New York is one of our favourite cities, so it was a real pleasure to find out we would be spending Christmas here this year. We’ve had a number of really wonderful trips to New York City, visiting at least twice a year, but New York is always extra special at Christmastime.

This is the first time we have stayed at the Barclay Intercontinental Hotel on East 48th Street, and our stay really did not get off to a good start. When my husband and I went to enter the suite we were checked into, our key did not work. We waited outside the room while the bellman went to sort things out. When he returned and opened the door, the room was occupied! It was very upsetting. Since then we’ve had a few little niggles which we are struggling to get sorted out, including some with our son’s room. The Assistant Front Office manager last night was incredibly helpful, and as an apology offered to move our son to a room where he would be more comfortable. This morning, the staff are fighting us on this, and I am feeling intensely frustrated. I do hope the issue can be resolved. I have never come across an Intercontinental Hotel where I have had any issues whatsoever, and the attitude of some of the staff has come as a bit of a shock. I rarely write negative hotel reviews, and I would hate to have to do so in this case. (This situation has since been resolved. Our son is in a much nicer room, and we were given some lovely treats to make up for the inconveniences we suffered.)

Aside from that though, our stay has been going incredibly well so far. All sorts of lovely things have been happening, including a chap proposing to his girlfriend on the rink at Rockefeller Centre.