New York City is a superb travel destination for families with children. There are many attractions and activities for kids. However, like most families travelling with children, a hotel with a pool is a major priority. As every parent knows, a nice swimming pool is not only great fun for the kids but it also serves an important benefit for parents as well… like stealing a few moments of peace. Of course, when it comes to New York City, finding New York hotels with pools is a bit more challenging, because there are surprisingly few hotels with pools. This may seem odd given the immense number of hotels in the Big Apple, but New York real estate is so expensive few do and in some cases they are literally small lap pools. Nonetheless, there are a few good choices. Below, we have listed some good family friendly New York City hotels with pools that are worth considering.
New York Hotels with Pools:
- Sheraton Manhattan Hotel – Best Family Friendly New York Hotel– 790 7th Ave & 51st St, New York, N.Y. This New York Hotel is the best choice for families by far based on overall value, location and its pool. The Sheraton Manhattan Hotel offers a 4 lane, 50 foot pool which is the largest true hotel owned pool in New York City, even if it is diminutive by normal standards. For parents looking to relax, there is a good pool deck lounging are to steal a few moments of relaxation. The Sheraton Manhattan also claims the benefit of being relatively close to Broadway and Times Square.
- Crown Plaza Time Square Hotel – 1605 Broadway & 49th Street, New York, N.Y. – Located in the heart of Times Square, the Crown Plaza Hotel in Times Square offers 4 lane, 55 foot pool in association with the New York Sports club. The seating and lounge deck area is limited but usable. Usually, 2 lanes are reserved for lap swimming and the others for leisure swimming, which reduces the usable size of the pool. But, this New York hotel is a good alternative choice for families that are vacationing in New York City and want to be right in the Broadway/Times Square area. Also, the Crown Plaza is a good choice for those on tighter budgets.
- Le Parker Meridien Hotel– 119 W. 56th Street, New York, N.Y. – This midtown Manhattan Hotel offers a 45 foot, 3 lane pool with a very attractive and relaxing pool seating area. The views from the pool look out on to Central Park. This New York Hotel pool is small and sometimes it can get crowded, but it will do the trick. It is a good choice for families looking for an upscale family friendly New York Hotel.
- Mandarin Oriental New York– 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, New York, N.Y. – The Mandarin Oriental is a luxury New York hotel and its pool facilities are equally sumptuous. The Mandarin Oriental probably offers the best New York City Hotel pools in terms of luxurious atmosphere. Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows provide superb views of New York City. The pool lounge area is at the Mandarin is impeccable and elegant with plush lounge chairs. Despite being the best in town, it may not be the best for a family with very “active” kids.
- The Peninsula Hotel New York– 700 Fifth Avenue at 55th street, New York, N.Y. The Peninsula New York is another luxury New York Hotel with pool facilities that rival the Mandarin Oriental’s. Located on the 23rd floor of the hotel, there is a glass enclosed pool area with a chic décor that is calming and quite relaxing. At night, excellent views of the city provide an enchanting atmosphere. The pool with serve the kids well, but the parents will certainly appreciate the fine lounging area.
- Millennium UN Plaza Hotel– One United Nations Plaza, New York, N.Y. – Located in the United Nations Plaza area, this New York Hotel has a 3 lane, 44 foot pool. The Millennium Plaza Hotel is a deluxe level New York Hotel located right near the United Nations Building on the east side of Midtown Manhattan. The Hotel’s pool is located on the 27th floor and provides impressive views of New York. The pool’s lounge area is a bit a little on the tight side, and is not one the more relaxing pool lounges areas available.
For those seeking more information on New York Hotels with pools, including pictures, locations, prices and real up to the minute hotel availability, a link to a web information page specific to New York Hotels with Pools is listed in the Resource section following this article.
Family Friendly New York City Attractions:
Beyond finding a family friendly New York Hotel with a pool, there are some excellent activities for kids in New York City. Rather than suffering through endless pages of listings in travel guides with questionable value and accuracy, we suggest these sure to please recommended friendly New York City attractions.
- America Girl Shop -For little girls who love dolls, the American Girl store is a pure fantasy land. Resembling a high-end boutique with the latest American Girl clothes fashions, it is a shopping paradise. The American Girl Store sports a Beauty Salon for American Girl dolls with real hair stylists, salon chairs and beauty stations with the works. Upstairs, there is a Doll Hospital where you can take your Doll for any repairs or other “procedures” which might be necessary. Finally, the American Doll Store offers its own tea and dining room which is very popular for young girls celebrating their birthday in style with friends and family. The American Girl Store also used to have live theater productions themed around the American girl stories. Sadly, this closed thanks to some corporate weenie with green eye-shade. But, all in all, we think this is one of the best experience based kid stores in New York City (sorry boys, although the NBA store is probably a close second.
- The Bronx Zoo – Bronx River Parkway and Boston Road, Bronx, N.Y. 10460 – {Looking for one of the world’s best zoos? Look no further than the Bronz Zoo. This New York zoo has an outstanding collection of exotic animals from around the world, including elephants, gorillas, giraffes, bears, rhinos and leopards. Getting to the Bronx Zoo from downtown Manhattan) is easy. Trains from Grand Central Station on the Metro North Line stop at the Zoo. There are also express buses that make stops along Madison Avenue which go right to the Bronx Zoo. Look for the BXM11 Buses on Madison.
