You’re out of luck if you wanted to try the Eggs Benedict at Le Caprice. The Pierre hotel’s gleaming by-the-numbers copy of the popular London brasserie closed earlier this year. (We wonder who got their hands on the gorgeous David Bailey photos of Jean Shrimpton that dressed the walls.) Read more
Here’s a snapshot of New York, ca 1962: John F. Kennedy is POTUS. The Cuban Missile Crisis revs up the Cold War. The first James Bond movie makes a splashy debut. The average annual income is $5,556.
And the Americana Hotel opens in a gleaming 51-story concrete tower designed by Morris Lapidus. Read more
Hotel guests fall into two categories – those who want to meet and mingle with other guests and those who can’t think of anything worse. Read more
Talk about a double whammy. First came the news that Le Parker Meridien’s new next-door neighbor will be a new 296-room boutique hotel. Then yesterday morning the new neighbor invaded Parker Meridien’s turf. Read more
Why is the front desk manager at The Benjamin wearing a nightcap and terrycloth bathrobe?
He’s observing National Sleep Awareness Week, a yearly educational campaign promoting the importance of sleep. The week culminates in the worst day of the year, Sunday March 11, when Daylight Savings Time begins and we spring forward, losing a precious hour of shut-eye. Read more
Talk about a misnomer. Lady Mendl, aka Elsie de Wolfe, the pioneering interior designer and Age of Innocence-era grand dame, never lived in the twin 1834 townhouses containing the tea salon bearing her name. And we can’t imagine this crusading modernist who loathed Victorian frou frou would have selected, or condoned, the curvaceous loveseats, tufted brocades, fringed lampshades and acres of carved wood that fill the salon’s two parlors.
No matter. We can’t think of a better place to retreat when you want to take a quick break from the 21st century. Read more
We don’t know whether to be befuddled or embarrassed. We’re pretty partial to New York City hotels, but not a single one – not one! – landed on Trip Advisor’s annual Travel’s Choice list of the 25 Best Hotels in the World list published yesterday.
New York did better last year, when the city offered fewer rooms but apparently played to more enthusiastic Trip Advisor users. Though none made the cut for the top 25 international hotels in 2011, the plucky Casablanca in Times Square rolled in at number eight for best in the US. Alas, it – and every place else here in town – was shut out of that list this time. Read more
We always stop by the Gershwin Hotel when we’re in the neighborhood. Besides Birch Coffee, a one-of-a-kind, sustainable-minded coffee shop, and a lively lobby where you can hang out as long as you want, the hotel buzzes with events – art exhibitions, music performances, drama of all kinds.
On a recent evening we strolled into the lobby and found actress Tilda Swindon at her spookiest staring at us on almost every wall. Read more
By the time 2011 morphed into a memory at the stroke of midnight, New York City boasted an unprecedented 90,000 hotel rooms. But the year that was didn’t just set records. If 2011 was a wine we’d raise a glass (and buy several cases). Read more
As hotels have edged into endeavors that have nothing to do with lodging – art galleries! screening rooms! bingo nights! – retail scores high as a splashy extracurricular effort. With Barneys edging out Walgreens as a role model, it can be easier to find a one-of-a-kind necklace than a newspaper – remember those? – in the shop adjacent to the lobby.
This can be a good thing as the holidays move into full swing. We set out on an informal shopping spree, camera in hand, and came up with a sampling of items that would look good under a tree, from stocking stuffers to big ticket.
Behold, the first annual Overnight New York holiday gift guide. Read more