• Home
• New Jersey Books
• Outdoor Tips
• Travels
• Product Reviews
• Book Reviews
• Holidays
• Contact Us

Fun Travels Across the United States

NEW YORK CITY

News Attractions Discounts Guest Apartments Hotels Museums Restaurants Spas

NEWS

Manhattan's Bryant Park Hotel celebrating its 10-year anniversary

A Valentine's Day Weekend to Remember at The Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel

ATTRACTIONS

Brooklyn Brewery

The Brooklyn Brewery offers free tours on Saturday, including free tastings, starting at 1 PM.

Central Park

Free performances, skating, a boat basin, miles of trails, sculpture are just a little this vast park has to offer. The Central Park Conservancy Tours are a great way to discover the history of the park, plus garden tours, Belvedere Castle tours, and free events most days.

Dana Discovery Center

(212-860-1370) in the northeast corner of Central Park, loan a pole for lots of fun engaging in their catch-and-release fishing in the Harlem Meer, a beautiful lake also frequented by numerous species of wild birds. The Center also sponsors educational workshops for children, or loan a pair of binoculars to enjoy birdwatching. Open daily, April to October, from 10am to 5pm (4 pm in winter).

City Hall

This, the oldest City Hall in the nation, houses its original governmental functions, and is considered one of the finest architectural achievements of the early 1800s designed in the Federal style, with French influences.

Featuring a formal staircase that sweeps up to the one-story portico fronting the building, the Governor’s Room has served as a museum and reception room celebrating the civic history of New York and the nation. It houses one of the most important collections of 19th century American portraiture as well as historic furnishings, including pieces by Charles Christian and Honoré Lannuier, and other notable artifacts, such as George Washington’s desk. Many distinguished guests have visited the Governor’s Room, including the Marquis de Lafayette and Albert Einstein. The Room hosted President-elect Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and then served as the backdrop for his coffin in 1865 as he lay in state. For more information call 212-NEW-YORK.

Fashion Institute of Technology

This famous school has thousands of designer costumes and accessories, fabrics from around the world and the work of renowned fashion photographers in the institute's free museum. For more information, call 212-217-5800

Federal Hall National Memorial

One of Downtown's most historic landmarks, has reopened to the public after a 16-month, $16 million restoration. The Birthplace of American Government, it was here on the corner of Broad and Wall Street, that General George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. Home to the first congress, supreme court, and executive offices, the original Federal Hall was trully the birthplace of the current government of the United States. The current structure, a Greek revivial style Customs House, later served as part of the US Sub-Treasury. The building still serves the Federal Government as a museum and memorial to the first president and the beginnings of the United States of America. For more information visit NPS.gov/FEHA, or call the Ranger Desk at 212-825-6888. The Memorial is located at 26 Wall Street

Forbes Magazine Galleries

Enjoy toy boats and soldiers, presidential papers, paintings, Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs, objets d'art and other memorabilia. Entrance is free and the gallery is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Guided tours of the collection are available free of charge, but reservations must be made one month in advance by calling 212 206-5548

Gracie Mansion

This museum is administered by the Gracie Mansion Conservancy and is open to the public from the end of March through mid-November. Tours on Wednesdays, by reservation only. For more information, call (212) 570-4751.

In 1799, a prosperous New York merchant named Archibald Gracie decided to build a country house overlooking a bend in the East River. At the time, the location he selected was five miles north of the City that was clustered at the lower tip of Manhattan. However, two decades later, his finances took a turn for the worse and Gracie had to sell his house to Joseph Foulke. Eventually the City of New York appropriated the estate in 1896, incorporating its 11 acres of grounds into the newly-formed Carl Schurz Park.

The building itself didn't fare very well, ending up as a concession stand and restrooms for the park. Happily, Gracie Mansion was restored and became the first home of the Museum of the City of New York, then a historic house museum run by the Parks Department. Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced City authorities to designate it as the official residence of the Mayor, and in 1942, Fiorello H. La Guardia moved in. The house was enlarged in 1966 with the addition of the Susan E. Wagner Wing, which includes a grand ballroom and two intimate reception rooms.

Restoration in 2002 transformed it into the People's House with increased accessibility to the public and to City agencies. Today the Gracie Mansion Conservancy is a private not-for-profit corporation established to preserve, maintain and enhance Gracie Mansion - one of the oldest surviving wood structures in Manhattan and a member of The Historic House Trust. The main floor is open to the public and is a showcase for art and antiques created by New York designers, cabinetmakers, painters and sculptors. Several pieces belonged to the Gracie family. At the center of the faux-marble entryway floor, a painted compass recalls the ships that built the Gracie fortune.

Grand Central Terminal

The Municipal Art Society offers a free tour of the magnificent Beaux-Arts Grand Central Terminal Wednesdays at 12:30pm. Tours depart from Grand Central Terminal''s information booth. Although the tour is free, consider making a donation (they do pass a hat at the very end) to support their excellent work.

