There’s a moment in Goodfellas where Henry Hill takes his date in through the back of a restaurant, through a maze of side doors and staircases, before they emerge into the glow of the club as if they’ve slipped through the membrane of this reality into a better, more glamorous one. It’s more or less how our first evening at the Kimpton Theta New York – Times Square began, where the manager of this contemporary-cool NYC address met us on the street, steered us through an unassuming entrance, past the public bits, up the back stairs and – bang – out onto the rooftop bar, Sprezzatura.
Sprezzatura is a brilliant Italian word, one of those that makes English seem a bit flat in comparison. It means effortless cool (but cooler, because it’s Italian). And that’s the kind of cool the Kimpton Theta traffics in. The property is a rare hotel that makes you feel you’ve joined a club rather than checked into a room, and it pulls this feeling off with ease. It’s not exclusive in that dreadful velvet rope way, but it does make you feel like you’re in on something. It’s the atmosphere: a mix of hotel guests, a few locals, and that slick background hum that New York does so well.
We were impressed by the staff, and not simply for the kind of slick professionalism that comes as standard in high-end hotels. They’re warm, quick‑witted, and genuinely funny. On our last day, we asked at reception whether we could leave our bags after checkout. One of the staff members looked us square in the eye, deadpan: “We don’t do that”.
For a second, we thought: this is the moment the magic of Kimpton Theta evaporates. We managed an awkward “Oh… okay” before they broke into a grin and said they were joking. Small thing, but it tells you something – they’re not afraid to play, to let you in on the joke. It’s a long way from the script‑bound monotone of most hotel front desks.
Kimpton understands that a hotel’s personality isn’t just in the furniture or the expensive wall art. Rather, it’s in the people. Every evening between 5 and 6, the hotel hosts a complimentary wine reception in the lounge. The staff float through the room, topping up glasses generously, chatting, mixing, and making everyone feel at home. It’s convivial without being forced. A lovely touch.
The lounge itself is the kind of space where you almost want a light drizzle outside, just to justify lingering. Through the day, it’s colonised by people doing the freelance laptop‑and‑latte thing, all artfully hunched over MacBooks. The energy is pure Manhattan creative class. We found ourselves wanting to pull out a notebook and join in, just to look like we’re working on the next great American novel.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Culturalist | JFK / LGA / EWR | GMT -5 |
| While you’re Out There |
| You could write several books on the topic of what to do in NYC. And many have. But this time, a hungover Sunday breakfast at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, less than five minutes walking, was a highlight for us. A stack of pancakes and a pot of coffee while ex-and-future Broadway performers climb across the booths and belt out pop and show tunes – it’s the kind of kitsch that presumably makes the locals’ skin crawl but is too fun for tourists to miss. |
The rooms are as you’d expect from the Kimpton brand: artful, modern design, plush beds, and enough quirks to keep things interesting. In a place like NYC, where space comes at a premium, our room was relatively compact but perfectly appointed. You won’t mistake it for a generic business hotel; there’s an attention to detail here, a sense that someone cared. We’re told the name Theta comes from the brainwaves produced during deep relaxation. Happily, we managed to achieve a bit of this, since despite its location in the throbbing heart of the theatre district, our accommodation was perfectly quiet at night.
There’s no room service, but a cute hole-in-the-wall café serves (very good) coffee and pastries in the morning, and a small market at reception offers snacks.
Food at Sprezzaturra is excellent, a fresh slice of the Amalfi coast with a modern spin. We had oysters, followed by lobster salad bruschetta, and found both great. New York can sometimes make you feel small, but up here you’re reminded that you’re in the thick of it, gazing out at the madness of Hell’s Kitchen and those iconic rooftop water towers.
There’s a confidence to the Kimpton Theta that’s hard to fake. It doesn’t shout about itself, doesn’t plaster you with slogans or try to convince you it’s cool. It just is. You check in, you have your glass of wine, you nod to the person at the desk who made you laugh yesterday, and the place feels like yours.
It’s tempting, in a city like New York, to run yourself ragged chasing every recommendation, every must‑see. But the hotel has a gravitational pull. You might find yourself skipping that fourth museum and instead nursing a drink in the lounge or letting the rooftop swallow an evening.
If New York is the stage, the Kimpton Theta is one of the good tables down front. You’re close enough to see the sweat and the smiles, far enough back to take it all in. And as with the best nights in this city, you’ll leave feeling you were exactly where you were meant to be.
Photography courtesy of Kimpton Theta New York – Times Square
