Located in Hell’s Kitchen, Ink48 is a Kimpton Hotel within walking distance of Times Square, although still located within one of Manhattan’s edgier neighborhoods. This is what it’s really like to stay the night at Ink48.
Ink48 Grand Entrance
Perfect for cruise visitors as it’s near the Hudson River piers, guests can take one of the property’s free bike rentals and visit local sites like the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park.
The lobby in Ink48
Like other Kimpton hotels, Ink48 is housed in a refurbished historic building that incorporates the heritage into its theme, with this one once a 1930s printing factory. The passion for literature begins on the first floor, with PRINT Restaurant. The expansive space features a menu of organic farm-to-fork dishes that change with the seaons — and, they even have an in-house forager. Standout dishes include the Aiello Dairy burrata, the pistachio-crusted halibut with arugula pesto, and a grilled grass-fed rib eye steak in a Bordelaise sauce. Illuminated by natural light flooding through windows, the restaurant’s decor is crafted from sustainable materials, like walls made from salvaged wood and bamboo chandeliers.
PRINT Restaurant
Also located on the first floor behind check-in is an open business area with iPads and a computer for guest use, as well as comfortable couches. This is where they often host their complimentary nightly wine hour to encourage socializing between guests, although the location sometimes varies to keep things interesting.
Continuing with the printing theme is the Press Lounge on the 16th floor, featuring indoor and outdoor seating year-round. The concept is still farm-to-fork, with small plates like homemade hummus and platters of salumi and farmstead cheese. Seasonal cocktails like the “Courier” made with Templeton Rye, Drambuie, wildflower honey, raspberry and blackberry take the spotlight and are perfectly paired with panoramic views overlooking Manhattan and the Hudson River over to Jersey City. While the outdoor space is a wrap around terrace with lush green flora, fire pits and egg chairs, in contrast the high ceiling indoor space offers chocolate leather couches, plush pillows and a beautiful marble bar backed by 3D wood panels and sea glass boxes that light up at night. After 4 p.m., an express elevator shoots you quickly up from the ground floor to this lounge.
Fun extra: Guests can work with the in-house forager, Meghan Boledovich, to forage for items and bring them back for garden-to-glass cocktail making, with local purveyors and craft spirit creators acting as guest speakers.
Another fun floor to checkout is the 2nd, home to a 24-hour gym with flat screen TVs and a mix of cardio equipment and free weights, as well as the InkSpa. As soon as you walk in, you’ll be calmed by the soothing music, outdoor Zen garden, natural lighting and organic wood accents. Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Kerstin Florian body products are infused into treatments like an “Emboss” hot stone massage, “Footprint” reflexology session and a “Ginger Renewal Body Scrub.”
Fitness center at Ink48
This floor helps show Ink48’s commitment to wellness. Guests will also find yoga mats in their guest room closets to use with complimentary yoga and Pilates videos. Moreover, a Runner’s Edition Amenity Kit is free to rent and comes with a sports watch, water bottle, energy snacks and a pre-loaded iPod. Guides to the local Hudson River Greenway are also available. The kit is part of Kimpton’s “Forget It We Got It” initiative, where guests can call down for items they may have forgotten like phone chargers, deodorant, hair dryers, lint rollers, tweezers, tooth brushes and other toiletry items.
Get to your room via the elevator, which has a playful wall covered in soft horsehair. There are a total of 222 guest rooms across nine categories, although all feature C.O. Bigelow bath products, robes, views of either the city or Hudson River (local zoning laws mean vistas are always unobstructed), chaise lounge, high ceilings, sumptuous Frette linens, flat screen televisions and Keurig coffee makers upon request (higher category rooms also have bathtubs). Mini bars offer classic snacks like Popchips, Pringles, M&Ms and Snicker Bars, with an array of alcoholic options for crafting cocktails or sipping a beer or wine. For a taste of New York, the Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey is a good choice.
If you’re traveling with a pet, they’re also welcome to cuddle up in these rooms, free of charge, and they’ll have their own bed and food and water bowls.
Gorgeous views from the guest rooms of Ink48
The most spectacular accommodation quarters is the Heaven Over Hell Penthouse Suite, aptly named for its grand quarters overlooking Hell’s Kitchen. Encompassing two floors, the luxury room — which doubles as an events space for weddings and product launches — features a king-size bed, huge bathroom with separate shower and deep bathtub, a dining room, a living room, and, the highlight, a 2,200 square foot terrace for taking in unobstructed views (literally!) of Times Square and the Hudson. The design of the room is funky, with eclectic shapes, colors and textures — like a turquoise sofa with bright purple and yellow pillows under dangling bulbs — all illuminated by natural light through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Inspiring artwork adorns the walls, including a waterfall image crafted from pieces of books to pay homage to the hotel’s past.
Heaven Over Hell Penthouse at Ink48
This suite is the perfect place to make use of your complimentary selfie stick rental — available at the front desk — for Kimpton’s #AdoreThySelfie campaign. Guests are motivated to take selfies during their stay and share them over social media using the relevant hashtag. Each month, one participant receives a $150 Kimpton gift card, a selfie stick and a framed copy of the winning photo. At the end of the year, each winner has the chance to win a random drawing for a 2-night stay at the Kimpton property of their choice.
As you can see, Ink48 and the Kimpton brand enjoy rewarding their guests. This is also seen through their Karma Rewards, a free-to-join program where guests earn points through getting involved with property events and initiatives like the complimentary wine hour and bicycle rentals, as well as booking stays and spending money onsite. Even before you start earning points, free Wi-Fi, a $10 bar credit, and the birthday and dining offers are included with the membership.
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