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Penn Club of New York
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Neighborhood: Midtown East30 W 44th St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
(212) 764-3550
- Nearest Transit:
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42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
Times Square-42nd St (1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W, A, C, E)
Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
6 reviews for Penn Club of New York
I love my fancy pants club. It is just the place to hang out in the city next to their fireplace and nestled into their oriental rugs and mahogany wood. I worked hard to get into UPenn and now I so much reap the benefits of their beautiful little club. It is indeed little because compared to Cornell or Harvard, the building itself is on the smaller side.
Events are fun. I wish there were more.
I've never stayed here before, but I've eaten at the restaurants. Both are great, although the service can be slightly brusque depending on who your server is. I've also used the office facilities on the 11th floor. There's a nice guy in that glassed-off box of offices named Stan who is always so great about answering my questions.
One thing about private club membership - reciprocal clubs. After joining the City Tavern Club in DC, I decided to use my reciprocal privileges out of town for overnight accommodations. I mean, where else would you be able to get a room in a four-star joint in mid-town without paying at least $400-500 easy?
My wife and I arrived at the door and were pleasantly greeted by the door man who quickly took our bags. I went to park the car in the local garage that the club has an arrangement with ($22 a night in NY??? AWESOME) and went to check in. Check in ran smoothly and we found our room to be quite luxurious for the price. In addition, while I didn't go to an Ivy League school (I went to what was affectionately dubbed the "Harvard of the South" - or as we call Harvard, the "Vanderbilt of the North"), I found the historical decor to be quite pleasant and a nice touch.
We also took advantage of the bar in the Library after coming back from a late dinner. Nothing finishes a nice night like a Macallan 18 with two ice cubes next to a fire place on a soft couch. When I come back to NY, I'll definitely be staying here in the future!
I admit, these Ivy Clubs make me feel a little like an asshole, but I can't help loving the Penn Club. Over the years, I've been eating in the Grill Room for various occasions, and it's never once failed me in any meal. Ever. That is truly a meaningful experience indeed!
Every night, they have a different event, and their Wednesday steak night is reason enough why you should study hard to get into this school to get into this club. It's seriously some rockin' steak, cooked to a perfectly delectable rare, and melts in your mouth. I dream of this steak paired with a nice and neat Glenlivet when I'm feeling particularly carnivorous (sounds like a weird combo but try it next time). They also have themed dinners, one of which is seafood buffet, that offers a ridiculous amount of delicious oysters, shrimp, clams, lobster all of the most ridiculous quality of freshness. I feel like I'm exaggerating, but I'm pretty sure I'm not considering how harsh my standards can be for seafood. The burgers are also quite good.
Being what it is, the ambiance is very stuffy. You will see a lot of old people, but depending on the night and event, there's a young crowd of suits as well. It doesn't really matter to me because I'll go anywhere and put up with almost anything for amazingly good food.
We'd stayed here once before and it was a comfortable stay. The beds are top of the line with pillow tops. Gym access is free, which is great. Free continental breakfast when you stay overnight on Fri and Sat nights. Best thing about the rooms here? They're REALLY affordable, compared to hotels on the same block (which is a great location - near Times Square). Great value for money...but you do need to be a club member.
The room has an in-room safe, self-serve coffee & tea pot, bathrobes, mini-bar, BIG flat screen TV with movies on demand and a web console but you can also get wi-fi connection for your own laptop, and even an in-room massage. There are the basics in bath amenities, which is helpful for travelers not having to deal with surviving on 3oz bottles of shampoo.
You can't store items in the fridge, but you can ask for another one to brought to you (best to ask for it when you make your reservation so it's there when you arrive) so that you can store your own drinks/medication.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/10/2008
We're foodies and dined in many of the top 10 restaurants in the USA and find that the food here is… Read more »
Well gosh, if no one has reviewed it...
I attended an event there recently. It's located on W. 44th Street between 6th and 5th, aka Club Row. The room was ample with high ceilings and nice baroque architectural detailing, the waiter service was fine, and the comfortably worn decor - your typical oriental rugs and mahogany - was unoffensive. The whole place could probably do for a renovation in the next decade, to bring it in line with the nicely restored Harvard Club.
