An honest review of our stay at the glamorous, romantic, candle-lit, Art Deco inspired Civilian Hotel NYC in Midtown, Manhattan
Written by Lauren
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I was in the market for lush and decadent digs for a romantic rendezvous with my guy.
You see, we’d been apart for three weeks. And we had a small window of four days to reunite in New York City, and I wanted to make the best of it.
My vision: I wanted the accommodations to feel indulgent and luxurious. I wanted the room to feel tucked away, our own little cocoon in the midst of the madness of Manhattan for the few moments we’d actually get to hide away in there together.
And since we had to be within walking distance of Radio City, I wanted it to evoke all the velvety, candle-lit glamour of Midtown from its Art Deco heyday.
Enter: Civilian New York.
In our review of Civilian Hotel NYC, we’ll get into what we liked and what we didn’t, dining options, amenities, and accessibility.
Civilian Hotel NYC Vibes
Romantic, glamorous, candle-lit
Think Old Broadway glamour.
Enter under the marquee-inspired awning. Climb the spiral staircase, hidden away behind a maroon velvet curtain in the back, beckoning mystery and the unknown with each turn. Tuck away in plush velvet candle-lit banquettes. Step into the elevators, with their beautiful black and white tiled floors. Hide away in rich-hued monochromatic rooms designed to feel like your own private theatre box, each with its own four poster bed.
Even the second-floor cocktail room is designed to evoke the feel of a theatre’s backstage with reclaimed brick walls and adjustable stage lighting.
You’ll also find nods to Broadway in the photographs lining the hallway walls.
And no wonder, the theatre district is mere blocks away.
What you’ll find here is luxury with an edge: glossy black and white subway tiles in Rosevale Kitchen, the onsite restaurant. Vintage brass finishings. Dark corners. Warm lighting. Cozy seating.
Perfect for a secret rendezvous with your lover vibes.
It’s clear that thoughtful design has gone in to every corner of this space (except for maybe the bathroom doors—but more on that later).
And I am sucker for good design, like the cut-outs in the bedside stands that perfectly fit the remote or a phone.
Checking in at Civilian Hotel NYC
What I liked
- The design
- Friendly and helpful staff
What I didn’t
- No lobby
- Self check-in process
I was sent an email and text in the days leading up to check-in with a prompt to download their app and to pre-fill out check in information.
Upon entering through the thick double set of doors (they are heavy, best to use the open button on the side), you will enter into a narrow black-tiled room. It’s easy to confused the lobby (or complete lack thereof) for a hallway or entrance foyer. Here you’ll find one bench tucked away along the wall to the left, followed by three computers and a small host desk across to the right.
The very friendly and helpful staff will direct you to self check-in at one of the computers. You will need your ID and credit card.
It was honestly a little jarring. The lack of lobby and the self check-in process.
In my opinion, a cozy, quiet lobby is essential in any busy city to separate the inner sanctuary of the hotel from the hustle and bustle of the streets and sidewalks mere feet away. Sure, they have dining options here, but they aren’t open all the time, and loitering around without ordering anything is probably frowned upon. I like the option of having a place where I can just be or work, outside of the room, pressure-free. But alas, not here.
I know we’re moving to a highly automated, tech-y world. But the self check-in just felt impersonal to me. I like being greeted and checked-in by reception. I like being told all the deets and personalized directions to my room. It makes me feel welcomed. But maybe I’m just old fashioned.
All that being said, there is always someone on staff behind the host desk in the lobby and they were always very friendly.
Also note, there is no parking onsite.
The room at Civilian Hotel NYC
What I liked
- Room size
- Cozy and comfortable bedding
- Quiet and serene
- Remote-controlled blackout and solar curtains
- Window seat
- Thoughtful design touches
What I didn’t
- Thermostat problems
- See throughish bathroom door
Upon entering the room (we got a maroon one), I was pleasantly surprised by how large it was. A hotel room in Manhattan where I can open my suitcase on the floor AND still have space to walk around it? What a treat!
Of course, one does not simply enter a hotel room without immediately throwing all belongings on the floor and swan diving Peter Pan style right onto the plush white bedding.
And the bedding here passed the test.
Another highlight: the floor to ceiling window looking down onto the intersection of West 48th and 8th, with a little seat ledge. (The top part of the window opens too, which is a nice touch.)
Looking down at all the cars and people 19 floors down, it dawned on me: I couldn’t hear a thing. It was so quiet in the room. Quiet and serene, a must needed respite.
On the left side of the bed, there was a small velvet bench and table (not what I would consider a workspace by any stretch, but I did try). The wood frame of the bed had perfectly sized cut-outs on each side for the remote or a phone. I love a perfectly sized cubby!
Here I found an unidentified remote. I started pressing buttons (obviously, curiosity hasn’t killed me yet). And then, a whirring from behind me. Blackout blinds started to lower, enclosing the room in sweet, sweet darkness. Another treat!
