New York City



The Experience

Offering Asian serenity within the hustle and bustle of New York, this branch of the Hong Kong-based company has been competing for top hotel in town since it opened in the Time Warner complex in 2003. The tone is high drama from the moment you enter the 35th-floor lobby, from the large, circular marble floor to the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture in the center and the panoramic views of midtown and Central Park viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows. While its location just west of Central Park affords those views, that has also been the hotel's only questionable point: whether the high rollers who stay here want to be on the West Side instead of the 57th Street/Fifth Avenue axis that is the center of midtown -- and the vortex of power.

The Rooms

Gold and bronze silk pillows, painted Asian screens and sculptures, Oriental rugs and curved settees -- perfect for lounging while someone else peels you a grape -- are the typical furnishings in these East-West-blended rooms. Besides the additional space, opting for the suites guarantees a better location, in the corners of the building with unobstructed views of the park. When the hotel was first built, rival hotelier Donald Trump placed a banner on the side of his Trump International Hotel just in front proclaiming that his hotel had the real Central Park views. He was finally hounded into taking it down, but to some degree, he was right; unless you're in the southern end of the building, where the suites are located, his hotel blocks a great deal of your view.

The Service

Okay, so it's not quite the same as it would be in Hong Kong, but the Asian ethic of perfect, detail-oriented service is the rule here. And the concierges are wizards at pulling off that hard-to-obtain table or ticket.

The Highlights

The 14,500-feet spa, constructed of natural stone and bamboo and so soothing that you can barely believe you're in a city, is so enticing that most guests would rather check in and spend their entire stay here. The 75-feet pool, with views over the Hudson River from its glass walls, is also pretty glamorous. And Asiate, an Asian/European restaurant of great sophistication (and yes, great views) would be worth going to even if it weren't just downstairs.

-- Laurie Werner

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