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Where To Stay

There are thousands of rooms in New York City and just as many prices. You can’t visit a travel site without being bombarded with NYC “deals”. Perhaps more than in any other city, though, price dictates quality and size. “You get what you pay for” is truer here than almost anywhere else. When it comes to price, these are things to remember:

1. The season influences the price, Fall the “high” season, winter the "low"
2. Weekend rates are generally lower than weekday.
3. Most hotels give up their less desirable rooms to the discount travel sites, so the room at the great hotel for the great price, just may be a broom closet with a view of the heating ducts.
4. As a general rule, throughout the year, you will pay $300+ for a 4 or 5 star hotel.
5. The best deals on the best rooms can usually only be obtained directly with the property.

Our objective is to find something other than just a hotel room, however nicely decorated it might be. We want to say, “wow” when we open the door to our room. Where you stay is an important ingredient in your weekend experience. For that reason, our recommendations are skewed toward accommodations beyond the norm. Rooms that offer more than just a bed and bath. Rooms that make you say, “wow”!


There is something special about each of our selections and each can suit a particular mood from the bold and striking design of the Mandarin to the warmth and intimacy of the Lowell. We have selected specific rooms as our favorites, but the truth is any room in these fine hotels is suitable for a great weekend.

Ritz Carlton Central Park  |  The Lowell
Mandarin Oriental  |  Ritz Carlton Battery Park
Greenwich Hotel  |  Regency Hotel
Sofitel  |  The Blakely Hotel
Hudson Hotel

Ritz Carlton Central Park
Central Park South
HALL OF FAME

This is a magnificent hotel, worthy of the Ritz Carlton heritage and ideally located on Central Park West, overlooking the Park. The service level began about three days before our arrival with a phone call from the hotel asking if our stay was for a special occasion or if there was anything they could do for us upon arrival.

When we did arrive, we were greeted by no less than 4 doormen. Our luggage was taken from the car, the car whisked away and we were led to the reception desk. Check-in was swift and we were in our room in less than 10 minutes from the time of arrival.

If ever there was a room that forced a “wow” upon entering it, it is a park view room at this Ritz. Two picture windows face the park with the most magnificent view you may ever see from a hotel room. We first saw this room in the Fall with the leaves changing and on this day, we were in the midst of the January 2005 snow storm.

The room (450 sq. feet) itself is decorated in French Provincial furniture; an armoire, end tables and side tables and a comfortable easy chair. The colors are soft browns and rose. The walls are raised panels with a subtle, striped fabric wallpaper inlaid between the panels. Heavy brocade draperies grace the windows, brass floor and table lamps provide soft lighting. Mirrors are trimmed in gold, carpeting is thick and soft. There’s a telescope for viewing the park, the bathrooms are all marble and there are fresh orchids in a vase. 300 count Frette linens make the soft and plush featherbed the kind you never want to leave.

As my friend says, “it’s all in the details”, and the Ritz just gets it. The closets are as big as some hotel rooms, the bathrooms have thick. soft bathrobes and towels and Frederic Fekkai toiletries. The tub even has a tray to hold a book while you’re soaking. Even the mini-bar is upscale with Dean and Deluca products and Opus One on the menu.

The lobby/lounge area is a gorgeous room with high ceilings, polished wood paneled walls, comfortable seating areas and magnificent artwork. A grand piano provides background music for both the lounge and the sleek adjoining bar. The hotel’s restaurant, Atelier, is highly rated and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

There is a full service exercise facility with steam and sauna and the acclaimed La Prairie Spa, which is an oasis of luxury unto itself, providing the full range of spa services.

This is as close to the perfect hotel as you can find. It is ideally located, the service is unparalleled and there may not be a better room in the whole city than the PARK VIEW.



RATES: Weekend rates for Park View room; $695 (winter/spring), $775 summer, $875 fall. Less expensive rooms are available.


