I had been on the look out for a good hotel for friends coming to NYC in May, when the french designed Nomad opened it’s doors just at the right moment. This hotel breaks away from the trendy looks of recent times, by returning to classic features like small souiree-like spaces with comfy lounges and fireplaces, freestanding claw foot bathtubs in the cosy bedrooms and an earthy library bar with ( gasp! ) real books to read. In the main bar a collection of various colored bitters edges the counter, waiting for a cocktail to be ordered. That seems to be their thing – cocktails – and the barman obviously took pride in describing which bitters would best accompany which cocktail. Of course this was the first week of their ‘soft’ opening, so everyone was on point. But par for the peripatetic course, I’m looking forward to another opportunity to enjoy an exemplary Manhattan from their award winning mixologist and then settling down with a good book…