Honest Review of Sleep No More in New York – Is It Worth Seeing? [Part 2]

Hello! This is Fujii from At Broadway.
I had been saying, over and over for more than three years, that I wanted to go to Sleep No More. Then the other day I read staff member Kaneki’s show report (July 10, 2018). It was so carefully detailed that I ended up devouring it to the end – only to realize he beat me to it and even dropped a few spoilers. Most of all, by the time I finished reading, I wanted to go so badly that I couldn’t hold back the impulse and, before I knew it, I had made a reservation.

While this was my first time personally, this is a second report as a team, so in order to avoid overlapping with the previous report, I will link that one here. If you haven’t read it yet, please start there before moving on this page.

How to use our Sleep No More reports

• Part 1: Updated July 10, 2018
  Sleep No More first-timer report
• Part 2: Updated July 23, 2018
  This page!
• Part 3: Updated October 22, 2019
  The most detailed page on Sleep No More

How to get to the McKittrick Hotel

In short, the easiest way is the subway from Times Square in the very center of Manhattan.
Be sure to get a New York City subway map in advance. You’ll have cell service and free Wi-Fi on the platform, but once the train moves, both cut out.
To check the map even without service, pick up a printed map in the station or download the PDF from the official site.

Times Square (42nd St) is a major hub, so getting there is no problem. From there take the purple 7 train and ride it to the terminal station, so it should be hard to miss your stop.

On the 7 line platform, confirm you’re heading toward 34th Street / Hudson Yards. A train arrived in less than five minutes that day. The 42nd Street to Hudson Yards segment is new, so the rolling stock was also new.

You ride only one stop, about ten minutes.

Google Maps said seven minutes, but because it is the terminal the train paused several times, so it actually took a bit over ten minutes.

When you step off, you’ll see an unusually clean platform for Manhattan.

This station was planned for New York’s 2012 Summer Olympics bid and originally slated to open in 2012. After the bid failed, delays piled up and it finally opened in September 2015.

It has a modern design with several exits. I first headed to the biggest exit I saw, but in hindsight the exit with the elevator is the easiest.

If you don’t use the elevator, you end up taking these extremely long escalators.

Between the up and down escalators runs a slanted elevator, which adds to the modern vibe.

Just when you think the escalator is over, another one appears to reach street level.

I checked Wikipedia and found the station depth is 125 feet (38 meters). For reference, the deepest in Manhattan is 191st St at 180 feet (50 meters).

Walk through Hudson Yards on the way

The escalators were running, so it was not tiring, but climbing 38 meters still takes time.

Escalators in Manhattan stations often stop, so if they do, be ready for a workout. Once outside, you’re in the heart of the Hudson Yards redevelopment.

Since I was there, I decided to stroll the area. First, I checked my bearings and aimed for 11th Ave.

If you walk in the direction of the Hudson River, you’ll quickly reach the wide street of 11th Avenue. At the corner of 34th St and 11th Ave, you see the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, a large exhibition hall similar to Tokyo Big Sight.

Turn left on 11th Ave and continue south to 27th St. If the street numbers go down from 34 to 33 to 32, you’re heading in the right direction, toward the south.

One structure immediately caught my eye – the Vessel, a name that literally means a container or pot.

With about 2,500 steps in total, it is not exactly something I felt like climbing, but it is a striking creation by British designer Thomas Heatherwick and has already become a new landmark in Manhattan.

Along 11th Ave there is a large train yard, and around 7:40 PM I caught a breathtaking sunset over the Hudson River, with New Jersey visible in the distance.

For a moment, I almost forgot I was on my way to Sleep No More. Now I understood why the area is called Hudson Yards. Near here, you can also find an entrance to the High Line, a park built on a former elevated railway from the 1920s.

Walk south on 11th Ave then left on 27th St

From 34th St to 27th St, even walking slowly with traffic lights, it takes only about ten minutes.

This stretch of 11th Ave is mostly for cars and surrounded by construction sites, so it is fine to walk during daylight, but I wouldn’t recommend walking here late at night after Sleep No More. Once you reach 27th St, make a left turn.

After turning left, the street looks a bit gritty in a typical New York way. There were several police cars parked nearby, probably because of a nearby precinct.

On the right side of 27th St, I could already see a crowd of people, so it was obvious that this was the line for Sleep No More. The street doesn’t have large signs, but you notice a few well-known spots like the club Scores and the pizza place Ovest Pizzoteca.