WHAT OTHERS SAY...
Forbes (Mobil) 5-Star
AAA 5 Diamond

“Gorgeous” accommodations are “the tip of the iceberg” at this “spectacular” hotel with an “outstanding location” where “suites with million-dollar Central Park views” and soundproofed windows are “well worth the hit to the wallet”; regulars relish chef Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Market restaurant, the “excellent” La Prairie spa and the “flawless” staff that “calls you by name” (Norman at the bar is “an instant mood-lifter”); so whether you’re “longing for that once-in-a-lifetime feeling” or you’re just “accustomed to staying in the finest hotels in the world”, “you won’t be disappointed here.” ZAGAT 2010
  



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The Lowell
28 East 63rd Street
HALL OF FAME

Every list of the most “romantic” hotels in New York City includes the Lowell at or near the top. With only 47 suites and 21 rooms, it is small, intimate and ideally located on a tree lined street just off Madison Avenue on the prestigious Upper East Side. Central Park is a block away (at the entrance to the Zoo),the City’s top museums are just down the street and visitor’s favorite shopping spots are a short stroll from the hotel.

Staying here is more like visiting an exquisitely decorated private home more than a hotel. You arrive to a lobby that looks like a formal living room, filled with wonderful antiques, area rugs and draperies in fine fabrics. Check-in is at an antique desk with bookcases and old fashioned mail slots behind it. A formally dressed concierge sits next to reception, ready to help with tickets and other reservations.

Upon arrival our bags were whisked to the delightfully flower laden lobby by a doorman dressed in a kind of white military uniform. Check-in was swift and I was pleasantly surprised (since we travel anonymously) to have been upgraded to a one bedroom suite because the hotel was not full that night. We were offered a complimentary cocktail and asked if we would like any other paper than the Times delivered to our door in the morning.

All of the rooms are magnificently decorated in a kind of English country house décor. The Lowell King is a delightful room with 400 sq. feet of space and is perfectly adequate for any stay. The Junior Suite is 600 sq. ft., has a separate sitting area with couch and chairs, a deep soaking bathtub and a stall shower. But it is the one bedroom suites that define this little gem of a hotel.

Over 800 sq. ft. of space includes a separate living room with a wood burning fireplace, an in-suite kitchen, bookcases, an antique writing desk, crown molding, beamed ceilings, gold trimmed artwork and antique mirrors and an English antique armoire with a flat screen TV inside. The writing desk overlooks the tree-lined street below through iron paned windows that actually open. There are homey touches as well — an umbrella for the rainy day and a throw to take the chill off.

The large and luxurious marble bathroom features a separate shower stall with a Hall of Fame shower, thick, plush monogrammed towels, Bulgari toiletries and a TV to enjoy while soaking in the oversized tub.

The bed is covered in high count luxury linens and is oh so comfortable. The windows are doubled glazed to keep out the noise and have black-out curtains to keep out the morning light. Two of the suites have private terraces. The Garden Suite is quite spectacular, but any of the suites will make you think twice about ever leaving your room during your visit.

Turn down service comes with Fiji water and the Times (and whatever else you want) is delivered to your door at 6am. in the morning. The mini bar is stocked with Dean & Deluca snacks and the room service menu has some very reasonable prices for Dom and Cristal should the mood hit you.

The hotel also offers some amenities you either don’t see elsewhere or in very few places; a welcome drink upon arrival as mentioned earlier, Internet access that is FREE, and 24hr. room service AND concierge service.

Service is swift and efficient. While passing through the lobby we asked for ice to be sent up to the room. About a minute after we reached the room, it arrived. Breakfast came in about 15 minutes or 10 minutes earlier than we were told it would.

If not in your room, breakfast is served in The Pembroke Room, a beautifully elegant room in its own right, on hand painted china. Lunch, dinner and drinks are available at the bar and restaurant of the Post House restaurant, a clubby steak house whose food is rated a “24” (out of 30)by Zagat who also suggests, “women feel more welcome here’ than in any other City steakhouse.

The hotel provides a Fitness Center with top-of-the-line equipment for guests and is stocked with complimentary fruit, granola bars and water.

This is such a wonderfully comfortable and cozy hotel you will feel like you are visiting old friends. It’s the kind of place you’ll return to over and over.



RATES: $495-$625 for the guest rooms, $825 for the Junior Suite and $1025-$1725 for one bedroom suites. These are standard rates during the week. Weekend rates and promotional rates are lower. For example a Lowell King is $425, a Junior Suite is $585 and a One Bedroom Suite $785 from June thru September 2005.



