BlogTourNYC: Arrival Day

If you follow me on Twitter and read my blog you are sure to know that it was a week ago today that I left for New York City as part of BlogTourNYC organised by Modenus. I had an absolutely marvelous time and I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun it was to explore the design scene of NYC with my fellow blogging companions.

We arrived in New York on Tuesday, having flown in from Heathrow with Virgin. The trip got off to an absolutely cracking start as Tim at Modenus had arranged for us to use the Upper Class Clubhouse before our flight. What a way to start the day! We enjoyed a lovely champagne breakfast to kick off the tour in style and I must say I wish I could always use the lounge as it was a great way to relax before flying long haul.

Once we arrived at JFK we were met by a driver who whisked us off to our hotel which was just off Times Square. [Now I say we were whisked off, but in fact we had a short delay at the airport as we were waiting for Hannah Coleman of Dreamwalls who was flying in from Manchester and was supposed to meet us at the airport. However, in dramatic Hannah style she was nowhere to be seen and a manhunt ensued. Luckily we later found out she had hopped in a cab and was already awaiting our arrival at the hotel. There is never a dull moment when @Dreamwalls is around!]

I digress! So we made it to the hotel, which is a brand spanking new Tryp hotel that had only been open for six weeks when we arrived. It had a lovely feel to it and the staff were extremely friendly all week so I would definitely recommend staying here if you’re ever in NY and need a crash pad. The hotel is great for bloggers too as there is free wi-fi and the hotel even has its own social network so that guests can log in and connect with other guests or with the hotel staff if they are out and about and need help navigating the city.

Once we were checked in we got to meet all the other bloggers who hadn’t flown in with us Brits and we had our briefing about the coming weeks’ activities. We also received a lovely goodie bag full of pressies. Those cookies from Miele were delicious and the Marimekko bag came in real handy during the week too.

By the time we got back to our rooms we found that even the hotel had left a surprise. With a bottle of wine and a fruit platter we were really feeling spoilt at this point.

We had a short time to get ready and then we were all on the move again as we needed something to eat. So it was off to Barbes, a fantastic Moroccan restaurant not far from the Hotel. And on the way there we got our first glance of the Empire State Building and what a sight to behold!

At the restaurant, we enjoyed the most amazing meal and got to meet a few of the sponsors including Vanessa from Samuel Heath who gave us even more presents. We received a gorgeous bag from Samuel Heath which contained a robe hook and a cord pull designed by Kevin McCloud.

After meeting everyone involved in BlogTourNYC as well as some alumni from BlogTourLondon in 2011, I was totally shattered and had to head back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep in preparation for the following day’s activities, which my dear friends you will hear all about in due course!

Keep your eyes peeled for more posts featuring the fantastic sponsors of BlogTourNYC: Samuel Heath, BLANCO, Scholtes, Miele, Poggenpohl, Spirit of Sports, Big Ass Fans, Victoria & Albert Baths, Modern Aire, Jenn Aire, Rotsen Furniture, Vitra, Axor, Wallunica and Ethan Allen.