Day 13 – Hotel Sofitel
45 West 44th Street.
I was back on 44th Street today, where I began the book. The Sofitel is a beautiful French themed hotel with nearly 400 rooms a couple of doors down from the Algonquin, but the lobby (lobbies, really) restaurants and other public space are more the scale of a much smaller, continental hotel. Which I like. Cavernous, polished marble lobbies – like the Pennsylvania, my previous post – are not my bag.
Above, though, is a soaring 30 storey tower with extraordinary views over midtown.
Having opened only in 2000, this place has yet to build a list of notable writers, poets and l’infant terribles (this author, notwithstanding). But it has unfortunately garnered attention for other, less savoury, exploits. It was here that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the IMF, attacked a cleaner in his room and ended up being arrested and lead out of the place in handcuffs. Nice. Such things must be a nightmare for the hotel’s management, but don’t let it put you off. It’s a beautiful place.
Today’s word count: 2300
Word count to date: 35,465
http://www.sofitel.com/gb/
