The Sofitel is centrally located at 45 West 44th and has long been the place to stay for Tony nominees and their guests–but it also is a favorite of Tony Awards attendees and those who just like the hustle and bustle of being close to the Theater District. Now the Sofitel has created the ultimate Tony Awards oasis called–you guessed it–the Tony Awards Suite!
Created in a luxury Terrace Suite with incredible views of Manhattan’s skyline, the Sofitel’s Tony Awards Suite is decorated with the rarest of Tonys memorabilia from its 72-year history as well as Tony-themed amenities that spotlight the evolution of Broadway! Amenities include a Tony song book, award-winning scripts, opening number photography, programs, invitations, Playbills from 1955 and beyond–and even a real Tony on the bookshelf without a designated category. You can take selfies with your “rented” Tony and tell your friends that you won for whatever pops into your head, LOL! (Nothing is wrong with an occasional little white lie on the Great White Way, LOL!) 
There are gorgeous art deco amenities including a gorgeous brown, cream and deep mustard gold marble bathroom and sleek teak wood TV stand with a special spot to stash your booze. The suite’s main room has a desk with theater makeup mirror style lighting and the bedroom features crisp white bed linens and photographs of past Tonys parties. The suite is available for booking through July 15, 2018 and rates start at $2,000 per night.
Guests who book the $100K Tony Awards Package will spend a full seven nights in the suite and participate a flurry of events and luxury experiences only the most diehard Broadway afficionado and fashionistas could dream up. Upon booking, Sofitel New York will also be making a $50,000 donation to the Broadway League & The American Theatre Wing so besides having fun, the guests will be doing a lot of good for the future of Broadway as well. This Tony Awards package includes:
*Two VIP tickets to the 2018 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2018
Styling by the renowned designer Christian Siriano for a red carpet debut
*Hair and makeup by Nomi Beauty
*Two tickets to the Official Tony Awards Gala and After Party at the Plaza Hotel (the Plaza is actually a sister property to the Sofitel)
*Two House Seats for three 2018 Tony-nominated performances of your choosing
*Guests who book over June 4, 2018 will also receive two tickets to the Tony Awards Honors Cocktail on June 4 at Sofitel New York. The $100K Tony Awards Package is valid for booking through June 8, 2018. Reservations can be made by calling 212-782-3013 or by emailing [email protected]. (It was actually David who personally curated all the great vintage Tony items that you see in the suite including invitations to several Tony parties dating back several decades!)
You just know that I had to go snoop around over at the Sofitel myself this past weekend and Daniel Harpaz himself took me around. The suite is about 600 square feet with a 600 square foot terrace attached that has the best view of the Chrysler Building in all of Manhattan. The outdoor space has plenty of seating and is perfect for hosting a cocktail party. I can’t think of a better place in midtown for enjoying the great summer New York weather that has finally arrived.
Part of the $100K package includes meals in the Sofitel’s Gaby Brasserie Francaise which was named for the popular 1920’s Parisian model who found her way to New York for even bigger fame. Gaby is the recipient of OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice Award For 2018 and I found out why firsthand–it has authentic French flair and flavor. 
All the servers I encountered at brunch last Sunday were French and very attentive, they had interesting anecdotes about the history of the dishes served and the dishes were truly authentic from the croissants to the Eggs Benedict. I noticed that the Steak & Eggs were a popular choice judging by those sitting around me and they had some of the most creative omelettes I have seen in a while on the menu. The farm fresh buratta was a must-have as a starter for my friends and I, and it did not disappoint. 
I had the best onion soup I had ordered in years and it blew my mind to learn that the Gaby actually imports their buttery croissant dough from Paris a couple of times a week! The raisin rolls also transported me to brunch heaven! I have to say that prices are extremely reasonable for the insane quality that the patrons are getting.
For those who do not have $100K to lay out for the grand Tony Awards treatment at the Sofitel–or even the $2K for one night in the Tony Awards Suite–there is something that is free to any Broadway maniac that you will want to spend at least a half hour perusing. It is one of Broadway’s best kept secrets, by the way! I am speaking of the Fraver Gallery right in the lobby of the hotel. Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo is the most famous of all Broadways poster artists and arguably his most famous poster of all time was for the Lion King–and you will see it in the Sofitel lobby along with his other beautiful posters including ones for Sunday In The Park With George, Follies and Sweeney Todd. Fraver actually has a new book out celebrating his five decades of designing posters that just came out on April 28th; it’s called Fraver By Design and has art that goes even beyond what he has done for Broadway. 
Now in the very back of the lobby–right where the check in desk and right where the Fraver Gallery ends–is one of the great curiosities of the Tonys world. It is the giant Tony that gets transported from a Tonys pre-party that takes place every year at the Sofitel to various other Tonys functions and then finally to the Tonys Awards themselves for various photo ops. It is about six feet high and lucky for the guys who have to move it around, it breaks into several pieces!
For more info on Sofitel, go to www.sofitel-new-york.com. You can make reservations at Gaby on this site but also learn more about what the hotel has in store for the Tony Awards and beyond. As I was walking out yesterday, guests were coming in to take the Tony Awards Suite for one night and I was oh-so-jealous!