WHAT OTHERS SAY...
Regulars of this “beautiful” Midtown “hideaway” “on a lovely, quiet street” off Madison Avenue claim it’s “like being at home but better” – especially if your idea of home is “a British country house”, with working “fireplaces in many rooms”, “sheets so good you’ll want to stay in bed” and a wonderful high tea; its “small” size means service is “phenomenally attentive”, and the “low-key” vibe makes it “one of the few truly romantic hotels in New York.” ZAGAT 2010




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Mandarin Oriental
80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street
HALL OF FAME

The new Time Warner Center has become a mecca for New Yorkers seeking the hottest restaurants and shops. Occupying floors 35-54 of the Center, the Mandarin offers stunning views of Central Park, the Hudson River and the City and its bars and restaurants are the “in” places to be seen.

The Mandarin chain has slowly crept up on the super luxury leaders, Four Seasons and Ritz, to become a formidable competitor in markets in which they compete together. In fact, the Mandarin has surfaced as the #1 or #2 hotel in many major cities.

This one has 203 guestrooms and 48 suites, all with floor to ceiling windows and remarkable views. The hotel claims $27,000 worth of home entertainment and communications technology in each room! We had a plasma TV in our bedroom and one in the bathroom, a DVD player, a CD player, Internet access and all kinds of phone and fax lines. The rooms are decorated with a pale green grass cloth wallpaper, black Oriental style furniture and wood trim, silk bedside lanterns and luxurious bedding.

While my decorating tastes tend more toward the traditional, our room was so comfortable and the view so amazing, that we cancelled our dinner plans and ordered from room service. Our Deluxe Hudson River King room was somewhat small, but the sleek marble and glass bathroom, which was almost the size of the bedroom, more than made up for it. The bath had a soaking tub next to a large picture window where you could enjoy the views of the River while watching the bathroom TV. The glassed in shower had a regular and rainforest shower head and the toilet had a separate room unto itself. A wonderful array of Aromatherapy bath products covered just about any need.

The attention to detail and service here is what sets hotels like this apart from their lesser brethren. By the time we had ridden the elevator to reception, the doorman had determined our names from our luggage and we were greeted at the front desk by name. The rooms had reading glasses and paperbacks, slippers and bathrobes, an umbrella and a lint brush. You could have your shoes shined or your clothing pressed at the push of a button. The staff brought Fiji water at turndown and a NY Times in the morning.

When we ordered breakfast, we were given a precise time at which it would arrive and it came 10 minutes early. When we called for our car, it was brought promptly from the garage. Check in and out literally took seconds. Scarcely, anything goes unnoticed by this efficient and dedicated staff.

Now this may not be true, but it seemed to me that there was a steady stream of wonderful scents being pumped into our room from the ventilation system. Even if that was my imagination, it tells you a little about what this place does to you.

For the health conscious, there is a 15,000 square foot spa, and a fitness center with a 75ft. lap pool overlooking the Hudson. A Japanese/French restaurant, Asiate, is the hotel’s restaurant. The Lobby Lounge and MOBar are the "hot bars".



RATES: Standard room rates start at $625 for weekdays ($765 for a River view), but are discounted throughout the year on weekends. Our King/River view was $429. The best rooms are the corner rooms with either a park or river view.



WHAT OTHERS SAY….
“New York energy meets incredible Asian serenity” at “one of the swankiest” (and “priciest”) destinations in Manhattan, where “Zensational” rooms have “floor-to-ceiling windows”, the staff is “trained (or born) to perfection”, the “gorgeous spa” feels like a “temple” and Asiate is “one of the best hotel restuarants in town”; the only downside is the awkward entrance via public elevator, though with access to more “great restaurants and shopping in the next-door Time Warner building”, you barely need to leave the hotel" ZAGAT 2010



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Ritz Carlton Battery Park
2 West Street
SPECIAL OCCASION

The downtown area which includes, Soho, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, TriBeCa and other areas is a destination unto itself. Some of the City’s best restaurants are are located there and the art galleries and boutiques in Soho are favorites of the City’s celebrities. Little Italy and Chinatown provide ethnic charm and Greenwich Village reminds us of days gone by. The South Street Seaport, Ellis Island, the Stature of Liberty and the Staten Island Ferry are other downtown attractions. If you choose to stay downtown, there is no better place than the Ritz Carlton, Battery Park, a AAA 5 Diamond property. As mentioned earlier, because the hotel is business oriented, weekend rates are a bargain, particularly for a hotel of the status of a Ritz.

