Hotel On Rivington: A Fringe Benefit

"Oh my God, we're being robbed!"

That's a line from a movie (can you name it?), a comedy about a husband and wife who take a trip to New York City where EVERYTHING goes wrong.

I was beginning to believe I was living that movie as we lingered at Denver International Airport this Monday morning, bound for the New York City International Fringe Festival. We were traveling to scout some possible shows for production at Avenue Theater.

Our feelings of excitement slowly turned to exasperation as flights were delayed, canceled or just didn't have room for us. This happened all day until we finally caught a red-eye flight to Chicago, waited through a few more delays and then at long last made it to our destination, the Hotel on Rivington.

By this time I was fearing our travel travails might continue through the check-in process and believe you me, if they had, I was ready to give someone a piece of my mind! (I know, not too much, I've not got much to spare.)

But thankfully our sponsor for this 2013 trip to Fringe Fest, Hotel on Rivington was an ideal oasis at the end of a long caravan. With my mind only just intact, we turned our exasperation back to the excitement as we took in the stunning design of the hotel. We were greeted by a staff that seemed happy to see us and eager to please. These were wonderful people who were professional, kind, caring and thoughtful.

The hotel itself is stylish and unique in its modern design with mesmerizing artwork. Our room was the high-life living I have always dreamed of with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline through large, floor-to-ceiling windows, exquisitely appointed furniture, a wall-mounted flat screen TV which swings out in front of a plush memory foam bed, and an absolutely divine, deep-soaking Japanese-inspired bathtub.

I admit it, I am generally not one to order room service (yes, it's because I'm cheap). However, at the Hotel on Rivington I was pleasantly surprised to find the room service menu affordable. Not a single item on the breakfast menu was over $20 and some were under $10. I consider myself a breakfast burrito connoisseur. If it's on the menu, I must give one a try. I've not tasted any better than the delicious chorizo egg scramble burrito that was promptly delivered soon after my call.


The food comes from the CO-OP Food & Drink, the hotel restaurant with a deserved reputation as being among the finest in the Lower East Side. It's located in the lobby where you can also find Adam, the Chief Concierge and his friendly staff who are there to serve.

Probably the best thing on the Hotel on Rivington is the location. Smack dab in the Lower East Side, one of the most interesting neighborhoods in the world, it reminded me that I was here to find shows that fit in with Avenue Theater, and the Capitol Hill area. If we were able to bring back to Denver some of the eclectic excitement of Fringe Fest, the Lower East Side, and this beautiful hotel, I have no doubt that the short sleep in the Chicago concourse will have been worth it.

For the record, the quote above was uttered by Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis in Neil Simon’s movie, “The Out-of-Towners” (1970 version). Hopefully, we will stay a little longer at our hotel than they were able to in the film.

Addendum- BIG THANKS to MarcAnthony Crimi, the General Manager and his incredible staff for their insanely generous donation to Avenue Theater's mission. Exceptional service and a sincere caring for customers is the industry standard for luxury hotels. For us, Hotel on Rivington exceeded those standards.