TRAVEL
BASEBALL GOT YOUR HEART?
Centerfield Suite Balcony Lexington Hotel
THESE NYC HOTELS HIT A SWEET SPOT By Laurie Bain Wilson
assionate baseball fans eat, drink and sleep baseball. But winter is tough. As Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby famously said, “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” Well, spring is here and, thank the gods, so is baseball season. New York has a storied baseball past, thanks in part to larger-than-life New York Yankees legends Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. Make these spots your home base, and you can sleep in the same suite where DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe once lived. Or, in the hotel where Babe Ruth frequently stayed. And, we’ll also share a hotel where one of baseball’s most pivotal meetings in baseball took place. Let’s check in and channel history.
THE LEXINGTON HOTEL NYC This smart, stylish, Jazz Age-inspired hotel is home to several specialty suites, including an Ernest Hemingway Suite and an Ella Fitzgerald Suite. But baseball players will want to book the spacious one-bedroom Centerfield Suite that was once home to Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe during their marriage. Monroe lived in this suite for many years, and then with DiMaggio during their brief six-month union in the 1950s. The hotel’s VIP Elite Loyalty Manager Irina will make sure you feel elite in this apartment-like suite. And there are so many tasteful tributes to DiMaggio here, you’ll find yourself humming, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you…” more than once. The 600-square-foot space on the 18th floor is a fantasy of all things baseball. An enormous colorful mural of Yankee Stadium hangs in the marble entry foyer, and portraits of Monroe and DiMaggio hang on the walls. The living/dining room is outfitted with retro furniture and décor including memorabilia that give a shout out to both celebs, as well as a 55-inch HDTV. A collection of books about Joe DiMaggio, and the Yankees is displayed in the living room’s bookcase, and you’ll find memorabilia including baseballs and photos of the famous couple in silver frames at every turn. The spacious bathroom features a soaking tub, Kohler shower heads and jets and PURE bath amenities that Monroe would no doubt fall in love with. And, there’s a kitchenette, with a full-size refrigerator and freezer, microwave and Keurig coffeemaker.
The suite’s grand slam—the lovely, private, sprawling 200-squarefoot terrace, with lounge chairs, a table and chairs for dining and attractive views of the neighborhood. Location, location, location. The hotel is located three blocks from Grand Central Station where you can catch the subway to Yankee Stadium. Book the hotel’s Home Run package and you’ll get a Yankees hat, a box of Cracker Jacks, soda and round-trip MetroCards for transportation to and from the game. The package runs through September 30th. For more information on The Lexington Hotel NYC—part of the Marriott Autograph Collection—visit lexingtonhotelnyc.com. MAY 2018 | NEW YORK LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE | 37