The hotel sits at the southern tip of Manhattan and has 298 rooms and 43 suites. The rooms are lavishly decorated in light beiges, oak tables and plush, comfortable furniture. The rooms, which have featherbeds and duvets and goosedown pillows, and face the Harbor make full use of the view with large nearly ceiling to floor windows. The views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are stunning. The smallest rooms at 425 sq. ft. are large by New York standards and offer either harbor or city views. Executive suites, 800 sq. ft., have a separate living room, a King bed and the same view options. Absolutely request the Harbor view. The sight of the Statue of Liberty at night is awe inspiring.

The marble bathrooms are spacious and feature a separate bath and shower and the tub is deep and perfect for a leisurely soak.

Expect thick, plump towels and bathrobes, high end toiletries, a newspaper every morning at your door, complimentary shoeshine and twice a day turndown.

The hotel offers a contemporary steakhouse restaurant, 2West, which is newly opened, and a comfortable Lobby Lounge for cocktails and tea with indoor and outdoor seating. But the real draw here is Rise, the award winning rooftop bar offering spectacular views of the surrounding area. Rise may just have the best sunset view in New York.



RATES: Weekend rates for Harbor View room average $299 (winter/spring), $349 summer, $399 fall. Less expensive rooms are available.



WHAT OTHERS SAY….
You have to travel pretty far south for “the best view in the world”, but this “exceptional” Battery Park bastion at the tip of Manhattan is so “fabulous in every way” it’s “worth it”; from the “impeccable” service to the “fantastic” 14th-floor Rise bar to the “luxurious rooms” (Liberty View ones come “with a telescope to scan NY Harbor”), this is “the place to stay” “if you have business Downtown”; just be warned, it’s a “$20 taxi ride to Midtown” – and “good luck getting a cab after hours.” ZAGAT 2010



To make your travel plans you can go to our Weekend Planner for all the contact information.

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Greenwich Hotel
377 Greenwich Street
SPECIAL OCCASION

I woke up from my night at The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca with a list of superlatives swirling in my head. It has been a long time since I was so excited about a hotel, particularly in New York City. The design of most new hotels leaves me wondering if these people ever travel themselves. Many are beautifully decorated in an aesthetic sense, but lack character and personality. Would these people actually live in something like this?

The Greenwich exudes so much charm. There is a "soul" to this place that you will find in few other places. The small sign marking the entry is indicative of the hotel itself…unobtrusive and unpretentious. The lobby foyer is small, but opens to a bright room with soaring ceilings, seating nooks set with couches and chairs…walls graced by artwork by one of the owners, Robert DeNiro.

Behind the lobby is the Drawing Room and behind that the outside Courtyard, both open only to hotel guests. The Drawing Room is a wonderfully dark and intimate room with an ever present fire burning, cozy sitting areas and a bar. The garden has lush foliage and patio furniture surrounded by the tall brick building.

When was the last time you even noticed the door to your hotel room? Well, you will notice the distressed wood doors with a centered handle here among many other things like hand loomed Tibetan silk rugs and Moroccan tiles that make this hotel very special. I don't know this to be true, but it seems that every time there was a construction or design decision they opted for the unique or charming over the normal and mundane. The door locking system is one I have never seen, the antique bathroom fixtures are Leroy Brooks Limited of England, the glass doors to the shower and toilet have panes in them creating the look of leaded glass, the beds, adorned with luxury linens are Dux beds. The rainfall showers have amazing pressure, the oversized towels are actually soft, room snacks (except alcohol) are complimentary, there's a jar of candies on the book shelf and the list goes on.

Hallways leading to the rooms are dimly lit with sculpture or artwork splashed with light at the end of each hallway. Nice way to set the intimate mood.

