Last known as The James, The Seville Nomad’s excellent location, attractive lobby bar, and well-known restaurant make it an appealing choice in the mid-scale price range.

 

 

The hotel was originally opened in 1903, in conjunction with the opening of the subway at 28^th Street and Park Avenue South.  Just a block away, at 29^th and Madison, The Seville Nomad offers a good deal of Beaux-Arts allure.  It has contemporary bells and whistles that project comfortable classiness— like brand-new digital elevators and sleek new bathrooms with unusual sculptural marble sinks.

 

 

The corner king room I visited was spacious, filled with light and attractive textured walls. In line with today’s interest in health, every room contains a Form Fitness In-room Workout.  Free. That means you get exercise bands and other workout aids gratis. Just scan a QR code and voila! To boot, there is also small Fitness Center, with all new equipment on the third floor.  Its Hyatt Peloton is special.  Here’s the deal: If you work out and connect with your Peloton for at least 20 minutes, you get points…a plus for fitness fans. A big-screen TV completes the picture.

 

 

The Seville’s lobby has soft celadon-colored walls and ceiling.  It is an inviting space, with its newly installed bar at one end. Comfortable couches with low angular cocktail tables create a convivial spot for drinks plus light snacks at the end of the day. (It opens at 3 pm.)

 

 

At the other end of the lobby is the well-known Italian restaurant Scarpetta.  The restaurant also supplies breakfast and room service for hotel guests. Below the lobby, on the lower level, along with meeting rooms, there are spaces for private dining, and more.  The main  space on the lower level is 2,400 square feet. It lends itself for everything from a ballroom to a spacious meeting room. On that level as well, is a former speakeasy now known as the Seville Bar.  The New York Knicks recently celebrated their major victory there, providing fodder for the New York Post’s Page Six gossip column.

 

 

Ever hear of the Little Church Around the Corner? It is across the street from The Seville at 1 East 29^th Street, right off Fifth Avenue. Here’s how it got its unofficial name. When the elitist but conservative nearby Fifth Avenue Church wouldn’t accept actors, (they were considered disreputable people way back when), the Church of the Transfiguration welcomed them in… “around the corner.”  The Church has been the home to the Episcopal Actors Guild since 1923.

 

 

These days, the church’s inviting leafy garden welcomes you to sit for a few minutes or for a few hours to enjoy the tranquility. With a fascinating history, guided tours are offered most Sundays after 11:00 am mass. (Meet at the organ around 12:45 pm.)

 

 

The neighborhood, known these days as Nomad, is close to the furniture design district, the Empire State Building, and within walking distance of the famed 42nd Street New York Public Library.  Its illustrious lions, Patience and Fortitude, stand guard at the main entrance. The library offers free tours Monday through Saturday at 11 am and 2 pm.

 

 

If you walk south in the NoMad neighborhood, you soon reach Madison Square Park with ongoing exhibits of contemporary art, amidst its greenery.

 

 

The Seville Nomad is part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. The Collection “offers one-of-a-kind hotels that are unique independent properties.”

 

 

Seville Nomad has the charm and character of a historic hotel in a great location; one that won’t break the bank.

 

 

Hotel Seville Nomad, 22 East 29 Street at Madison Avenue, New York, NY

 

 

212-532-4100