cindyma

My husband and I stayed at the Library Hotel last year, and really enjoyed it. However, with all the other choices, we would like to try somewhere else. We like smaller hotels, and thought about the Casablanca. Does anyone have any info about this hotel?

Patrick

Please realize that although you may have clicked a state so when people search for that state this thread will pop up, no one coming to the US board will have a clue where you're talking about. Where are these Library and Casablanca Hotels by the way?

GoTravel

There is a Library Hotel in NYC and a Casablanca in Miami. Both are boutique hotels and both quite nice.

Anonymous

There's also a Casablanca hotel in NYC.

Patrick

Aha. A bit of sleuthing and I clicked on cindyma's name and found an old post where they were about to stay at The Library in NYC. So that answers that mystery.
And now that I think about it, haven't there been some posts here about the Casablanca in NYC?? A search should turn those up.

cindyma

Sorry to y'all. I sure had thought put this in the New York message board. I will try again.
Thanks, Cindy

Patrick

Here's a better idea. Please read the responses including the one in which I explain there is no way to "put it on a New York board" -- clicking a state is only for helping to search a topic.

mclaurie

So back on subject, the Casablanca is often put in a "competitive set" with the Michelangelo and the Muse. They're all smaller boutique hotels in the theater district. The Michelangelo has become a favorite on this board so the others seem to get short shrift. Have you checked reviews on tripadvisor?

travelenthusiast

The Sheraton Russell is a nice boutique style hotel in the Murray hill area of NYC. My husband and I stayed there last year and enjoyed it.

Patrick

Wow. McLaurie, I've stayed in standard rooms at both the Michelangelo and The Muse, and I'd never put them anywhere near the same category.

The Michelangelo is a small luxury hotel, pure and simple. Luxurious old world decor and atmosphere. Classic service, and nice amenities.

The Muse is a boutique hotel. That's a nice way of saying, "hey we're giving you trendiness to make up for the lack of comfort and room". Our room there had a bed against the wall so you couldn't get in on one side. A TV that was placed so it couldn't be seen from the only chair in the room. Air conditioning/heat that wouldn't work because it was behind the heavy shades you had to drop if you wanted either privacy from the adjacent windows or darkness. No closet space. No place in the bathroom to set out your toiletries. And my personal favorite -- the main picture on the wall permanently screwed on upside down.

No, those two hotels are not in the same category. On the other hand, the staff at The Muse are really young, very attractive, and have really snazzy trendy "uniforms".

MzPossum

I heard the term "boutique hotel" yesterday for the first time. What are they?

mclaurie

Well I think MzPossum's question is very relevant given my gaff. Patrick, thanks for the I'm no longer sure I know the definition of a boutique hotel. I think both the OP and I think of the term as any smaller hotel. I guess some think of it as a more modern, trendy, small hotel. I believe the term was first popularized when Ian Schrager starting rehabbing old properties and put style in place of space. Suddenly everybody called themselves a boutique hotel. I guess there's boutique trendy, boutique old world???

BTW, I agree the Sheraton Russell is a small gem. Another like that is the Elysee whose location I prefer.

On another thread today I discovered the Library and the Casablanca are owned by the same co. Both evidently have very small rooms.

ncgrrl

Hi cindyma, I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

However, even if you picked 'New York' as your category, you picked New York STATE, not New York CITY. Even with picking a state all US messages show up in one listing so it can confuse those of us who scroll down the US list without picking a state. Welcome to Fodor's, most of us are nice, a few (like me) can be grumpy at times.

Patrick

Ah mclaurie, I think you really hit it with that Ian Schrager phrase; "style in place of space". I always associate that "boutique" term with being trendy, not merely a small hotel, but maybe that's just me.

But here's the phrase I have no idea what it is supposed to mean: "European style hotel". What the heck is that about?

MikeT

This points out an important question. Boutique clearly does mean different things, although I think smaller and more intimate are probably the glue that holds the definition together. It also points out is important to do your homework.

I like fashionable and minimalist and don't like feeling like I am staying at a clubby, stuffy hotel decorated with bad reproduction furniture. Therefore, I loved the Muse and thought it was a wonderful change from most hotels. The Sheraton Russell, which is also boutiquey, always feels stuffy and overdone.