Reviews in other languages:
The Times - Picayune
Posted by Millie Ball
Still my favorite hotel in New York: The Casablanca, 147 W. 43rd St., www.casablancahotel.com, (212) 869-1212. Rates have risen from just under $200 a few years ago to the $300 range, and - much to my selfish dismay - it is now the No. 1 rated hotel in New York on TripAdvisor.com, which means it's tougher to book a room. It's a half-block from Times Square; and it's homey, almost like a bed and breakfast, with free newspapers in the living-room style lobby, a continental breakfast buffet, wine and cheese in the evening, as well as cookies, fruit, other snacks, pitchers of iced tea and cappuccino 24/7 - all free.
The New York Times: Travel Guide
Frommer's Review
A wealth of freebies -- including breakfast; coffee,
tea, and cookies all day; wine and cheese most evenings;
free passes to a nearby health club with pool and sauna;
and use of Internet-access PCs -- make this stylish
Moroccan-themed boutique hotel an excellent value. With
vibrant mosaic tiles, warm woods and rattan, potted
palms, and North African-themed art gracing the public
spaces and guest rooms, the ambience is just right --
all that's missing is Bogart and Bergman.
The rooms aren't big, but they're nicely outfitted with
comfortable platform beds, ceiling fans, two-line
phones, bathrobes, and double-paned windows for quiet.
The bathrooms are gorgeous and even the smallest is
spacious enough for an oversize shower (request a tub
when booking if you want one). Rick's Cafe is one of the
city's finest hotel guest lounges, boasting a
serve-yourself cappuccino machine, a fireplace, a
big-screen TV, and PCs with T1 connectivity. A tiled
second-floor courtyard is also ideal for summer
lounging, and the rooftop deck is a perfect vantage for
watching the New Year's ball drop. The staff is
attentive, and the ambitious manager is constantly at
work improving the property. Book well ahead, as an
increasing number of happy repeat guests and corporate
clients fill this place up fast.
Time Out New York: Visitor Information
This Moroccan-themed boutique hotel is run by the same
people who own the Library Hotel. The lobby is an oasis
in the middle of Times Square: Walls are adorned with
blue and gold Mediterranean tiles, and giant bamboo
shoots stand in tall vases. The theme is diluted in the
basic rooms, but wicker furniture and wooden shutters
warm up the accomodations. Rick's Café serves free wine
and cheese to guests Monday through Saturday. Breakfast
is complimentary, as is your copy of Casablanca.
Hotel services Cell-phone rental. Complimentary
breakfast and pass to nearby gym. Cybercafé. Dry
cleaning (24hrs). Spa. Valet. Video library.
Room services CD player. High-speed wireless Internet.
VCR.
New York Magazine: Visitors' Guide
Stepping into the Casablanca is like stepping onto the
set of the movie with the same name. Think vibrant
Moorish mosaic tiles, a colorful mural of a sun-drenched
North African city, tropical plants, rattan furniture
and a slowly whirling ceiling fan. Such décor provides a
unique, exotic escape from the touristy Times Square
scene nearby, and continues in each of the 48 guest
rooms. Ample amenities include custom-made rattan
furniture, a full mini-bar, luxury bathrobes, cable TV,
DVD players and babysitting services. Guests can sample
the variety of teas at Rick’s Café (a nod to
Casablanca’s Bogart) or take advantage of free access to
a nearby New York Sports Club. An in-house lounge
features a crackling fireplace, 41-inch movie screen and
impressive bookshelves stocked with all things Bogart.
Best of all, there’s a piano. We dare you to say, "Play
it again, Sam" and burst into song: "You must remember
this. A kiss is still a kiss..." — E. J. Samson
Pros: Free wine-and-cheese reception nightly in the
second-floor lounge. Guests can also request a nightly
turndown.
LonelyPlanet Destination Guide
"Casual, Moroccan-themed hotel amid Broadway theatres."
Half a block from the heart of Times Sq, the cosy
six-storey Casablanca fills its 48 rooms with a lightly
North African style (and plenty of visiting American
families eyeing nearby Broadway theatres).
Rooms and staff are nice, if priced to location, and the
tiled hallways, tiger statues, Moroccan murals, and
framed tapestries sure add to the North African flair.
