What: Far above Manhattan’s buzzing streets, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Mandarin Oriental, New York, holds court over Columbus Circle. The sultry, low-lit, 35th-floor lobby sets the tone for this modern, Asian-edged, 248-room hotel. A poised staff member will escort you up for check-in before you head to a guest room featuring Art-Deco-inspired furnishings, Asian artifacts and a modern, Zen-influenced design. Here, views are the real showstopper — floor-to-ceiling windows look out over Central Park, the Hudson River or the city skyline. Tip: Book a corner room for incomparable wrap-around New York City vistas.
Where: Overlooking the southwest corner of Central Park, Mandarin Oriental, New York, occupies floors 38 through 54 near the top of the Time Warner Center. Some of the city’s top cultural institutions (Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Broadway) are only a few blocks away. The center itself is home to a bevy of high-end shops and restaurants (Masa, Per Se) and is near several subway lines for easy access to all parts of Manhattan.
When: Make this your luxurious home base to explore the city any time of year. Central Park is as lovely in the winter, blanketed in white, as it is in the bustling spring, summer and fall. The weeks around the holidays are particularly festive in this part of town, and the hotel hosts several events (like its New Year’s Eve blowout gala) through January.
Why: Far East hospitality meets ultra-luxe amenities and design, as perfectly represented in the hotel’s Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star spa. The pristine vitality pool, amethyst crystal steam room and Oriental Tea Lounge are reason enough to book a treatment (the highly trained, intuitive therapists are another). And for views that top even those in the guest rooms, head to Asiate, the Four-Star contemporary American restaurant popular for high-power business lunches and indulgent celebratory dinners.
Photos Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
