New York City



The Experience

As the flip side of its downtown Art Deco sister, this uptown Ritz-Carlton in a 1930s building has a New York townhouse vibe. Despite the sycamore-paneled walls and ceiling, antique French and Italian crystal chandeliers, early 1920s paintings by Samuel Halpert, and grand piano, the lobby floor Star Lounge is surprisingly casual -- you can even order mini burgers or mac and cheese. You can't beat the central location, just blocks from Fifth Avenue, the Time Warner Center, and MoMA, and with views straight down the middle of Central Park.

The Rooms

An elite address doesn't mean stuffy; the rooms are a blend of Old World elegance and townhouse comfort, with brocade drapes, patterned carpets and beds piled with down and a tier of at least eight pillows. It goes without saying you want a view of Central Park; while even the third-floor rooms look out over this natural haven, if you want to peer deep into the park's heart, you need to be on the 10th floor. Generous 425-square-feet Deluxe Park View Rooms come with a tabletop telescope, king-size bed and soaking tub, and with a step up to the 850-square-feet Deluze Park View Suite, there's a living room with sofa sleeper, two full bathrooms and four closets. And the 1,150-square feet Ritz-Carlton Suite also has a dining room, pantry and separate service entrance, as well as $23,000 worth of Pratesi linens on the master bed.

The Service

The hotel takes no chances, pre-calling every guest to make sure they have transportation to the hotel, preregistering frequent guests so they can go directly to their rooms and offering complimentary packing and unpacking. The Star Bar's legendary bartender, Norman Bukhozer, remembers return guests' favorite drinks and doles out his insider tips on New York City. And take advantage of the black Bentley Flying Spur for complimentary rides to anywhere in midtown from 3 p.m. til 11 p.m.

The Highlights

With a massive park for a front yard, and Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany, Cartier and MoMA just blocks away, it's hard to stay put. But the hotel entices with afternoon tea with harp and piano music in the Star Lounge, caviar and sushi in the Club Lounge and treatments at the LaPrairie Spa (one of two outside of Switzerland). There's also French-inspired cuisine at Atelier, an elegant dining room where the food and the 1,000-bottle wine list loosen up even the most hardened New Yorker.

-- Gail Harrington

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