There are only 88 rooms and each is furnished differently in a kind of shabby chic style with an eclectic blend of furniture, woods and fabrics. Our room was large and made larger by 12 foot ceilings. The “closet” was a French Country armoire, there was a bookshelf with books and a candy jar, an iPod docking station (they also have iPod loaners) one of the best showers I have ever encountered and nice little touches like tissues on the nightstand, McBride toiletries of the size you can take on a plane, motorized curtains and even a box with things you might need like a Daily Health Boost or…..condoms.

Downstairs there's a wonderful 1000 sq. ft. fully equipped gym, a tranquil, lantern lit pool and a Japanese inspired spa with a steam room. The area has lots of restaurants including the hotel's new Locanda Verde restaurant which was packed during our stay.

You can leave many hotels, however good, and not think of them again. The experience at the Greenwich will linger.....you'll find yourself remembering the drinks by the fire or coffee in the garden or the wonderful shower or the great night's sleep. You'll be back....



RATES: From $495 year round.



WHAT OTHERS SAY:
"Owned by actor Robert De Niro and partners, and designed by David Rockwell, this TriBeCa stunner feels like a stately country house; the distinctly different rooms feature soaring ceilings, reclaimed wood floors, DUX beds, libraries and worldly pieces like English leather settees or Tibetan silk rugs, plus baths boasting Moroccan tiles or Carrara marble; the Shibu spa and lantern-lit pool and lounge are set in a 250-year-old farmhouse transported from Kyoto, while cocktails can be taken by the drawing room fireplace." ZAGAT 2010



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Regency Hotel
540 Park Avenue at 61st Street
EXCELLENT

The Regency is a Loews Hotel, located on the Upper East Side near some of the City’s best shopping, museums and restaurants. With 351 rooms and 85 suites, it is one of my favorites for a number of reasons; great location, a wonderful bar, a top notch night club, large rooms and one of the best weekend values for a hotel at this quality level.

I was greeted promptly at the curb upon arrival and escorted thru the marble lobby to the front desk. A computer “glitch” made check-in longer than necessary, but it wasn’t unbearable. Overall service was very pleasant and there are some nice touches; a basket of fresh fruit and Fiji water upon arrival, virtually any amenity you might need in your room from Q-tips to a shoe shine sponge and a very innovative program called Home Sweet Loews where you can order up things like a chenille throw, night light, sound machine and other things that make you feel more at home. They’ll also provide things you may have forgotten; reading glasses, a belt, and tie and so forth. The only negatives were that coffee ordered from 24 hr. room service took way longer to get than it should have and evidently someone had poured something into the toilet that stained and damaged the porcelain making the bowl appear dirty, which it wasn’t. Not very appealing.

My room, a luxury king, was a study in beige; walls, carpeting, draperies, and even the marble top desk and bath countertops. The monochromatic look was somehow very soothing and made the room very comfortable. Large by NY standards, it boasted a luxurious king bed with soft linens, an easy chair with an ottoman and reading lamp and a large marble topped desk. The marble bath, while small, had plush towels, a mini TV and Clarity toiletries.

The hotel has a very cozy Library Bar with comfortable chairs and couches laid out in intimate little alcoves. The restaurant, 540 Park, is renowned for its morning “power” breakfast where some of the City’s biggest movers and shakers gather to start the day.

Feinstein’s at the Regency is one of the top nightclub’s in New York, presenting wonderful shows in an intimate room. This is a great “after dinner” place.

CASA, is the in-house fitness center, opens at 6am and offers a full range of equipment.

The Regency is a very enjoyable hotel, made even better by some excellent weekend rates. When you want a wonderful hotel without breaking the bank, this is the place.



RATES: As with most hotels, rates vary by season. A luxury king is $279 on weekends in the summer, in fall and in winter.



WHAT OTHERS SAY….
“Everyone gets the superstar treatment” at this Upper East Side “grande dame” on Park Avenue; with its “famous power breakfasts”, afternoon wine in the Library, “accommodating staff” and “wish-fulfillment address”, it’s particularly “impressive for out-of-town business” clients; just a few nitpickers natter about “spotty” rooms. ZAGAT 2010



To make your travel plans you can go to our Weekend Planner for all the contact information.

