooms makes it possible to accommodate multi-generational families. Often, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we are filled with all of our corporate partners. And then that Thursday through Monday, it's all of our leisure guests who want to be in this area.
What does 2025 look like for The Benjamin?
SC: The renovation is finalized, but we're still looking ahead: the spa is going to be opening and then food and beverage. So for us, that's huge.
[Ed note: shortly after this interview was conducted, the Royal Reflection Wellness Spa, which offers massages, facials, acupuncture, and more opened. More details here.]
What is the best room at the hotel?
SC: The Beverly. Even before it was renovated, I always liked that layout. It's a unique suite. And the detailing—the bold came out quite nicely. But anything with a terrace, I would say, makes a huge difference in terms of outdoor space. [Ed note: having stayed in the Beverly suite, I can agree; the terrace, which offered both a seating area and gorgeous view, was a rare treat at a midtown hotel.]
How much does The Beverly Suite cost per night?
$4,500
What’s a local attraction that you always recommend?
SC: You're accessible to so many different places. So it depends on the time of year, but you always want to include Central Park, Rockefeller Center, especially if it's December, and then I always say book a show. You're not that far off from the Theater District.
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