World City Guide

Hotels

Occupancy rates have dropped slightly in New York, mainly due to new hotels 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 for travellers 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 lowest standard rates for a double room, excluding the 13.25% city and state taxes, and the US$2 per room per night occupancy tax. Service charges or breakfast are not included unless otherwise specified.

Business

Hotel Giraffe
This friendly-staffed, charming, 72- room boutique hotel, located in the Rose Hill neighbourhood, is close to chic restaurants, and a thriving business community. Sleek and elegant guestrooms are accented with earthy tones, warm woods, granite counters and live plants. Most have balconies. Other amenities include books, a VCR and a DVD player. Free amenities abound, such as high-speed Internet, passes to New York Sports Club (NYSC), continental breakfast coffee, bottled water, fruit and sweets all day, wine and cheese at 1700 with live piano music in the lobby. The relaxing rooftop garden is a sanctuary from the bustle of the city.

365 Park Avenue South at 26th Street
Tel: (212) 685 7700 or for reservations (877) 296 0009. Fax: (212) 685 7771.
E-mail: information@hotelgiraffe.com
Website: www.hotelgiraffe.com
Price: From $325.

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, situated on the ground floor, is a great place to see and be seen. For guests on business, rooms are equipped with modem points, while there is plenty of meeting space downstairs.

237 Madison Avenue (between 37th Street and 38th Street)
Tel: (212) 686 0300 or (800) 606 6090. Fax: (212) 779 8352.
E-mail: morgans@morganshotelgroup.com
Website: www.morganshotelgroup.com
Price: From US$225.

New York Palace
Even before Travel + Leisure ranked it as one of the world’s best places to stay, there was never any doubt that the New York Palace was one of the city’s most lavish hotels. The hotel is located in the heart of Manhattan and New York’s premier cultural, business and shopping districts. The enormous conference centre in the historic Villard Houses and state-of-the-art health spa cater to the business class. Luxuriously furnished rooms are also designed with the business traveller in mind – even the in-room safes are big enough to store a laptop computer.

455 Madison Avenue (between 50th Street and 51st Street)
Tel: (212) 888 7000. Fax: (212) 303 6000.
E-mail: info@nypalace.com
Website: www.newyorkpalace.com
Price: From US$315.

Waldorf-Astoria
Occupying an entire block on Park Avenue, the Waldorf-Astoria is the meeting place for the world’s movers and shakers. The line of limousines in front of the hotel 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 high speed Internet access. The executive meeting centre includes high-tech meeting spaces with satellite links and video-conferencing and in the lobby, restaurants and bars, there is Wi-Fi, a wireless high speed connection. Its newest facility, Plus One Spa, offers unique therapies like the Double Manhattan – two therapists simultaneously deliver a facial and foot treatment.

301 Park Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets)
Tel: (212) 355 3000. Fax: (212) 872 7272.
E-mail: Via the hotel’s website.
Website: www.waldorfastoria.com
Price: From US$300.

Luxury

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, quick-filling marble baths. The sophisticated restaurant and bar, FiftySevenFiftySeven, is a great place for one to impress that special client. There is everything here that the business traveller needs, from seven high-tech conference rooms to a health spa to relieve all that tension. The hotel is centrally located in Manhattan.

57 East 57th Street (between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue)
Tel: (212) 758 5700. Fax: (212) 758 5711.
E-mail: Via the hotel’s website.
Website: www.fourseasons.com
Price: From US$575.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel New York
Stunning vistas abound at the newest of New York City’s ultra-luxury hotels, located on floors 35 to 54 of the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle. The Asian origins of this hotel chain are reflected in its sleek décor, facilities and service - described as subtle, discreet and observant. Huge guest rooms are decorated in creams and browns and contain state-of-the-art technology, a home theatre, three-line phones, and granite and marble bathrooms which contain soaking tubs with picture windows overlooking the city. The fitness centre has daily exercise classes, and the 1,347 sq metre (14,500 sq ft) Spa has an endless menu of therapies. The chic Asiate restaurant features French and Japanese cuisine.

80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street
Tel: (212) 805 8800 or (866) 801 8880. Fax: (212) 805 8888.
E-mail: monyc-reservations@mohg.com
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com
Price: From US$665.

