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Hotels Occupancy rates have dropped slightly in New York, mainly because new hotels are popping up all over the place. This does not always mean lower rates, as the newer venues are usually at the top of the range. To get a good deal, visitors should reserve as far ahead as possible. It is a good idea to check out the Internet, as hotels often post specials there that they will not mention over the phone. The prices quoted below are the starting price for a standard double room. They do not include 15% city and state taxes or service charges, neither do they include breakfast, unless otherwise stated. Business Four Seasons Four Seasons is designed by architect I M Pei, so it should not be a surprise that the onyx-trimmed lobby takes the breath away. Even the standard rooms here outshine the suites at other hotels and the most modest accommodations have padded silk walls accented by sycamore furnishings. For guests who need more room to spread out, the executive suites have living rooms with enormous picture windows and terraces with views of Central Park. All have amenities such as walk-in closets and luxurious marble baths. The sophisticated restaurant and bar, called FiftySevenFiftySeven, is a great place to impress that special client. There is everything here that business travellers need, from seven high-tech conference rooms to a health spa to relieve all that tension. 57 East 57th Street (between Park and Madison) Tel: (212) 758 5700. Fax: (212) 758 5711. Website: www.fourseasons.com Price: From US$485. New York Palace When walking past the marble columns of the richly appointed entrance hall, there can be no doubt that the New York Palace is one of the city’s most lavish hotels. Guests can dine in the elegant Istana restaurant in the lobby or go all out at the opulent Le Cirque 2000. The staff pamper guests by pressing that rumpled suit or by massaging those tired muscles in the state-of-the-art health spa. The 15,000 sq ft conference center, located in the historic Villard Houses, will impress even the most finicky client. Those who need room to entertain should try the oval-shaped Villard Ballroom. Rooms were designed with business travellers in mind – even the in-room safes are big enough to store a laptop computer. 455 Madison Avenue (between 50th and 51st Streets) Tel: (212) 212 888 7000. Fax: (212) 212 303 6000. E-mail: info@nypalace.com Website: www.newyorkpalace.com Price: From US$560. St Regis This Beaux Arts showplace was built in 1904 and a recent renovation restored its original grandeur. The marble-floored lobby hints at the luxury found in the guest rooms – silk-covered walls, richly detailed crown molding, and crystal chandeliers. All have everything a business traveller needs, from Internet connections to fax machines. There is no fear about fitting everyone around the conference table, as there are 15 meeting rooms. The Ballroom, overlooking the lights of the city, holds more than 500 people. Guests can dine at Lespinasse, one of the city’s finest French restaurants, or stop by for something cool at the cosy King Cole Bar, where the Red Snapper Cocktail (now known as the Bloody Mary) was first concocted. 2 East 55th Street (at Fifth Avenue) Tel: (212) 753 4500. Fax: (212) 787 3447. Website: www.starwood.com/stregis/index.html Price: US$455. Waldorf–Astoria Occupying an entire block on Park Avenue, the Waldorf–Astoria is the meeting place for the world’s movers and shakers. That line of limousines in front might signal the arrival of a head of state or a captain of industry. The Art Deco showplace, which opened its doors in 1931, retains the glamour of a long-gone era. The murals that once graced the lobby have been painstakingly restored and the rooms exude elegance, especially those in the soaring Waldorf Towers. Yet the Waldorf–Astoria is also the hotel of choice for business travellers, as the rooms have fax machines and computer connection points. A new executive meeting centre includes high-tech meeting spaces with satellite links and video-conferencing. 301 Park Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets) Tel: (212) 355 3000. Fax: (212) 872 7272. Website: www.hilton.com Price: From US$300. Luxury Hudson Hotel Walking through the front doors of the Hudson Hotel can leave visitors a bit disoriented, as they find themselves in a translucent box the colour of a dill pickle. However, continuing up the escalator, they reach the slightly more subdued lobby. Rooms are small but elegantly appointed, with gleaming chrome and crisp, white fabrics. The adjacent bar, with a lighted floor and a swirling ceiling mural painted by Francesco Clemente, is jammed with celebrities and those who like to hang out with them. Those who cannot get into the bar (particularly difficult at weekends), will probably find space in the library bar around the corner. 356 West 58th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue) Tel: (212) 554 6000. Fax: (212) 554 6001. E-mail: info@hudson.schragerhotels.com Website: www.hudsonhotel.com Price: From US$240. Morgans With its laid-back sense of style, Morgans does not have to shout to get the visitor’s attention. It makes its boldest statement in the lobby, where oversized leather chairs are strewn across the geometrically patterned carpet. Upstairs things are more sparse, with rooms decorated in shades of taupe and honey, providing a respite from the glaring city just outside the windows. The baths are a study in simplicity, with clear glass vanities atop polished steel basins. Morgans Bar, on the ground floor, is a great place to see and be seen. For those here on business, rooms have modem points and downstairs there is plenty of meeting space. 237 Madison Avenue (between 37th and 38th Streets) Tel: (212) 686 0300. Fax: (212) 779 8352. E-mail: morgans@ianschragerhotels.com Website: www.ianschragerhotels.com Price: From US$290. Moderate The Gershwin Not far from the much-photographed Flatiron Building is The Gershwin, one of the city’s last remaining bargains. The lollipop left on the pillow when the maid turns down the bed just might match the buttercup yellow walls or cherry-red molding of the simple but comfortable room. Guests can grab a bite at the downstairs café or catch a concert in the cabaret. During the summer, there are barbecues on the rooftop terrace, making the place popular with young people. 7 East 27th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) Tel: (212) 545 8000. Fax: (212) 684 5546. E-mail: reservations@gershwinhotel.com Website: www.gershwinhotel.com Price: From US$159. Washington Square Hotel There are few places to stay in Greenwich Village, so this unassuming little hotel is quite a find. Looking out onto Washington Square, it feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of New York. Past the lobby with its wrought-iron gates and black-and-white marble floors, the visitor reaches small but comfortable rooms. Perhaps the best part is that the hotel is located just a few steps from some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. 103 Waverly Place (across from Washington Square) Tel: (212) 777 9515. Fax: (212) 979 8272. E-mail: reservations@wshotel.com Website: www.wshotel.com Price: From US$140 (includes breakfast). Other Recommendations The Paramount There’s nothing traditional about The Paramount, a post-modern showplace created by entrepreneur Ian Schrager (who was also responsible for London’s St Martin’s Lane). For example, in the entrance, red roses are displayed vertically in vases set into the wall. The lobby bar, designed by Philippe Starck, has platinum walls and a glamorous staircase sweeping up to the mezzanine. Guests can gaze down from their table to the music and theatre industry leaders reclining on the slightly off-kilter furniture. Half a block to Times Square, the location of this Theater District landmark could not be better. The rooms are rather small but few guests spend much time there anyway. 235 West 46th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue) Tel: (212) 764 5500. Fax: (212) 575 4892. E-mail: paramount@ianschragerhotels.com Website: www.ianschragerhotels.com Price: From US$275. SoHo Grand Close to all the lovely cast-iron façades of the former factories and warehouses of SoHo is this chic lodging place. The sleek and modern structure, built in 1996, has touches that call to mind the neighborhood’s past, such as a stairway in the lobby made of bottle glass. The rooms upstairs are warm and comfortable, decorated with the original art found in the 248 art galleries in the nearby streets, and the suites on the 17th floor look north to the skyscrapers that define Midtown. All have telephones with voice-mail as well as VCRs and CD players. 310 West Broadway (at Grand Street) Tel: (212) 965 3000. Fax: (212) 965 3244. Website: www.sohogrand.com Price: From US$375. |
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