The Peninsula New York

New York City
United States

The Experience

Sharing a corner with the St. Regis meant that the 20-year-old Peninsula New York has had to step up its game. With a great location and suave demeanor, the hotel treats business travelers to a quiet, unobtrusively elegant room, while its clubby atmosphere and landmark status allow the weekend guest to live it up in style. Entering the circa-1905 Beaux Arts building, a double-staircased grand foyer sets a mood that wavers on the aristocratic side of chic, but with the new addition of rooftop bar Salon de Ning—a nod to the Peninsula's Hong Kong origins—and newly overhauled fitness and spa areas, the hotel is poised to enter the next decade as a sleeker, less stodgy Midtown player.

The Rooms

With fewer rooms than other major New York properties, the Peninsula's offerings range from the 440-square-foot Deluxe room to the sprawling two-bedroom Peninsula Suite, with a lounge area, formal dining room, library and even a grand piano. The guestrooms' sleek black marble bathrooms and bedside console that controls needs like lights, TV and temperature all mark a hotel that puts a premium on comfort and class, rather than trendiness and bold design. Business travelers appreciate the free wireless internet, sound-protected rooms and an ideal breakfast meeting spot—the restaurant, Fives.

The Service

The staff is professional enough to be almost over-looked—but in a good way. Detail-oriented and polished, the level of service is so high that it blends in with the top-level experience that guests rightly expect. The rooms are impeccably clean and well-kept, and the concierge desk exudes capability and friendliness.

The Highlights

The stylish new Salon de Ning, atop the hotel, means that the Peninsula will draw a more fashionable crowd. But its quiet sophistication will likely show itself in the soon-to-open (late 2008) fitness area and swimming pool as well as a new tea lounge and European-style ESPA spa. The Peninsula makes the most of its Big Apple location, from the large windows opening onto views of 5th Avenue—even from the marble bathtub that adorns most bathrooms—to the custom "experiences" available from The Peninsula Academy. Whether taking the Peninsula's Fifth Avenue Gold Coast Walking Tour or sipping a martini in the Gotham Lounge, guests are at ease in this soberly posh urban hotel.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»