The first line I saw was actually for the rooftop bar Gallow Green next door, not Sleep No More. A couple tried to get in without a reservation but were told it was full and had to leave.

Since I planned to visit Gallow Green after the show (staff member Kaneki couldn’t get in last time because it was full), I asked one of the staff outside about the wait time. Around 8 PM, he said it was already full but that guests could get in after waiting about 20 to 30 minutes. The couple who left probably just didn’t want to wait.

The line stretched just a few meters before the entrance of the McKittrick Hotel, where Sleep No More takes place.

Out of curiosity, I counted the people ahead of me. There were about 60 in total. Because guests can enter anytime between 7 and 8 PM, many seemed to rush to get in before 8, making it feel like the entry line would take a while.

Before you enter the McKittrick Hotel

Listening to conversations around me, it was clear that most of the people waiting in line were travelers. There were quite a few Asian visitors, especially from China.

Many had large bags or backpacks. Some were carrying shopping bags from ZARA or even rolling suitcases. It seems that many knew in advance that they could leave their belongings at the cloakroom before entering.

While in line, staff members in black suits came around to check IDs, such as passports, and stamped the hands of those who passed.

This stamp isn’t for entry but for age verification. Only guests aged 21 or over, who can legally drink alcohol, receive it. Ticket confirmation happens later inside the building. So, guests under 21 enter without a stamp.

I arrived at the hotel entrance around 7:45 p.m. and got inside at about 8:00 p.m. There were still many people behind me, so it seemed like guests could enter even after 8:00. Being a little late probably isn’t an issue.

From entrance to lobby

It was a humid evening, so I was glad to escape the heat and step inside. The entrance is a narrow tunnel-like hallway, completely painted black from floor to ceiling – truly dark.

The line moved slowly. On the right-hand side of the corridor, a softly lit sign advertized the rooftop bar next door, Gallow Green.

Coat check policy go hands free

After about ten minutes, I reached a brighter area – the coat check counter.

I realized that the slow line was caused by everyone checking their bags, so since I had nothing with me, I moved ahead of a few people to the desk.

Seeing what I did, a couple behind me tried to skip the check, but staff stopped them and asked them to leave even their small pouches.

No matter the size, every item must be checked in. So it’s best to go empty-handed to Sleep No More. The fee is $4. If you don’t have cash, they can charge your card using a tablet, but that slows down the process – probably another reason the line was so long.

At the counter, I gave my last name, received a playing card, and proceeded inside.

After winding through a pitch-dark hallway and climbing stairs, I arrived at a small, faintly lit room. The atmosphere was perfect – eerie and cinematic – so I took a quick photo. Under the light, I looked at my card: a Joker. The couple behind me also had Jokers. I wondered what that meant for the experience ahead.

What to do in the lounge

The lounge was elegantly decorated, with velvet curtains and 1950s-style furnishings. It felt like a bar from a noir film. Those with champagne-table tickets could sit down, but that upgrade costs more than double the regular ticket, so most people were standing and waiting quietly.

Amid the crowd, two or three beautiful women in long gowns were sitting with drinks in hand, smiling faintly. They might have been bar staff, or perhaps performers from Sleep No More. It was hard to tell.

Then a man in a tuxedo approached and asked, “Aren’t you drinking?” I replied, “I’m being indecisive because I don’t know when they’ll call us.” He smiled and disappeared back into the room. Looking around, most people wore the same expression: unsure when or where to line up next.

After about five minutes – just when I was thinking of getting a drink – the same man stepped onto the stage and softly announced, “Those holding Jokers and Kings, please come this way.”

He spoke deliberately quietly, matching the mood of the room, so it was hard to hear. But once people started moving, it became clear which way to go.

In the next room, staff handed out the signature white masks worn by all audience members. The strap was adjustable, and the mask itself was sturdier than expected. The eye holes were large, so visibility was fine, much better than cheap masquerade masks.

Inside, one of the elegantly dressed women from earlier began explaining the rules of Sleep No More. As I thought, she was one of the cast members. Her calm voice, the dim light, and the mask on my face made it feel like I was already part of the story.

Explore the McKittrick Hotel

Spoiler alert!

A large group of us squeezed into an elevator. It stopped three times, dropping off people at different floors. Since I got in early, I was among the last to get off. If you come with a partner or friends and want to stay together, stand near the back of the elevator so you’re released last as a group.

