NEW YORK - Inside a pair of townhouses on Lexington Avenue in Murray Hill, there's a haven for those who were or are currently in the military. And they have been doing it for a century.
"Our motto is we serve those who have served, in a family atmosphere," said Bill McShane, President and CEO of the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard and Airmen's Club.
The Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard and Airmen's Club was founded in 1919 after the conclusion of World War I. The non-profit organization provides accommodations at subsidized rates for active duty military, veterans, first responders and their families visiting New York.
President and CEO Bill McShane, a Vietnam Veteran who served in the Marines as a helicopter pilot, calls its a boutique hotel with a special focus.
"Because we are all service connected, we think we can connect with them better to give their experience of staying in New York a special edge," McShane said.
The establishment features 29 guest rooms and club-type facilities throughout the two buildings, including the canteen where you can find veterans mingling with those still on active duty - all in town visiting or staying either before or after military deployments.
"We have a lot in common because we've all been in the service and military, so we just connect together," said Paris Bridges, a U.S. Army veteran.
"It gives my husband an opportunity to sit and rest and talk to all of his army buddies and he might not know them but it seems like they have known each other for years because they sit and chat and it gives me an opportunity to shop while he is chatting," said Pam Bridges.
The club has events like their big Thanksgiving meal for veterans and guests and their Military Ball fundraiser. The goal is to give guests an experience that is very much like home.
"There is a lot of comaraderie, and it's historical, it's something you don't get when you stay in a mainstream hotel," said Jennifer Owens, whose husband serves in the U.S. Army.
For more information, visit ssmaclub.org.