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Sofitel
45 W. 44th Street
EXCELLENT

I have become a real fan of the French inspired, Sofitel Hotels. They are sophisticated and stylish with the amenities and design of a 4-4 ½ star hotel, but with very reasonable prices. They are probably the best value around. You pay less money but don’t sacrifice quality or room size. In major cities like New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami and LA, they often offer the best weekend rates for a hotel of this caliber.

The New York Sofitel is perfectly located on W. 44th Street in the heart of mid-town. The theatre district, Radio City, Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue shopping and many of our Featured Restaurants are all within walking distance. Convenient parking is right across the street.

The hotel has 346 rooms and 52 suites, a beautiful dark bar, an Art Deco, French inspired restaurant, Gaby, and a complete fitness center.

The entrance is a beautiful study of marble and fabric and the greeting is friendly and prompt. Our bags were taken from the car, a claim check provided and we were escorted to the front desk. Check-in was quick and we were in our room in less than 10 minutes from arrival.

My Queen bed room was large by NY standards at 350sq. ft. and tastefully decorated with beige walls, patterned carpet and an oak paneled accent wall behind the bed. The pastels were offset with burgundy and black trimmed furniture and a maroon bed duval. A lighted Impressionist painting over the bed added an air of the dramatic. The bed was a delight, a soft plush featherbed with high count cotton sheets that made for a wonderful night’s rest.

The bathroom was large and decorated with beige wallpaper and colored marble floors and countertops, a large mirror and Impressionist art. There was a glass enclosed shower stall (which I like) and a separate tub. Other amenities; fresh flowers, thick terry robes, plump, soft towels, a digital scale and imported toiletries.

The mostly European staff is friendly and helpful and eager to please. This is a very sensible and pleasing weekend choice.



RATES:  A queen room, about 350 sq. feet ranges from $309 (low season-January) to $419 (high season-October). There are also specials throughout the season.


WHAT OTHERS SAY...
Regulars love the “feeling of reassurance” they get at this “highly competent” “French hotel chain” “in the heart of Midtown” (a “perfect location for shopping and theater”), which is “well-managed” by an “efficient” staff; “minimalist” rooms might “lack oomph”, but they’re “decent”-sized for the city and “excellent” for business meetings, while sensitive sleepers enjoy “soundproofing” and “those feather beds!” ZAGAT 2010



To make your travel plans you can go to our Weekend Planner for all the contact information.

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The Blakely Hotel
136 W. 55th Street
EXCELLENT

New York has no shortage of high end, first class hotels. But trying to find a good, moderately priced hotel is a real chore. Until recently every “value” hotel we have visited has had small rooms, poor service, a property badly in need of maintenance or just no charm at all. We began to wonder if it was impossible in New York to have a really nice hotel with some character without breaking the bank.
 
So, we were overjoyed with the discovery of The Blakely on W. 55th Street, a 118 room little gem with rooms starting at a very generous 310 sq. feet. Perfectly located between 6th and 7th Avenues and within walking distance to major attractions and restaurants, The Blakely is the latest addition in the Manhattan portfolio of BD Hotels, owned by Richard Born and Ira Drukier that includes The Mercer, The Chambers, The Maritime, and The Elysee. The partnership has recently joined forces with Robert DeNiro in the development of The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca.

The small wood paneled lobby resembles a private club with hunt pictures, comfortable leather couches, bookshelves and oriental rugs. Check-in is swift and efficient and the staff pleasant and helpful.

Rooms range from 310 sq. ft for a deluxe room to 425 sq. ft for a deluxe studio to 525 sq. ft for a one bedroom suite. They are tastefully furnished with beige walls with blue or rust accents, cherry furniture, a tray ceiling with a chandelier, rich oak baseboards and hunt artwork. The bed had a pillow top mattress, a linen duvet and luxurious Egyptian linens. Most rooms have a comfortable reading chair and ottoman. Equipped with a flat screen TV, CD/DVD player, wireless internet access, work desk, full kitchenette with sink, microwave, mini-fridge, dishes and flatware it is a home away from home. The large marble bath had a great rainfall shower, Penhaligon toiletries, plump towels and Frette robes.

