Staying in New York a guide to the glamorous hotels

We all know that a business trip to New York can be either daunting or exhilarating. The secret to making your experience spectacular is choosing the right location. As a New York native myself, I decided to explore all of most glamorous hotels in the city. I have found for you the few unsurpassably elegant and unique hotels that will appeal to different styles, personalities, and purposes.

DOWNTOWN
GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL

Quaint, posh and hip are a few adjectives that describe this hotel. The art house Gramercy Park Hotel has evolved into a luxury brand while retaining its bohemian charm. This 5-star hotel draws celebrities, international travelers, creative industry types, investment bankers and high-tech start-up entrepreneurs.

Humphrey Bogart was married here; Babe Ruth was a bar regular; and John F Kennedy’s family spent several months at the hotel.

THE STORY

Designed by Robert Lyons and built in 1925 by Bing & Bing, this hotel opened in 1925 on the same site where Edith Wharton was born. It was later re-imagined by artist Julian Schnabel in Renaissance-revival style, and reopened in 2006. The hotel has hosted some of the world’s most influential personalities. Humphrey Bogart was married here; Babe Ruth was a bar regular; and John F Kennedy’s family spent several months at the hotel. Its Rose Bar has always attracted an eclectic entourage of rock-n-roll celebrities as well, including Bob Dylan, Blondie, and U2. It continues to attract a steady crowd of interesting people.

This hotel is a self-described “masterpiece of eccentricity and individualism, a place where magical and inspiring things happen.”

THE BRAND

Designed to emanate the feel of worn vintage jeans, the hotel is so cool! The soft, richly-hued lobby features velvet cranberry couches and spectacular chandeliers hanging from upward-reaching, cathedral ceilings. The walls are adorned with $30 million dollars-worth of owner Aby Rosen’s art collection. It features original works by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst hanging in the lobby and in the Rose Bar. This hotel is a self-described “masterpiece of eccentricity and individualism, a place where magical and inspiring things happen.”

AMENITIES

• Exclusive access to private Gramercy Park (including the key)
• Complimentary 24-hour health club access with outdoor courtyard for yoga
• On-site Danny Maialino restaurant that features Italian delicacies
• The Rose Bar, the Jade Bar: It’s worth a trip to stop by these exciting bars with live music programming, golden-age cocktails, and “cool crowd” clientele.

LOCATION

2 Lexington Avenue. On the periphery of Gramercy Park, the hotel sits on a charming and quiet block just a short distance from the action. Downtown (Wall Street), Union Square, SoHo/the Village, Murray Hill, the Fashion District, and the midtown business and theater district are within 20 minutes by cab or train.

UPTOWN
MANDARIN ORIENTAL

THE STORY

This luxury hotel chain first opened in Hong Kong in 1963 as “The Mandarin”. They then merged a decade later with a Bangkok property, “The Oriental”, to form their hotel group. The chain includes 21 hotels in Asia, nine in the Americas, 16 in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The New York location opened in December of 2003, and was constructed or inspired by several talented architect teams, including David Childs who designed the Time Warner Center.

The hotel is designed according to Feng Shui, as are the elliptically-shaped lobbies, calling for planetary forces to disperse unwanted “chi.”

THE BRAND

The airy, spacious, immaculate rooms combine Asian-inspired ambiance with floor-to-ceiling windows providing spectacular views of Central Park and/or the Hudson River. The hotel is designed according to Feng Shui, as are the elliptically-shaped lobbies, calling for planetary forces to disperse unwanted “chi.” Nimbus cloud patterns on elevators and staircases serve as symbols of peace. Every feature of the hotel’s design, from the two decorative lions at the entrance of the hotel to flower arrangements emitting calm, is crafted according to “feng shui” principles. The hotel draws international business and leisure travelers. Recently renovated hotel suites celebrate New York life in three themes: sunrise, dusk, and night.

AMENITIES

• Sleek Lap Pool
• Award-winning Spa
• On-site posh Asian restaurant “Asiate”
• En-suite meditation program brings a spa experience to your suite
• A designated runner to pick up your purchases
• Shopping! The hotel sits on the 35th floor above the Time Warner shopping center

LOCATION

80 Columbus Circle.The hotel overlooks Central Park and Riverside Parks, along with the Hudson River. It is a few blocks from Lincoln Center, a short cab or train ride from Broadway theaters, Penn Station, and the Port Authority, and just 30 minutes from major airports.

CLASSIC, ELEGANT
PENINSULA HOTEL

All ten Peninsula Hotels are flanked by lions who keep all who enter safe.

The property first opened as the Gotham Hotel in a landmark Beaux-Arts building constructed at the turn of the century. It’s been renovated several times, including once by Pierre Cardin. The current hotel is owned by a Hong Kong luxury hotel chain and opened in 1988. Since then, a sweeping renovation project orchestrated by talented architects and designers updated the hotel, merging contemporary fabrics, furnishings and technology with classical design elements and Art Nouveau features already present in the hotel. All ten Peninsula Hotels are flanked by lions who keep all who enter safe.

THE BRAND

This hotel is known as a purveyor of timeless luxury, combining unsurpassed service with minute attention to detail that draws upscale business guests, families, international travelers, celebrities, and newlyweds alike.

AMENITIES

• Complimentary access to a Mini chauffeured vehicle for three hours per day.
• Self-guided three-hour motor tours that highlight city sights, including the Cloisters museum and a tour of the Meatpacking district.
• The Peninsula Academy, provides unprecedented access to historical, cultural and local lifestyle experiences in New York City.
• The Peninsula Spa also launched a new line of highly clinical facials in partnership with the French luxury skincare company, Biologique Recherche offering their signature facial treatments, which comprise five different actions to treat guests’ specific skin-care needs. Many of the treatments utilize the revolutionary Remodeling Face Machine, which combines the virtues of electrical currents with Biologique Recherche’s specially formulated products to lift and re-sculpt the face—for guaranteed genius results.

LOCATION

700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street. This midtown hotel is a short walk to the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park, and less than a mile to midtown, Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Grand Central Station, and Lincoln Center. It’s also close to exclusive stores like Bergdorf’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Lord & Taylor.