By Holly Rosen Fink, GoGirlfriend Contributor

With the benefits of a well-positioned NYC venue

Even though we live a short distance from NYC, it’s always a thrill for my teenage daughter and I to take the train into the city with overnight bags for our very own staycation. We love waking up to the sounds of the city. We love looking out the window at the skyline as sunset kicks in. We love having access to some of the best food in the world right outside our door. Most of all, we love being in our favorite city to partake in cultural festivities or simply enjoy city life.

Our different reasons for getting away

So, when I was recently invited to visit Aliz Hotel Times Square, I jumped at the opportunity. I loved the idea of being right on top of the heart of Broadway and having a short break with my girl away from reality. She, on the other hand, wanted a break from school, homework, and all the drama that comes with being a teenage girl. We both had different goals of our weekend away, but ultimately we weren’t very far apart in what we wanted to do and achieve. We wanted to experience more of NYC without having to jump on a train and rush back to the suburbs and basically enjoy city life. There would be some rest in between our adventures, and we are hopeful that the hotel would have a gym.

Our stay at Aliz

Aliz is a boutique hotel located on West 40th Street. Upon first glance entering the lobby and getting on the elevator to go to our room, it appeared that a large number of the hotel’s guests were international, from various parts of the world. Our modern room was one of 287 rooms in the hotel featuring all the amenities we needed including a flat screen TV to luxury bedding to a view of the Manhattan skyline. We were in a room with a king-size bed which featured free Wifi and blackout shades, which we only used at the end of the day as we loved the delicious views.

The biggest treat, other than being right on top of Times Square, was finding out that the hotel doesn’t have a gym exactly - they have a complimentary peloton studio. We are both big spin class fans, but we had yet to try these machines, which have virtual spin class trainers teaching classes. You can choose the kind of music you want, so naturally I chose 1980’s and she chose modern day pop music. It was amazing to ride along with other people in real time around the world and was quite the work out for us both.

What to do in NYC?

The hotel is just steps away from Broadway theaters and good restaurants. It’s also steps away from shopping, which is great for teens, including American Eagle, Forever 21, and more. We had plans in the East Village at the Connelly Theater to see a Clubbed Thumb production called “Plano,” so we opted for dinner at a small restaurant called Root & Bone where we devoured deviled eggs, kale salad, and macaroni & cheese.

The next day we met the rest of our family, meaning my husband and son, at Bluebird London at Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle for a cuppa tea. My husband is English, my kids have British passports, and we drink a lot of tea in my house, so we were all jazzed up about the experience. The verdict? It’s a great activity for families on a Saturday afternoon. First of all, we loved the views of Central Park. Secondly, we all enjoy a good high tea, and this one was no exception. For $45 a person, you get served a selection of teas, scones with jam and clotted cream, finger sandwiches, and cakes on lovely English china. Adult can vie for bubbles or gin at an extra cost. After tea, we took a walk around Central Park. It was a gorgeous day weather-wise, and our stroll was the perfect topper to our high tea.

Nearby Central Park on 82nd and Lexington Avenue is a new discovery for families that I am anxious to write about. It’s called Salthaus, a new type of therapy called halotherapy, that recreates the micro-climate of a natural salt cave. The caves are rooms with their floors covered with pink Himalayan salt and beach chairs. We were given headphones to listen to a meditation on iPods, neck pillows, and blindfolds and sat quietly while micro particles of salt floated through the air, subtly creating health improvements such as sinus and headache relief, better sleep, and more. The therapy is for all ages, and kids 10 and under are free with an adult. We felt very relaxed when we left, and I'd be inclined to return with my special needs child to take his stress down a notch.

We topped off the day with a Broadway show – because why not? After all, NYC is where theater is at! We saw “Beetlejuice,” a musical adapted from Tim Burton’s famous film, which we both thoroughly enjoyed, before heading back home.

The bottom line

Aliz Hotel Times Square is an affordable, well positioned hotel for a mother-daughter getaway in New York City. It’s perfect for either a staycation or weekend getaway. Given its location, it’s the perfect gateway to the various attractions in NYC.

Check out their property online at the Aliz Hotel Times Square their reviews on TripAdvisor, their Facebook and Instagram feeds and find the Aliz Hotel deals and offers here. We always recommend you book early to reserve your next getaway opportunity.

Have you stayed at the Aliz Hotel Times Square as you enjoyed the NYC experience? We'd love to hear about your Aliz Hotel enjoyment. Drop a comment below and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: Holly was invited to stay at Aliz Hotel Times Square to facilitate this review, but all opinions are her own.

About Holly Rosen Fink

Holly Rosen Fink is a Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Branding and Social Media expert and writer based in Larchmont, New York. She is a current contributor to Trekaroo, OffMetro, Family Vacation Critic, and Women and Hollywood.