St Regis
This Beaux Arts showplace was built in 1904 and has been restored its original grandeur. The marble-floored lobby hints at the luxury found in the guest rooms – silk-covered walls, richly detailed crown moulding and crystal chandeliers. The Manhattan hotel is centrally located for New York’s main business district and all rooms have everything the business traveller could need, from Internet connections to fax machines. There are also 15 meeting rooms. The Ballroom, overlooking the city lights, holds more than 500 people. Guests can 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.
E-mail: Via the hotel’s website.
Website: www.starwood.com/stregis/index.html
Price: US$610.

Moderate

The Gershwin
Not far from the much-photographed Flatiron Building is The Gershwin, one of the city’s last remaining bargain hotels. The lollipop left on the pillow when the maid turns down the bed just might match the buttercup yellow walls or cherry-red moulding of the simple but comfortable rooms. The hotel is particularly popular with young people, as the funky Pop Art decor, nightly film screenings, arts events and affordable travel packages aim to please 20-something travellers. All rooms are en suite. Dorm-style rooms, suites and accommodations for families are also available.

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$149 (including breakfast).

Howard Johnson Express Inn NYC
The first chain hotel to make its way to the crossroads of the East Village and Lower East Side nightlife is a great choice for those who want to be near the city’s nightlife but not drain their wallets. The simple rooms are motel-style and have a little turning-around room; some have hot tubs or microwaves and mini-refrigerators. All rooms are en suite. The biggest surprise, besides the hotel’s move to the neighbourhood, is the ample in-room amenities, such as hairdryers, irons, modems, coffeemakers and free local calls.

135 East Houston Street (at Forsythe Street)
Tel: (212) 358 8844. Fax: (212) 473 3500.
E-mail: Via the hotel’s website.
Website: www.hojo.com
Price: From US$149 (including breakfast).

Wellington Hotel
Location, location, location! This European-style hotel is situated near Carnegie Hall, a short walk to Lincoln Center, Central Park, Fifth Avenue and just steps from Broadway and the subway. Its lobby artwork and chandeliers are a bit old-fashioned and the rooms are small, clean and sufficient. Guestrooms have a desk, cable TV, and adequate, marble bathrooms. Wireless broadband Internet is available for an additional charge. The gift shop can book tours and tickets. The adjacent restaurant, 24-hour room service, laundry facilities, parking (additional charge) make the hotel a great value, especially for the budget-minded or for families.

871 Seventh Avenue at 55th Street
Tel: (212) 247 3900 or (800) 652 1212. Fax: (212) 581 1350.
E-mail: reservations@wellingtonhotel.com
Website: www.wellingtonhotel.com
Price: From US$129.

Other Recommendations

Hotel Elysée
Before it was a French country-styled, 101-room boutique hotel, it was home to literary giants like Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and Harold Robbins. Antiques and earthy fabrics tastefully decorate guestrooms and marble accents the baths. The Club Room is a plush, comfortable room where everything is complimentary - continental breakfast, snacks all day, and hors d’oeuvres and wine on weekday evenings. The friendly staff helps to underscore the property’s warm, European feel. And not to be missed are the simian murals at its famous Monkey Bar, once a favourite hangout of celebs like Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner and Joe DiMaggio.

60 East 54th Street
Tel: (212) 753 1066. Fax: (212) 980 9278.
E-mail: hotelres@elyseehotel.com
Website: www.elyseehotel.com
Price: From US$225.

The Paramount
There’s nothing traditional about The Paramount, a post-modern showplace 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 tables to the music and theatre industry leaders reclining on the slightly off-kilter furniture below. 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 or (800) 305 0991. Fax: (212) 575 4892.
E-mail: paramountnewyork@tripbook.net
Website: www.paramountnewyork.com
Price: From US$200.

Tribeca Grand
Although the bulk of Manhattan’s hotels offer proximity to the major tourist sights, it is refreshing for one to leave the throngs of Midtown for accommodation closer to the culturally rich SoHo and all the lovely cast-iron façades of the former factories and warehouses of this part of the city. The gorgeous Flatiron Building, situated at the intersections of two downtown streets, has an indoor atrium rising up from the lobby. The hotel’s Church Street bar garners a well-heeled clientele. The rooms upstairs are minimalist, modern and yet comfortable; on the stainless steel bathroom counters are Bliss bath products. All rooms have telephones with voice-mail, as well as VCRs and CD players. The sister hotel, the Soho Grand, has a similar aesthetic in a less historic setting.

2 Avenue of the Americas (White and Church)
Tel: (212) 519 6600 or (800) 965 3000. Fax: (212) 519 6700.
E-mail: reservations@tribecagrand.com
Website: www.tribecagrand.com
Price: From US$259.