If you love musicals, at some point in your life you will want to plan a pilgrimage to New York to see a Broadway show. If you really love musicals, it could be a regular expedition.
Even with Times Square’s famous half-price ticket booth, this can prove to be a costly deal, plus the show itself can be over so quickly, leaving you hungry for more.
A new hotel has stepped into the spotlight to address such issues and make your trip even more memorable.
James Murphy checks into the new Hotel Civilian, located in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood near the theaters on Broadway
“The Civilian is a hotel by theater lovers for theater lovers,” reveals James. Above is the library-like Blue Room
The hotel’s name is engraved in brightly lit letters along each side of the building, as are the city’s theatres
The Civilian – or CIVILIAN as it’s officially called in all caps – has some impressive showbiz credentials. First, it’s in the heart of “Hell’s Kitchen,” a neighborhood that doesn’t really deserve its nickname these days.
Located just behind the cluster of Manhattan’s theaters, the area has much more of a “backstage” vibe: It’s busy, edgy, crammed with snack bars and various pubs, flanked by the plainer sides of the skyscrapers, each eschewing their flashy neon faces, according to the Times Square.
If you’re a regular New York theater-goer, this is the perfect place to grab a beer or burger before or after the show (even if you hurry during intermission to avoid exorbitant theater prices).
The hotel itself is on the same street as the Longacre Theater (where Tom Stoppard’s glitzy new play has just opened) and just one block from smash hits like Wicked, Chicago and The Book of Mormon.
Appropriately, the hotel has a large, imposing tent with its name in brightly lit letters on each side, just like the nearby theaters, as if it were putting on a show of its own. In many ways it is.
The Civilian is a hotel by theater lovers for theater lovers. The intimate foyer shines with countless tiny lightbulbs, as well as round dressing room mirrors. There’s a row of seats ripped right out of the stalls of a theater (or the “orchestra,” as New Yorkers call the main area of their auditoriums). The cheerful, casually dressed front desk staff all have the vibe of Broadway hopefuls, though they’re on the verge of bursting into song like the waiters at the Stardust diner (two blocks away and so much fun).
James says of the hotel’s guest rooms, “They’re compact, like most New York hotels, but jazz hands have worked hard and strove to infuse them with a touch of theatrical oomph.”
Pictured on the left is James’ room, complete with a velvet decorative curtain that has been tied back, reminiscent of Maria Bjornson’s iconic Phantom of the Opera designs. On the right is James’ bathroom, which is “playfully lit by oversized versions of dressing room bulbs.”
Guestrooms feature pitch-black illustrations of theater facades and sets by Clint Ramos
The elevators that take you to the hotel’s 203 rooms are wallpapered with Paul Tazewell’s Tony Award-winning costume designs for the musical Hamilton.
Each corridor is lined with framed monochrome photos taken behind the scenes of Broadway shows, from classics like Cats to the brand new Beetlejuice, which this reviewer was delighted to see on his recent trip.
Somehow it makes you feel part of the moment and part of the drama.
This spirit continues in the bedrooms. They’re compact, like most New York hotels, but jazz geeks have worked hard and strove to infuse them with a touch of theatrical oomph.
Each has a decorative velvet curtain tied back in one corner, reminiscent of Maria Bjornson’s iconic Phantom of the Opera designs. Each has its own inky illustrations of theater facades and sets by Clint Ramos. Each bathroom is playfully illuminated by oversized versions of dressing room bulbs, giving you plenty of light to apply your own makeup.
Pictured is the first floor bar which serves some breakfast basics each morning and early evening drinks
Framed pictures in the bar. According to James, the Civilian is a convenient haven to base yourself in New York because it’s full of fun and lovely details
“While few New York hotels are cheap, it’s also a bit more affordable than many of its counterparts,” says James of Civilian. The intimate foyer pictured is lit with myriad tiny lightbulbs, just like the ones you see around the dressing room mirrors, he reveals
An exhibition of ‘maquettes’, the compelling scale models that set designers make for shows
All this set dressing is charming, but luckily your essentials are also covered: air conditioning, TV, remote controlled blackout blinds, ample closet space and a safe under each bed, thick linens and towels, and more fragrant toiletries.
To use showbiz jargon, the hotel is still in something of a “preview” when I visit, and they still give the downstairs Rosevale cafe, library-like Blue Room, and rooftop Starchild bar the final touch. Get a good taste of what’s in store in the first floor bar, which serves a few basic breakfast dishes each morning and early evening drinks.
There are more theatrical flourishes here. There are more swag curtains draping up a spiral staircase from the lobby.
Pictured is the spiral staircase that takes guests up from the lobby to their rooms — draped in swag curtains
And there’s an exhibition of ‘maquettes’, the compelling scale models that set designers make for shows. Here, too, some of the current hits are included, including Moulin Rouge.
Next to it is another inspired note: the ‘Company Wall’, which features a stunning array of artworks specially commissioned by theater professionals and fans alike, all responding to the same lyric from Stephen Sondheim’s Musical Company: ‘It’s a city of strangers, some come to work, some to play.’
Whatever brings you to New York…work, play or plays and musicals…the Civilian is a convenient haven to set up your base, full of fun and lovely details.
While few New York hotels are cheap, it’s also more affordable than many of its counterparts.
All in all, the lyrics of another Sondheim classic come to mind: “I’m just a Broadway baby, learning to sing and dance, waiting for this one big chance… to be on a show.”
The Civilian may not be quite on Broadway itself, but it’s raring to go, sure of its text and poised for a bright future.
TRAVEL FACTS
James was hosted by the Civilian Hotel, 305 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036. Double rooms start from £294. Visit www.civilianhotel.com for more information.
Valuation: 
Virgin Atlantic operates regular flights between London and New York. Visit www.virginatlantic.com.