My daughter had been romanticizing Christmas in New York City and with nearly no notice, my wife and I decided to make it happen. Behold the power of points.
Let’s Go To New York City
At 3:30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday, my wife got a crazy idea to take the kids to New York City for a couple of days. Playing on repeat in my household has been Home Alone II: Lost In New York. She suggested we head to the city for a couple of days and take in the sights. We shopped for flights departing in just two hours but that felt a little tight and our preferred hotel would open the next night on points, we would fly in the morning and spend just over 48 hours in New York flying from our Florida winter home.
Long time readers of this site know that it’s this trait of adventure that led me to marry my wife, a decision I arrived at after just five months of dating.
We packed our things, made a couple of hotel reservations, and she took my daughter shopping for a suitable coat for two days in the cold informing her of this surprise trip. This is the magic I hoped we could create for our children, and memories that should last a lifetime.
Highlights And Seeing Sights
We knew we wouldn’t be able to see and do everything the city has to offer but created a short list of must-see items for our short stay. We missed out on the Christmas Markets in Manchester this year so getting a taste of it in Bryant Park (though it was no replacement for Manchester) was a nice addition.
We were also able to make it to Sak’s 5th Avenue for its light show on the exterior of the building. This was a first for us.
Not pictured was a visit to FAO Schwartz (Duncan’s Toy Chest), the first visit in which Frankie was really able to engage. We saw the lit Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, the skating rink (it was too cold and frankly too expensive and complicated to actually skate ourselves), and walked by Radio City and through Times Square. Everything looks like a Christmas decoration this time of year, even if it’s just a lit billboard.
A New Spot
We split our stay between an old favorite, The Park Hyatt New York for our first night and then moved to Hotel Seville in NoMad, a new entrant to the Hyatt system and a former James hotel. Scarpetta, the house restaurant and the second time we have had it as a house restaurant, disappointed for breakfast, the room was basic, but the service and location were exceptional. More on all of that in a review post upcoming.
What we enjoyed most was trying not only a new property (something we try to do when we visit the city) but also a new neighborhood which we realized we love.
Eating, and Drinking
We have long enjoyed soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and for the longest time, it’s what my daughter would ask for on her birthday from as young as two years old. Our son hadn’t explored it yet but while we were in the city we popped into Din Tai Fung and the verdict was in – he loved it just like his sister.
Breakfast at the Park Hyatt is always a treat, but more than that, a slow meandering breakfast with your family on a weekday is about as priceless as it gets. For my daughter, it might not be a $500 sundae at The Plaza Hotel, but it replicated the same emotion.
In a post for another time, I will outline our experience hunting down a unique coffee experience in Noho but for the time, suffice it to say the hot chocolate and caramel brown butter and sea salt draft coffee was incredible.
The 7th Street Burger was the first time we had visited and it might have been the best burger I have had in my life. I grew up in cattle country (Omaha, Nebraska) and I am nothing short of a pure burger snob – this exceeded all expectations. It doesn’t look it but it was superb. Every single element was above and beyond. The double smash was crispy at the edges, the grilled onions perfectly carmelized, the cheese was creamy enough that I couldn’t be sure if it was liquid or just so well melted. Lastly, the bun was steamed and then pressed and seared. It was sheer perfection.
Brought To You By Miles, Points, And Credit Card Benefits
We could have afforded to pay for this last minute trip out of pocket, but the reality is that we simply wouldn’t have done so. At retail rates, this brief trip would have run more than $4,000 (the Park alone was $2,000 at time of booking without breakfast). Of course, we paid nowhere near that.
Utilizing some United Travel Bank credits, the flights were $1,000 in used credit but $19 out of pocket. We spent 45,000 World of Hyatt points for the Park Hyatt and another 29,000 for Hotel Seville (this was a very high rate for this property but we didn’t want to spend dollars on it.) Uber credits, dining credits, they all came in handy and we were able to offer something for our kids and ourselves we normally would not have done.
Conclusion
Creating this moment for our family is an incredible privilege and something that this hobby not only allows but begs us to do. We can earn the points back, and move meetings around, but we won’t get these moments back with our kids. Not only are there opportunities to make these dreams come true, but educational chances around the city, and practical lessons (in how a subway works.) But we also got the beautiful instances in which our kids interacted with each other at such a tender age. For that we will be forever grateful for our 48 hour New York City Christmas. Our family hopes you have an incredible holiday season whether it’s strolling through Central Park, rushing through Grand Central Terminal, toasting New Years from the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building, or just at home on a quiet evening in the midwest.
Great job Kyle! The wait list for dtf on Broadway, as I write this is over 2 hours! And your photo with the Rockefeller center tree is fabulous. Have a wonderful Christmas .
@Maryland – Thanks! The wait time was way too long, but after checking in and adding ourselves to the list we headed over to FAO so it worked just fine.
Love to see it! Reading this brought so much joy to me. I can only imagine how happy this made your kids! 🙂
If you like Xiao Long Bao, next time you’re in NY you should try Georgian (the country) Khinkali. They’re like soup dumplings but the size of your fist and you eat them with your hands. Chama Mama is a great option in NY.
Chama Mama’s “Desserts Platter” is perfect for dessert aficionados…
@Sergey – One of my companies had an office in Armenia and I love Georgian Khinkali (and wondered about how China and Georgia could come to the same conclusion so far away.) I’ll add this to the list.
No matter what time of year it is, the incomparable NYC never disappoints its visitors…
Thanks for visiting us in the greatest city in the world! Enjoyed Din Tai Fung with the family this year as well, except in Taiwan. Just the best. Happy holidays and new year all!
@Peter – It was a joy and it’s so nice to be in the city for personal rather than business purposes.
“7th Street Burger” probably makes the best smash burgers in the Big Apple.
Aside from whatever this AI bot named Gunturk who has been infesting the site recently, has to say, it sounds like you had the kind of experience that tourists from out of town should expect of NYC. As a local resident, the crowds are annoying, but it is a necessary evil in support of the local economy, and it sounds like things lived up to the hype.
@PsiFighter37 – I completely reversed my perspective on the congestion charge following our visit. Thank you for sharing your city with my family, it made dreams come true.
Epic! Thank you for sharing this, Kyle. So glad you and your family had an incredible time in NYC.
@1990 – Thanks, it was a blast.
Merry Christmas Kyle
@TA – And to you and yours!
Good for you! My wife was crying for this, but not this year with our budget and situation. I miss the Pennsylvania Hotel they tore down (crying). Perhaps in a few more years, when or if things stabilize. Glad you made it work for you and your family!
@PolishKnight – We were fortunate to align everything with the points and tools we had available for this short notice visit.
After years of unsuccessful preservation efforts, the demolition of the legendary Hotel Pennsylvania in 2023 is certainly quite sad… As some may remember, the property, which was also a kind of big railroad hotel, will be replaced by 15 Penn Plaza, a 50-story tower.
What fun! We took our son right before Thanksgiving one year and right after New Years another year and while both were crowded, it wasn’t that bad and we still got the holiday vibe.
Next time, take Lucy to Bergdorf Goodman for lunch or afternoon tea. https://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/c/bg-restaurant-cat1723219260 It is lovely.
BG Restaurant is truly a great spot with nice views of Central Park… Highly recommended for enjoyable lunches and afternoon teas… Don’t miss the “Double Stuffed Ravioli” and the “Strawberry Shortcake” from the tasty menu!