Artsy, driven, iconic and original, New York is a city to savor, and savor, and savor again. Every street here tingles with the weight of history and the thrust of the present; every corner heralds a new mix of people, places, and things to do.
When exploring this veritable Aladdin’s Cave of treasure, it’s important to have a well located and welcoming base to fall back on – life in New York, you see, can sometimes get too exciting. Here, then, are 5 great luxury New York hotels to retreat to once the day begins to draw to a close…
1. The Lowell: This ultra-swish hotel, located in the ever-salubrious Upper East Side of town, is just about as exclusive as they come. The Lowell’s taste is of the traditional kind – think gild-lined armchairs, marble bathrooms, roaring fireplaces and chandeliers. Its clientele is strictly the rich and frequently the famous.
2. Mandarin Oriental New York. The Oriental is often considered the jewel in the Mandarin chain’s crown. Sophisticated, urbane, high-rise, and very definitely high end, this Oriental-accented joint is impressive through and through. Particular praise goes to the service, which still manages to be outstanding in a city where luxury New York hotels fall over themselves to offer the best.
3. NU Hotel. One of the new boutique kids on the block, NU Hotel is proving an increasingly popular choice, especially among young and successful trendies, who enjoy its minimalist decor and its Brooklyn address. Each bedroom here is an all-modern wonder, featuring drop down TV’s and iPod docks. Some even offer hammocks (don’t worry: a double bed comes as standard).
4. Hotel on Rivington. Hotel on Rivington is all about the views. 21 storys high, this uber-cool designer hotel features floor to ceiling windows in each of its bedrooms, uniformly offering views over what feels like the entirety of New York. Its location in Lower East Side is either a positive or negative depending on how ‘urban-cool’ you like your suburbs. Still, with views like this, who cares what it’s like all the way down there on the ground?
5. New York Palace. This hotel does exactly what it says on the tin (or maybe that should be oil drum, since it’s owned by the Sultan of Brunei). A gated golden-and-marble palace in the heart of Manhattan, it treats you like royalty from the moment you step through the door.