New York City



The Experience

John Jacob Astor built this Beaux Arts masterpiece in 1904 to house his society guests in a manner to which they had become accustomed in Europe (including a white marble staircase that cost a whopping $1 million in turn-of-the-century dollars). That old-world grandeur is still on view in the intricate carved moldings, inlaid marble floors, gilded mirrors and doors, and crystal chandeliers that are the hallmark of this urban palace. Apart from the lavish style, though, every experience is a classic here, from formal afternoon tea in the Astor Court to a Bloody Mary (which was invented here) in the King Cole Bar with its famed Maxfield Parrish murals.

The Rooms

Since the smallest room is 430 square feet and even the most basic guest room has a separate seating area, the sense of luxury here begins with space. A recent renovation has maintained the classic style but given it extra zest, with silk coverings on the walls and refined fabrics in fresh teal and green or gold color schemes draped in canopies and curtains. The most fun, though, are the designer suites: 1,700-square-feet (or 2,300 for two bedrooms) suites in individual themes such as the Orient Suite, with its red and gold-lacquered bedroom furniture and tiger-striped couches, or designer trademarks, such as the Bottega Veneta suite, which opened in September 2006 and has furnishings in the company’s trademark woven leather.

The Service

Reminiscent of a time in which guests traveled with steamer trunks and their own servants, the white-glove service here includes a butler for every room. And he/she isn’t just available when the guest is in the hotel; they’re equipped with Blackberries to receive guests’ requests at any time -- to call your next appointment to say you’re running late, for example, when you send an urgent message from a meeting.

The Highlights

The hotel has been without a marquee-name restaurant since the esteemed Lespinasse closed a few years back. But that will all change in March 2007, when Alain Ducasse moves his New York outpost to the revamped space, with a new menu and a more casual wine bar. Even before Ducasse moves in, however, this hotel is showcasing other gourmet touches: While you wait for your treatments in the Remède spa, instead of herbal tea, you’re given champagne and Jacques Torres chocolate truffles.

--Laurie Werner

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