Oddly enough, over the years, I’ve had several friends who have gone to Yale and yet, never spent any time there and yet, have stayed in Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Stanford a number of times.
Recently on a very wet April week, I headed back east for a circular tour from- New York City to New Haven via Providence, with two children in tow. In other words, kid-friendly diets were important as were kid-friendly hotel rooms. While The Study at Yale Hotel didn’t have a suite for us, they did have two joining rooms, which made it a godsend for a family travel situation. Below is our view from The Study at Yale, an alternative, quirky and unique stay in the heart of New Haven, a stone’s throw from the Yale University campus.
The view should be reason alone to put this hotel on your list and remember this was during a dreary week in April. Having lived in England for several years, the old and historical campus that seems to sprawl for miles, brought me back to a time when nearly every building was made from stone or brick. New Haven is a beautiful and historical city, and Yale’s history and its educational significance will not only bring you back to yesteryear, but encourage you to pick up books in shops on every corner and ask tons of questions as you meander your way around the city.
Located in the heart of Yale University’s Arts Campus only mere steps away from the University’s museums, theaters, libraries, and cultural centers, they call themselves a lifestyle hotel. The Study at Yale captures the essence of the Yale experience while offering guests top notch personalized service, style and comfort, all of which they seem to take pride based on our short on-site experience.
Literature, art, music, and thoughtful design are central themes of what they refer to as a sophisticated, yet relaxed, hotel. Artwork by acclaimed artist Barbara Cole line the hotel corridors, while Farm Coastal inspired cuisine is prevalent in their ground floor restaurant Heirloom, where we had breakfast one morning. They offer Aisling Gallery rotating exhibits featuring works by Yale Schools of Art and Architecture students. The hotel also has a wide selection of books penned by Yale Authors and visiting dignitaries featured in the Lobby/Living Room. The below shot gives you an idea of their lobby/lounge area.
There’s no shortage of books — you will even find book selections available in the cafe where you can grab a cuppa Joe 24 hours a day — the cafe offers a variety of teas, Illy coffee drinks, juices, bottled beverages and pastries.
Throughout the public areas, you have access to a state-of-the-art sound system, soft lounge chairs, an array of daily periodicals, and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with a selection of books chosen by the renowned Strand Book Store in New York City. They also have a Fitness Center where cardiovascular machines are equipped with built-in televisions and wireless iPod hookups. For those of you wanting a more challenging workout, complimentary passes to the Payne Whitney Gym located on the Yale campus are available at the Front Desk. It doesn’t get much easier or more convenient.
The hotel has valet parking (not complimentary) and a Virtual Concierge for making Heirloom dining reservations (the local restaurant downstairs) or purchasing tickets for anything New Haven, whether it be a sports, arts or theatrical event. The Study at Yale sponsors Yale University Athletics and Yale Repertory Theater and they periodically offer complimentary tickets to university events including athletics, stage productions, and concerts to guests.
Each guestroom features a comfortable leather chair, reading lamp and extensive room-length desk facing sterling views, a lofty feather-topped bed, iPod music dock, and luxurious marble floored bath. Complimentary wireless Internet access is offered throughout the hotel, both the lobby area as well as the rooms themselves. Basic, but clean and sharp functional design. And, let’s not forget that stellar view.
At the lobby desk, you can grab an apple (or two) and dip into their gingersnap cookie jar before heading to bed, which we did, especially given the needs of at least one 8 year old’s palette. Also worth noting is that the rooms include complimentary bottled water which is replenished daily during your stay.
An Apple workstation is available 24 hours a day and should you need an iPad for use, send a fax, copy or print a document, the Front Desk can handle it for you. A very nice feature for early guest risers is their complimentary Illy coffee (in to-go cups!) to help you start off your day.
Their lobby-level Heirloom Restaurant seemed to be bustling in the evening although we went elsewhere to explore the town by night. Heirloom Lounge offers a selection of small plates to entice you, which you can pair with a hand-crafted beer, signature cocktail, or a wine by the glass selected from a distinctive list of wines compiled by their Sommelier from regions all over the world.
Heirloom’s wines hail from Italy, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, South Africa and the United States, and signature cocktails feature house elixirs and infusions influenced by the New England seasons, many of their labels are sustainable, organic and biodynamic. Their beer selection is diverse and worldly with a special emphasis on the neighboring suppliers and distillers of New England and the Northeast.
We were thrilled to learn that the restaurant supports local growers and neighboring artisan suppliers from Connecticut and New England — it’s all about sustainable Farm Coastal inspired cuisine. Executive Chef Carey Savona focuses on ingredient-driven, innovative cuisine showcasing the best of seasonal finds for the area, which seemed to be a growing trend while we toured New England last summer and again this Spring.
While they offer a popular weekend brunch and there was a waiting list the evening we were there, we only had time to experience Heirloom for breakfast given our insanely packed schedule. How about pure Maple Syrup with pancakes or traditional poached eggs, bacon and toast to start your day? It was all things classic, all things fresh and oh so very delicious!!!
They also had very cute Study at Yale coffee mugs in their restaurant which even this little stuffed dog mascot of ours took a liking to….
While traditional breakfasts were the direction we went with on that cool Spring morning, they had plenty of healthy options on the menu, from fruit smoothies (strawberries, blueberries, banana, protein powder, super green food) and fresh fruit to steel cut oats with berries, homemade juices and a Smoked Fish Plate, where you could choose from smoked salmon, Maine Trout spread or a Salmon & Trout combo. It was served with capers, scallions, tomatoes, cream cheese and pickled onion on a plain or everything bagel.
Alas, it was time to go! We were sad to leave the culturally rich lobby loaded with books, where nearly any topic you were interested in seemed to be available at your fingertips and not via a modern day Google search. The Study at Yale is a perfect place to stay if you’re keen on exploring the historically rich Yale University and it’s New Haven tentacles — I’d encourage to you to explore the perhaps less known neighborhoods, bars, bistros, restaurants and activities regardless of what brought you to this pocket of Connecticut.
Two thumbs up — Comfortable, amenity-loaded, multi-media rich, rooms with lovely views, 24 hour coffee, reliable wifi and a cozy but fun lobby and lounge area, all make it a perfect New Haven stay, whether you’re there as a family, a couple or as an individual.
Details:
The Study at Yale
1157 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 503-3900
Note: we were hosted by the hotel but all opinions expressed are my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