Other amenities include a 24 hour fitness center, complimentary delivery of the NY Times to your door in the morning, in-room coffee service, discounted overnight parking, complimentary Continental breakfast and a delightful restaurant Abboccato that Zagat calls ““Interesting” Italian food, “lovely” digs and a “convenient” location “across from City Center” add up to “delightful” dining at this “discreet” Midtown sibling of Oceana and Molyvos”

New York is expensive enough to visit, save some money at the Blakely without sacrificing comfort or style and splurge on a great restaurant.



RATES: $220-$295/$310 most of the year. Slightly higher in Fall and at Holidays. One bedroom suites are $310 and under most of the year, maybe in the bargain in town.



WHAT OTHERS SAY:
“For “European flair without the attitude”, this “beautifully renovated” Midtown sibling of the Maritime and Mercer “delivers” with “upscale” design, rooms with a “luxurious feel”, “pleasant”, “willing” service and a location that’s convenient enough for theater and Fifth Avenue shopping; the “delicious” lobby-level Italian restaurant, Abboccato, plus “great amenities” like in-room WiFi and flat-screen TVs make it a “sure bet” for repeat visits.” ZAGAT 2010.



To make your travel plans you can go to our Weekend Planner for all the contact information.

Want to save time? Let us make all your travel plans for you including air, car rental, accommodations, dining and activities. You'll even talk to a "live" person and be able to request specific rooms and tables. Just click here. Reservations.

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Hudson Hotel
W. 58th Street
EXCELLENT

I am not usually a fan of trendy, boutique hotels. Their funky design and eclectic furnishings usually leaves me cold. The Hudson Hotel, however is an exception. There is so much to like about this delightful hotel on the West Side, not the least of which are some great rates that make this a real value. They call it “cheap chic”, but the Hudson is more chic and while not expensive, there’s nothing cheap about this place.

The hotel’s location is ideal, next to the hot Time Warner Center, a block from Central Park and convenient to the theater, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and a ton of restaurants.

Cars are greeted at the entrance by a contingent of doormen. Bags are taken and your car whisked away to the garage. An escalator flanked by green lit walls, takes you up to the dark lobby with a 40 foot sky light ceiling covered with ivy. Brick walls, a huge chandelier and a room length front desk complete the dramatic entry.

In the center of the hotel, there’s a wonderful indoor private park, a huge atrium with a sky light, trees, couches, chairs, little knooks and crannies and a couple of bars. It’s a great place for morning coffee and the paper or a late afternoon drink and a book.

The Library is a cozy bar with chairs and couches, Internet access and a great pool table. Breakfast, a delightful buffet with tons of fresh fruit and other goodies, is served in the Hudson Cafeteria. The Hudson Bar is a nighttime hot spot with its lit from below glass floor and the Sky Terrace is a wonderful place to get some sun, have a drink and enjoy the remarkable views.

The basic rooms are small even by New York standards, but somehow you don’t seem to mind. Phillip Starck’s amazing design evokes thoughts of an ocean liner cabin with dark wood paneled walls and hardwood floors, flowing curtains, stainless steel end tables and crisp white trim. The beds have down comforters and pillows and soft 300 count Egyptian cotton sheets.

The staff is young and hip. The women are beautiful and the men handsome. They are also very well trained, friendly and helpful. You will not go wrong staying here.



RATES: Rates vary by season as usual. A standard room (144 sq. feet) is $200 in the winter and $320 in high season (Fall). I would opt for a studio queen at 300 sq. feet, $420 high season, $300 low. There are also various promotions throughout the year.



WHAT OTHERS SAY...
Despite rooms so “puny”, you “can’t change your mind” (much less your “black” attire), this Westsider just off Columbus Circle is still a “favorite” for its “sexy”, Philippe Starck–designed “beautiful public spaces”, its “excellent” bar and its location “near Lincoln Center and the Time Warner Center”; the staff ranges from “attentive” to “exceptionally unhelpful” and it’s so “dark” you may “bump into every wall at least once”, but “affordable” rates and an “über-trendy” scene still appeal to “the clubbing set.” ZAGAT 2010



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