I spent an evening at The Algonquin Hotel with Rebecca Szymczak, aka “Cardsy B”, setting my intentions for 2026 and reflecting on the year ahead. The historic hotel, with its storied walls and timeless energy, felt like the perfect place to pause, reset, and connect with my own intuition.
Walking in, you immediately feel the Algonquin’s history. Opened in 1902 and now part of the Autograph Collection, it sits near the bustling heart of Times Square and Fifth Avenue. Over the years, it has welcomed New York’s literary and cultural elite, as well as anyone drawn to creating their own unique stories including myself now. That sense of legacy gives the hotel an air of mystery, making it a magical backdrop for a Tarot reading.
My session with Cardsy B was amazing. She was fully attentive, immediately tuning into where I was in life and guiding the conversation naturally through career, love, and my goals for 2026. The 20-minute reading felt both focused and expansive — the cards reflected insights I didn’t even know I was holding, showing me both challenges and opportunities for growth in the year ahead. I’ve had my cards read a few times before, including a memorable session in New Orleans, but my experience at The Algonquin Hotel was spot on.
The experience was bookended by time in the Blue Bar, with drinks and a light bite both before and after the reading. A pianist played softly in the background, and you could tell the bar itself was buzzing with patrons — both staying at the hotel and dropping in from the city. The warm energy of the space made it easy to settle in, reflect, and carry the session’s insights with me, making the evening feel cohesive and thoughtfully paced.
Cardsy B, the hotel’s resident Wellness Witch, draws on Tarot, energy healing, and numerology, tailoring each session to where you are in life and where you’re headed. She has been reading Tarot since age eleven and, after leaving a career in fashion, dedicated herself fully to her intuitive gifts. Her clients include celebrities, C-suite executives, artists, and entrepreneurs. In addition to her signature deck, Badass Bitches Tarot, she also hosts the award-winning Hex and the City podcast.
Sitting with her, I felt a sense of clarity and perspective that was both grounding and energizing. Even if Tarot isn’t your usual thing, an experience like this is about pausing, reflecting, and reconnecting with yourself — and in a place as storied as The Algonquin, it feels effortless.
The hotel continues to be relevant in New York not just as a historic place to stay or dine, but as a destination for unique experiences like this — offering moments that inspire reflection, connection, and creativity for both visitors and locals alike.