Shelburne Murray Hill050

One of ten hotels under the Manhattan East Suite Hotel banner, the Shelburne Murray Hill has a lot to offer to families on the go. Cribs, high chairs, and strollers are all available for the borrowing at this lovely midtown hotel, and the full kitchen makes this a great choice for a family vacation spot. Of the 264 rooms on 16 floors, rooms from the 12th floor and up are considered "deluxe," and are therefore a bit more pricey. The entire hotel recently underwent an extensive renovation, so all the rooms are nicely appointed. TV channels on the hotel cable system include Nickelodeon, Family, and Discovery, and you'll also be able to distract little ones with the built-in Playstation and web-tv controller. Best of all, the kitchens are fully equipped (call ahead and the hotel will do a little grocery shopping for you, in advance, at cost, to stock your room with your favorites and make your NY experience even more homey!), which naturally saves you a bundle on eating out. And although cooking on your vacation might seem like an oxymoron, at least you won't have to do the dishes! Some rooms have only small refrigerators, so ask for the full-sized fridge when you book. Hotel rooms come in three sizes: studio (with two beds), one bedroom (with a pull-out couch in the sitting area), and two bedrooms (also with pull-out couch in the sitting area). The basement laundry room is scheduled for a face-lift soon (although it's perfectly acceptable as it was when we visited) and includes three washers, two dryers, and a soap dispensing machine. Only one elevator (the far right one) makes a stop in the basement. During the warm months, venture up to the roof in the evening to dine on burgers or sip on sodas and cocktails while admiring the view. Hotel features also include Concierge service, dataports (computer, fax, modem hookup), hairdryers, health club with saunas (open 24 hours), in-room safes, irons and ironing boards, room service from the downstairs restaurant (7am to 11pm; a kids' menu is in the works), non-smoking floors, valet parking, valet service, and voice mail.