Think Barneys, not Hudson News. The latest hotel shops qualify as stand-alone boutiques that reside in hotels almost coincidentally. Curated down to the last Walker crisp or Haribo raspberry, the best are destinations in themselves. And with good reason. Read more
New York isn’t Amsterdam. But since 1993, the addition of 100 miles of greenway paths has changed life for bike lovers. We wouldn’t recommend plowing into midtown traffic unless you’re Tour de France fit – or a bike messenger. But the city’s growing network of bike lanes offers savvy riders a fun, pollution-free way to get from Point A to Point B and take in the sights that whirl by.
These five properties (plus bonus mentions) lead the growing band of hotels that house bikes to lend or rent to guests. (Condolences to the Hotel Gansevoort Meatpacking District, whose fleet of Puma bikes was stolen and, as of this writing, has not been replaced). Read more
Q. I know New York in August is no picnic, but that’s when I can come in from Baltimore for a three-night weekend. (Baltimore in August is not so great, either.) I don’t want to break the bank, but I’d like a hip hotel with some style. Since I always stay in midtown when I come in for work, I want to be downtown this time. Any ideas? Read more
The massive, inquisition-style check-in desk, once as basic to hotels as beds, pillows and running water, occupies a spot high on the endangered amenity list. But so, in some cases, do check-in staff members. Read more
I love hotel freebies, the kind you get when you walk through the door. A great looking lobby generously appointed with sofas and chairs? Check. Read more
Don’t tip the Yotel robot
That much-discussed Yobot robotic arm that grabs and stores your luggage at the soon-to-open Yotel Times Square got us thinking about other nifty labor saving devices – as in the saving of the hotel staff’s labor – around town.
We visited three hotels with clever do-it-yourself amenities, read the instructions and pushed the appropriate buttons. How did we fare?
We like decorator show houses for many of the same reasons we like hotels. The best show house rooms are fantasy rooms, a designer’s vision for an imaginary occupant. When a designer gets it right, you’re transported to another world where you can try on a different life, albeit fleetingly, just as you do in an evocative hotel room. Read more
Publicity is catnip to hotels. Still, I can’t imagine the Sofitel New York is thrilled with the reason it’s suddenly the most talked about hotel in town. Read more
The Mondrian SoHo, Café Carlyle at the Carlyle Hotel and the Standard Hotel New York are stylish, newly minted places. Last night, the architect behind the Standard, the designer of the Mondrian and the decorator who refurbished Café Carlyle talked about their work at the Museum of the City of New York. Here are five cool facts I learned about each property. Read more
At the moment Kate Middleton and Prince William say “I Do” next Friday, early bird guests at a cluster of Manhattan hotels will raise their champagne glasses. How did London’s royal wedding turn into a hotel event in New York? Here’s our play-by-play of the race to see which hotel will catch the bouquet. Read more