- The Central Park Carousel – Central Park, New York, N.Y. – The carousel in Central Park is a beautiful old fashion carousel. Continuing a tradition that remains ongoing since 1871, situated in Central Park is a beautiful 57 horse antique carousel. Ornate carved wooden horses await rides from youngsters within an old fashioned carousel building that warmly greets you on your approach. It offers a simple pleasure from times long since passed, and is a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the day. While you are there, take advantage of the paths, garden areas and sculpted ponds inside the park. It is a wonderfully relaxing and expansive setting and leaves one wondering how such a serene pace can exist in one the largest cities in the world.
- Dylan’s Candy Store – 1011 Third Avenue, New York, NY – What Willy Wonka did for the imagination; Dylan’s Candy Store does in reality. It’s a veritable wonderland of candy which will have the kid’s wide-eyed and mouths wide open with awe. New York City candy store is an absolute must visit, and parents we apologize for the post candy sugar rush that follows.
- Ellen’s Stardust Dinner – 1650 Broadway, New York, N.Y. – Located in the Broadway Theater District, the Stardust Diner is a fun experience for kids and adults alike. The dinner is a retro 50’s drive-in theater theme, but the real treat is the singing wait staff. Comprised of aspiring Broadway actors, the staff will break out into a fully fledged Broadway style singing performance. The wait staff is incredibly fun and very friendly and willing to kibitz. The kids will eat it up.
- Empire State Building – 350 Fifth Avenue, 33rd & 34th Street, New York, N.Y. – Visit the Empire State building and go to the observatory level for a panoramic view of New York City. A Gorilla, ala King Kong, will greet you at the entrance line to the observatory. Even though the views and sheer height are sure to be an exciting experience, it also worth trying to take a picture of the entire building from street level…keep on backing up. For a really fun time, the night before your visit bring along a DVD of the original King Kong Movie for a family movie night and then bring the kids the following day. It adds to the fun and mystique.
- FAO Schwartz – 767 Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, New York, N.Y. – FAO Schwartz is the mother of all toy stores in New York’s City. Located across from Central Park, FAO Schwartz is a child’s dream come true. Offering the latest and greatest in toys, this store has something for everyone. But, perhaps the part we like the best is the extensive stuffed animal collection. A virtual Noah’s ark of stuffed animals of every kind sprawls across the main floor, including amazingly huge stuffed animals (although one wonders how you could ever transport them home). If you do venture into FAO Schwartz keep in mind you have zero likelihood of escaping without buying something and prices are not at a discount.
- Grand Slam – Times Square, Broadway between 46th and 47th Street, New York, NY. – Grand Slam is a cornucopia of New York souvenirs ranging from the popular FDNY tee shirts and caps to all things you can possibly imagine that can bear a New York Yankees logo. This store is aimed a tourists but is still loads of fun for sports minded kids.
- NBA Store – 666 Fifth Avenue at 52nd Street, New York, NY. – For the kid who loves basketball, this is your 3-story hops heaven. Authentic NBA merchandise is served up, including great NBA jerseys and basketball shorts. NBA players often make appearances at the NBA store and will sign autographs.
- Manhattan Children’s Theater – 52 White Street (380 Broadway), New York, NY. – The Manhattan Children’s playhouse is a children’s theater that puts on child appropriate productions based on popular fairytales and children’s stories such as Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Brothers Grimm stories. These are high quality productions for youngsters, and they will captivate them.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art – 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. – The Metropolitan Art Museum is one the world’s greatest art museums. With an extensive collection containing many of the most famous paintings and artworks ever produced, the Museum will captivate many children, especially those with an interest in painting and art. The Egyptian, Arms and Armor, Medieval and European Painting collections will be enjoyed by the kids.
- Museum of Natural History – Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, N.Y. -The Museum of Natural History is loaded with fun collections and interesting exhibits which will surely capture the fancy of any child, as well as the parents. From Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi, giant stuffed Elephants and wild beasts, dinosaur skeletons (including the now famous “Rexy” from the movie Night at the Museum which greets you at the front door), American Indian relics, totem poles and more. The Museum of Natural History is an outstanding attraction for families.
- SONY Wonder Technology Lab – 550 Madison Ave. & 56th Street, New York, N.Y. – The Sony Wonder technology Lab is a wonderful interactive computer exploration environment for kids. The exhibits include creative interactive applications with cutting edge technologies, such as virtual surgery stations, animation workstations, and nanotechnology and robots stations.
- Theaterworks – 121 Christopher St, New York, N.Y. – Located in Greenwich Village, Theaterworks is a highly acclaimed family oriented theater production company. Shows are available only on weekends, but the performances are top notch and highly acclaimed. Performances cover children’s classics such as Charlotte’s Web, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Seussical.
- The New Victory Theater – 209 West 42nd Street, New York, NY. – Located in the Broadway district, the New Victory Theater is a youth theater with a little more edge to it, and probably better suited to teens and more mature children. Performances run from the macabre to the more juvenile avant garde style. The interior of the theater is stunningly ornate and with just 500 seats viewing is spectacular.