Photography is strictly prohibited inside. I tried snapping a couple of shots, but it was too dark anyway. Each floor and room of the McKittrick Hotel is decorated in stunning, cinematic detail. You can touch furniture, read handwritten letters, and open drawers – you’re free to explore almost everything.

As the earlier report mentioned, if you can anticipate where performers are going, you can reach the next scene before the crowd and stand in front, but that’s tough. Some guests in masks were running noisily, breaking the atmosphere. I wish they’d at least stick to a brisk walk.

At one point, I thought I was in the basement graveyard, but later realized it was actually an upper floor. It’s easy to lose your sense of direction inside, so check the stairwell signs often. At first it’s fine to chase the actors, but you’ll definitely get lost later if you don’t pace yourself.

Following the performers takes you from scene to scene, but I eventually stopped doing only that. When two or three characters split up, most people follow the one who seems to be leading. Instead, I stayed behind with the quiet one – the person who stands still, staring into space.

After several minutes, that actor might suddenly turn to you, make eye contact, and whisper, “Take this to the woman in the next room,” or grab your hand and start a new scene. So instead of chasing the obvious drama, I recommend staying still and watching a single character. In one case, it led to an unforgettable one-on-one moment in the hotel lobby scene.

I also followed a performer who suddenly ran up from the basement to the fourth floor. Don’t even think of doing this in heels; wear sneakers.

After the show return to the lounge

Finally returning to the lounge bar felt like reaching civilization again. It was 9:40 p.m., meaning I had spent just about one and a half hours inside.

It honestly felt much longer, like I had wandered for over two hours. My legs were exhausted. The bar was full of guests animatedly discussing what they’d seen, but interestingly, the noise and light from here never leak into the performance area. It made sense why finding this room from inside the show is so difficult.

Gallow Green rooftop bar guide

I was completely worn out, my legs swollen, and drenched in sweat. I needed a beer immediately. Although I could’ve stayed at the lounge, I had already planned to visit Gallow Green, so I left for the rooftop right away.

Stepping outside and turning left, I found surprisingly no line. I went straight up in the elevator.

At the host stand, I was shown to a table immediately. The moment I stepped out, a wave of fresh greenery and earthy aroma hit me. True to the name “Green,” the atmosphere was like a botanical garden on a summer night.

The decor was exactly what I had seen in guidebooks – string lights draped over wooden beams, plants everywhere, and long wooden tables shared among guests.

Even at 10 p.m. the temperature was still above 30°C. After all that walking, the heat was tough, but I sat down anyway to cool off.

A friendly staff member handed me a menu, and tucked inside was a Sleep No More advertisement.

Around me, I saw several groups of guests carrying the white masks – clearly, this is the go-to spot after Sleep No More.

The food menu focused on New American cuisine, and from the presentation it was clear the kitchen took things seriously.

Due to my severe starvation, I ordered four items:
1. Allagash White (beer first, of course)
2. Tuna Crudo (tuna and avocado)
3. Charred Octopus
4. Margherita Pizza

The Allagash White was crisp and refreshing, one of my favorite wheat beers. The tuna dish had a light citrus dressing that paired perfectly with the beer. The octopus was tender with just the right char – excellent. The pizza was decent, though personally I prefer the wood-fired pies at Don Antonio.

Final thoughts and tips

When Kaneki, who wrote the first report, asked me, “So, how was it?” I said, “I understand why people get hooked and go again and again, but I didn’t expect to walk that much.” I really didn’t. I went up and down stairs more than fifteen times, and my legs were sore for days.

As for the show itself, my head was full of unsolved mysteries. I realized I should’ve reviewed Shakespeare’s Macbeth and watched Hitchcock’s Rebecca beforehand. Understanding who hides what, who knows and who doesn’t, and why a character suddenly breaks into a wild dance – all of that would make more sense if you know the source material.

Of course, even without prior knowledge, it’s enjoyable as a blend of haunted house and immersive theater. But if you wander aimlessly for an hour and lose focus, that would be a shame. Explore the rooms, study the small props and notes, and watch how the actors move.

Personally, I think Sleep No More is best experienced alone. When you’re by yourself, you can fully become “the unseen” and slip into the story. At one point, someone bumped into me while chasing a performer, and I almost said something aloud – but I stopped. Just as the characters lose themselves in madness, I wanted to fade silently into their world. Next time, I’ll come better prepared and dive even deeper.

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