The Bernic Hotel is situated in a modern, 22-story high-rise with a narrow facade that angles back at the top to show off jutting balconies. The hotel, fresh off its late 2016 opening, offers classy decor and thoughtful details throughout. Its lobby may be tiny, but it's stylish with a bright piece of modern art and filament-exposed globe lights. To the right, a window-wall reveals the hotel's bar, which features a stylish tiled floor and a bar with colorful underlighting and a carrera-marble top. In rooms, there's a subtle international-city theme, inspired by the nearby UN. The Midtown location is a draw for business travelers, but the double rooms and intimate feel attract couples, too.

This hotel is centrally located in Manhattan's Midtown East, a neighborhood known for its business offices, but also jam packed with restaurants and well-connected to the city via public transit. Area attractions include the United Nations, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, the MoMA, and posh Fifth Avenue shops, which are all walkable in about 15 minutes or less. For destinations farther afield, the 51 Street Station (five-minute walk, lines 4 and 6) and the 53 St Station (seven-minute walk, lines E and M) are nearby, as is Grand Central Terminal, which offers regional and local service. Valet parking is available for a pricey (but standard for NYC) extra fee.

• Eight-minute walk to Grand Central Terminal
• 10-minute walk to the United Nations
• 12-minute walk to Rockefeller Center
• 15-minute walk to Times Square
• 16-minute walk to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)
• 18-minute walk to Fifth Avenue shopping
• 20-minute walk to the Empire State building
• 20 minutes to Penn Station via public transit
• 25 minutes to the Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) via public transit
• 40 minutes to LaGuardia Airport via public transit
• One hour to JFK Airport via public transit

Rooms are streamlined and contemporary with homey touches and modern amenities. Natural wood floors meet cream-colored walls, with darker wood for the furnishings like headboards and side tables. Nice details finish the look -- golden accent pillows, textured wallpaper behind the beds and framed artwork above them. The highlight, though, are the floor-to-ceiling windows which can let in lots of natural light (depending on the location of the room), and almost always lead to a small balcony. The bathrooms are modern and fairly roomy for Manhattan, with walk-in rainfall showers featuring stylish checkered floors and mosaic tiled strips, plus heated floors and lit mirrors.

Thoughtful details abound -- gooseneck reading lamps, well-placed plugs, umbrellas for rainy days -- adding to all the amenities guests expect from an upscale hotel, including individual climate control, 43-inch plasma TVs with Apple TV, Nespresso coffee machines, mini-fridges, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are equipped with hooded bathrobes, slippers, hairdryers, and high-end Beekman 1802 toiletries. 

Entry-level rooms measure a tight but well-managed 175 square feet, but there are a range of room sizes that extend to a roomy 300 square feet, plus a Penthouse Suite that's double that size and includes a full kitchen. Rooms that face the street tend to get more light. For better views and less street noise, higher-level rooms are the ticket.

In typical NYC fashion, amenities are limited, though what The Bernic does, it does well. While there's no real lobby lounge, there's a chic bar situated near reception, which extends into Allora, a classy restaurant serving North Italian fare for lunch and dinner. As of our 2017 visit, a rooftop bar, Allora Alto, was set to open in the spring, offering drinks and small bites and, assuming from the location, great views. The hotel also serves a standard continental breakfast daily, but some say the extra fee feels pricey. A nice bonus, though: free Prosecco is offered in the lobby in the early evenings.

The front desk is open 24 hours, and the hotel offers high-end service including concierge service, 24-hour room service, turndown service, and valet parking, the latter for an extra fee. Wi-Fi throughout the property is free. Pets are allowed for an extra per-stay fee. There is no gym or wellness facilities, but, like many higher end hotels, it offers passes to a local fitness center.