There are also solar blinds for use during the day or for a more transparent option (if you’re one of those rise with the sunrise kinda people).
We didn’t have a four-poster bed, which wasn’t much of a loss for me, honestly. However, the four posters probably would’ve helped keep the mattress in place. Just bumping into it or jumping on it would send it sliding slightly off the wooden frame.
The room was a comfortable temperature, but I never did quite figure out how to work the thermostat.
The bathroom design was modern Art Deco with black, white, and maroon tiles and brass finishings. The shower had a European style glass wall.
Here’s my only complaint about the bathroom: the door is translucent. As in, you can vaguely see what’s going on in there from the other side.
Granted, it is placed behind the head of the bed, so someone would have to be standing right next to the bed, looking into the bathroom to catch a glimpse. But still. I don’t know about you, but I like my bathroom doors opaque.
Everyone does bathroom things in the bathroom, that’s totally fine. But when you’re trying to have a romantic getaway with your lover, something’s should just retain the sanctity of mystery. Know what I’m saying?
Also, I’ve been known to hide in bathrooms for extended periods of time (or brief seconds) just to catch a moment to myself (all you introverted, sensory-sensitive folks out there know exactly what I’m talking about) and it’s kind of hard to do the whole dramatic door close, back pressed against the door slide down to the bathroom floor, knee pull into your chest, head resting on folded arms thing without your significant other noticing, and saying, “What the fuck are you doing in there? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, honey. Just need a moment to collect myself here.” On the bathroom floor, back pressed against the door just as God intended.
A rude interruption
Upon check-in, the front desk host did explicitly state that housekeeping does not enter the room unless you request it.
So, it was quite the wake-up call when housekeeping burst into the room at 10 in the morning while we were still sleeping (and thankfully, in a covered, uncompromising position.
I looked at her. She looked at me. Then looked at the door (where I hadn’t realized there was a Time For Change/Right To Privacy spin dial I could control from inside the room), and then back at me as if to say, “You didn’t put Do Not Disturb on the dial.”
I looked back at her as if to say, “The front desk told me you guys wouldn’t be coming in here unless I requested it, and since I did not, I don’t know why you’re in here.”
And then, she mumbled an apology and left.
Civilian Hotel NYC Location
Midtown
Straddling the border between Hell’s Kitchen and the Theatre District on West 48th Street and 8th Avenue.
305 W 48th Street New York, NY 10036
Civilian Hotel NYC Costs + Booking
$200s – $300s / night
Dog-friendly!
One dog under 40lbs per room
$50 per stay
Rooms come in deep burgundy or navy blue. You can choose between cozy or spacious rooms.
- Cozy options: two twins or one queen
- Spacious options: two double beds, queen, or king (ADA available)
I paid around $1,200 for a Spacious Queen for three nights and I was able to book a week ahead of time.
| Price breakdown |
| Room price: $1,211.93 |
| 3 nights: $349.00 avg/night |
| Night 1: $329.00 |
| Night 2: $349.00 |
| Night 3: $369.00 |
| Taxes: $164.93 |
Accessibility at Civilian Hotel NYC
Wheelchair friendly
There are no stairs from the entrance into the lobby, and doors are powered.
Wheelchair-accessible lobby, registration desk, and public bathroom.
There are two full-sized elevators with wheelchair-accessible path to elevators.
Restaurants are wheelchair-accessible, as well.
Civilian Hotel offers a Spacious King room that is ADA-friendly.
- Shower: roll-in with hand-held and height-adjustable shower head
- Portable shower seat
- Wheelchair accessible vanity, counters, and sinks
- Toilet: grab bar and raised seat
Other Amenities at Civilian Hotel NYC
- Luggage storage
- Concierge
- Laundry/dry cleaning service
- Housekeeping on request (they offer different package options)
Dining at Civilian Hotel NYC
- Rosevale — restaurant and cocktail room with spiral staircase
- Emmy Squared Pizza — pizza place and bar
- Starchild — rooftop lounge club
Civilian Hotel NYC is a great choice for all the glamorous, romantic, and Art Deco vibes.
It feels perfectly in place for Midtown, Manhattan, especially the Theatre District. Stay for a whole weekend of Broadway shows and cocktails, or come just for a meal!
Your stay awaits!
The Midtown Collection
About Lauren
Reader, writer, traveller, itinerary-creator & mapmaker extraordinaire
Detroit-born, Nashville-bent, everywhere-bound, some of her favorite things include drinking coffee, eating in roadside diners frequented by locals and truckers alike, reading entire guidebooks front to back, visiting local bookshops, spirit questing in New Mexico, watching wildlife documentaries, listening to unapologetic amounts of Taylor Swift, and sitting in aisle seats. To name a few.
