Meet Matilda Monday

49 comments

Happy Monday everyone! Today is fun and games day so I thought I would tell you more about my fun in NYC. As you know, I had the pleasure of staying in NYC recently. I had always wanted to stay at The Algonquin Hotel because of their resident cat. I never even imagined getting to stay unless I won the lottery, but I decided to check the rates and was pleasantly surprised at the pricing. I must note that when I just checked again for May, I was unpleasantly surprised. 038

Hubby and I always take the bus in from Springfield, MA to the Port Authority Bus Station right near Times Square. The Algonquin is only a few blocks away so it was perfect. It is a small hotel which makes check in extra quick. The staff treats you like royalty and they even hail a cab for you. They opened in 1902 and have had a resident cat since the 1930’s when the owner took in a stray. All males are named Hamlet and females are named Matilda. The current Matilda is a Ragdoll that has been there since 2010 and is quite the diva. 047She stayed up on her perch located at the front desk for hours. She wouldn’t get close enough for me to pet her, but she did let me get a photo. She also left some apples, fancy bottled water and a cute eye mask in the room with a note: 039

In addition to being known for Matilda, The Algonquin also has quite the literary history. Starting in 1919 , members of the “round table” had lunch their daily for 10 years. This group included several eiditors and critics from Vanity Fair and thr New York Times.

We were given a pre release copy of a book Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

002If you want to know what it is about, Goodreads has the description and reviews: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492284-eight-hundred-grapes. Just comment between now and Thursday, I will announce the winner Friday. You can comment daily for more chances to win.

I am off to buy a lottery ticket so I can afford to stay at the hotel again in May 🙂

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49 comments

  1. What a fun hotel, we love the kitty sleep mask!! And the premise of that book sounds very interesting – being SF locals we are very familiar with wine country! Would love to win it! Good luck with the lottery 😉
    xo Tux and Cat Lady

    1. Thank you 🙂 I wrote about the cafe last Monday, you must have missed it. There is going to be a longer article I wrote for Katzenworld.

  3. Oh my dear friends, we feel SOOOOOOOO guilty for being such bad visitors! It’s a good thing that your post today makes us feel ENVIOUS in almost equal measure! The Algonquin! OMG! Dorothy Parker! Alexander Woollcott! Robert Benchley! All those suave and sophisticated, urbane New Yorkers! The Human loved to read about them. When she was a kid, her favorite book was an autobiography of Moss Hart called Act One that had a lot about George S Kaufman–go figure; she grew up in 1950’s Sacramento, California! She has only been in New York once (so far anyway) and she did not get to the Algonquin . . . maybe she’ll quit her job, pack me up and meet you there in May??? XOXOXOXO

    1. I would love to meet you and your Mom in NYC 🙂 I feel bad that I don’t even know who most of those writers are, I was just interested in Matilda. Thank you for visiting us-we missed you 🙂

  6. Oh gosh we’ve heard about the Algonquin Hotel for years now relative to the “resident cat”………..How GRAND that you got to stay there! I guess during the winter months the rates must go down a tad but otherwise – lottery here we come…HAHAHA Nice that they celebrate their resident cat by spoiling them and adding little touches of kitty for the guests too.

    Hugs, Sammy and Mom Pam

  9. guys……way awesum yur mom getted ta meet de fame mouz matilda !!! total kewl & we iz happee yur mom at leest getted a fotoz….sum times thatz hard ta due….iznt that rite sister cuzin dai$y…..~~~~~~

    any mew, we hope yur mom doez win de lott o ree & her can go bak in may !!

    { plus like buy everee one a new cat perch, yur own CATilax car AND treetz out de wazzo 🙂

  11. Lady Ellen thiss place soundss heavenlee an Miss Matilda iss one luvley kitty gurl….
    Do not wurry Purrincess Phoebe yur mee #1 kittie luv <3
    **paw kissess** Siddhartha Henry xxxx

    1. Awwww…my sweet purrince, you always know what to say to make me a happy purrincess. Love, Phoebes XOXOXO

  13. We had never heard of the Algonquin Hotel so thank you for telling us about it. It sounds as though it has a wonderful literary history as well as a cool residential cat. Together that spells fantabulous to us! 🙂 We are glad you enjoyed it so much.

    the critters in the cottage xo

  15. Whoa! Maybe TW can meet you in May or you can come visit ME! It’s a short ride from the Port Authority. TW was only in that hotel once when one of her office Christmas parties was held there. She didn’t even know about a cat or maybe that was before the cats. She IS old, you know. Her fave NYC hotel for history is the Chelsea because of Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, etc. She never stayed there and now it’s luxury apartments.

    1. I would love to meet you CK!! I don’t think your Mom is that old, they have had a cat there since the 1930’s 🙂 That would be a great place for a Christmas party. Sorry your Mom didn’t get to stay at The Chelsea before it became luxury apartments.

  16. Our mommy would love to go to a hotel with a kitty! She’s only see ducks at the Peabody in Tennessee. That’s not quite the same.

  18. How fun to stay at an historic place, especially one with a cat. Good luck on getting another stay in May. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

  19. Mee knowss a kittygurl named Phoebe
    Shee iss mee one an onlee true sweetie.
    Mee will luv her furevurr
    an leeve her no nevurr.
    An mee will rite more poemss so clevurr!!!
    <3 LUV <3 an **paw kissess**
    Purrince Siddhartha Henry xxxx

    1. Thank you my sweet Purrince- I love it. I am going to have Mom print it out for me to treasure forever. Love, Phoebes. XO

      1. Yur berry wllcome Purrincess Phoebe….yur mee mew-youss….
        “What LadyMum?”
        Oh mee meenss M– USE Phoebe. Mee spellin iss still a bit ruff.
        Yur so sweet an mee iss *blushin*
        *paw kissess* Siddhartha Henry <3 <3

        1. I bet you look so cute when you blush 🙂 You always look cute my sweet handsome purrince. XO

          1. Mew mew mew LadyMum sayss mee lookss cute when mee blushess….mee nevurr see meeself so mee takess her werd fur it!
            **paw kissess**
            Purrince Siddhartha xxXXxx

  21. Any pawlace with a resident kitty has gotta be great!

    MOL, we confurs that at furst meowmy thought you were going to mew about Algonquin Park in Ontario, OMC, MOL!!

    Glad you got to see Matilda! Maybe some day a petting session might happen:))

  22. I’m bummed because I didn’t see this post – or many of your others – til just now. Apparently Feedly has been hiding them or something! Anyway, my human has been to the Algonquin but Matilda wasn’t available when she was there – I think she was resting or something. She heard somewhere that they give writers one highly discounted night at the hotel – maybe you should look into that!

    1. I had a few people tell me about feedly so I went over and signed up a few days ago, but I guess they finally decided to cooperate. I am glad your human got to go to the hotel-sorry she misssed the aloof Matilda. I didn’t know about the discounted night 🙁 I was lucky to be off season to get an affordable rate.

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