All visitors get a bonus with the big free breakfast and
all-day cappuccinos in the second-floor lounge -
naturally named Rick's Cafe after the movie. There's
free wine and cheese from in the evenings, and a piano
player plucking keys on Friday night. Rooms aren't
massive, but nicely arranged - with wood-framed beds,
DVD players, a window-side seating area, huge bathroom
mirrors, and a big closet with ironing board. There's
Internet access in all rooms - plus a computer with
printer in the lounge. Roll-away beds (for roll-away
guests) are no extra charge. Rooms with king-size beds
are slightly bigger. All rooms have double-glazed
windows, but light sleepers should stick with the back
rooms. — Reviewed by Robert Reid
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At
the Casablanca... my night with Bogey
By: Roberta Graff
There are movies that stay with us
long after the last credits are shown.
We fall in love
with the characters yearn to visit the locale and adapt
the dialogue as our own.
Like almost everyone else, I was
seduced by CASABLANCA. It's part of my fantasy life. I
get misty when I hear "Time Goes By". I say things like
"We'll always have Paris" and I believe Ilsa must have
been crazy to have gotten on that plane and left Rick.
I also think that the dusty North African city, where
power and intrigue were as much a part of the landscape
as date palms and camels, must be the most exciting ,
exotic place in the world. I'm not planning a visit to
Morocco, at least not in the near future but when I
heard about a reasonable facsimile practically in Times
Square I made a reservation.
I entered the lobby of the
Casablanca Hotel on West 43rd street, and I thought I
was on a film set. I was surrounded by panels of warm
wood and vibrant tiles in Moorish mosaic, a ceiling fan
was turning gently, and straight ahead there was a
staircase carpeted in the royal blue of a Moroccan
evening sky. Antique Berber scarves and rugs adorned the
arched, softly lit hallways and a majestic mural of a
sun-drenched North African city was shimmering on the
second floor landing. Tropical plants and desert cacti
were everywhere.
My room was on the fifth floor. It
was warm and wonderful with rattan furniture, louvered
door and soft Mediterranean fabrics. The large tiled
bathroom was beautifully designed and filled with
goodies. Flowers, wine and bottled water were on the
night table. There was a TV and VCR in the room but I
was more interested in Rick's Cafe where complimentary
wine and cheese are served nightly. I hurried down to
Rick's. Unlike the movie, no one was waiting for an exit
visa. Guests were seated in charming conversational
groupings. They were drinking wine and coffee, playing
board games, enjoying the fire in the fireplace, and
reading assorted magazines and newspapers. Someone sat
down at the piano. It would have been too much to say
''play it again, Sam".
That night, after dinner and theatre
I returned to my room, popped some chocolates into my
mouth and climbed into my wonderful bed. I dreamed of
Casablanca. It was 1943.I was tall and blonde and had
this terrific accent. I looked amazingly like Ingrid
Bergman. I had a boy friend with a funny sneer. When he
talked his mouth didn't move. He was a dead ringer for
Humphrey Bogard. We were in an airport, surrounded by
Frenchmen with skinny moustaches. My boy friend wanted
me to get on the plane, and started rambling about a
crazy, mixed up world and a hill of beans. I knew my
mother would be furious, but still, I didn't want to
leave. Then I heard sirens I got scared and started to
cry. He looked at me tenderly and said "We'll always
have Paris". Suddenly he socked me and said, "Here's
looking at you, kid." It started to rain, which is very
unusual for Casablanca. The humidity was terrible, I was
having a bad hair day and my chin hurt where he socked
me. I got on the plane but I vowed I would return. And I
did.
The Casablanca Hotel is a stunning
boutique hotel located at 147 West 43rd.St. in New York
City. (212) 869-1212. Continental breakfast is included.
Dreams are not.
South Shore Record.
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Editorials:
..."Especially impressive are the bathrooms.
Attention has been paid to even the smallest of
details, including the patterned tiles,
gold-trimmed mirrors and a wicker stand holding
an array of bath amenities. A hair dryer is
provided in the bathroom, as is a phone."...
Travel Agent Magazine,
Sep. 1, 1997
..."This is a hotel with a
Moroccan theme that envelops every cranny and
nook. Tiny mosaic tiles aborn the wainscoting,
floors, even a mirrored column in the public
areas."...
The New York Times, May
18, 1997
..."It has 48 rooms, and alert staff and a
handsome, relaxing upstairs breakfast room that
delivers a satisfying continental breakfast and
snacks throughout the day."...
Los Angeles Times, Nov.
2, 1997
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