Juilliard School

Great performers have and do train here, but it's also a great venue for free performances, including a great library for rare and special collections. The Peter Jay Sharp Special Collections Room includes hundreds of individual manuscript scores and autograph letters including two songs by Johannes Brahms, almost 200 first and early editions of Franz Liszt’s original piano works, transcriptions, and arrangements. The school's web site lists dates and times of free performances.

National Museum of the American Indian

Part of the Smithsonian Institution, this is said to be the largest collection in the world devoted to North, Central, and South American Indian cultures. Opened in October 1994, the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian is in lower Manhattan at the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, a truly gorgeous building on the water. Permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as public programs — including music and dance performances, films, and symposia. Admission is free. For more information, contact the museum at One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004; 212-514-3700

New York Public Library

Located at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, this majestic Beaux Arts building opened in 1911 with over one million books available to the public. Besides admiring the building (inside and outside), the Library offers some wonderful biblio treats. Free exhibits, concert, films and other special events in Bryant Park which has become one of midtown's best urban parks.

Sony Wonder Technology Lab

Located at 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022; 212-833-8100 -- this hands-on communication technology and entertainment museum is for all ages. Admission to the Lab is free to be enjoyed by both adults and children. Occupying four floors and 14,000 square feet, from the very beginning visitors know this is something special. In the lobby there’s an robot who actually interacts with the children waiting to enter the Lab. It’s not until later in the visit that the secret is revealed. The robot is actually controlled by an unseen master using goggles and gloves to make the robot an extension of operator’s own body.

Visitors start at the fourth floor by logging into the computer network. The sophisticated computer system records your face and voice when you first log in (all of the logs are wiped clean every evening) and codes it on a plastic card you swipe at each of the exhibits. This enables the personalization of their displays. Walking along the history of communication bridge for example, which provides 150 years of communication and entertainment history, you may see your face on the video displays. Although all the exhibits are fun and informative, there is a particularly special experience called Shadow Garden and Sand Interactive. A very long and fancy name for playing with shadows, with a twist. Visitors stand in front of a translucent wall which displays the image of cascading nuggets. But the wall interacts with shadows cast by visitors, and the sand nuggets accumulate on visitors’ shadows, pooling on shoulders, heaping in cupped hands. Soon visitors discover that they can link shadows and strangers learn to work together to pass the sand back and forth. There’s also movies screened in their High Definition television theater. All exhibits are wheelchair accessible and the Lab also offers American Sign Language tours. Reservations for these ASL tours are available for individual families and groups.

Staten Island Ferry

Runs 24 hours a day and is free at all times. Enjoy the ride to and from Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, the visit to Staten Island, and the spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, New York harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Ferry information: 718-815-BOAT.

Tweed Courthouse

The Old New York County Courthouse, better known as Tweed Courthouse, is the legacy of Tammany Hall boss William M. Tweed, who used the construction of the building in the mid 1800s to embezzle large sums from the budget. Boss Tweed was tried in 1873 in an unfinished courtroom in this building and was convicted and jailed. After the Tweed Ring was broken up, work stopped on the building from 1872 to 1876. Construction progressed slowly after the Tweed years, and it was not until 1881 that the building was finally completed.

In 1999, a comprehensive restoration began to return Tweed to its original grandeur and today Tweed is home to the Department of Education. The first floor features the City Hall Academy, which serves approximately 200 elementary and middle school students each day from schools throughout the City. The school offers public school children an inter-disciplinary approach to the study of New York City and its history.

Union Square Tours

On Saturdays at 2 pm, take a free walking tour offered by the 14th Street-Union Square Business Improvement District including stops at New York's first film studios, opera houses, grand theaters and nickelodeons, "Ladies' Mile" and Union Square Park. Call first at 212-460-1204

Socrates Sculpture Park

Located at 21-01 Vernon Boulevard at Broadway, Long Island City, NY 11106; 718 956-1819 presents exhibitions of sculpture and multimedia installations as well as a variety of community events and an outdoor summer film series. As a free outdoor museum located on the East River in Long Island City, Queens, it serves as both a major art institution and reclaimed open space allowing public access to the waterfront with impressive Manhattan views. Open daily until sunset.

Downtown Information Center Opened

The Wall Street Rising's Downtown Information Center is a state-of-the-art space and the newest must stop destination for tourists and New Yorkers alike.  It features a one-of-a-kind interactive model of Lower Manhattan that uses video projections, photographs, text and a historical narrative to tell the compelling story of Lower Manhattan’s past, present and future. The installation is a key addition to Downtown for tourists, school groups, New Yorkers and others to learn about the storied community in an innovative and exciting way--a true must stop destination for anyone in the area!

For more information about all there is to see and do in New York City, log on to nycvisit.com or visit New York City’s Official Visitor Information Center at 810 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street, the kiosks located in Lower Manhattan at City Hall Park, and in Chinatown at the triangle where Canal, Walker and Baxter Streets meet.

DISCOUNTS

CityPASS® Offers Huge Discounts at Famous Attractions

Those looking for great destinations can get huge discounts with a CityPASS
An iPod-sized booklet consisting of numerous tickets for admission to the most popular museums and attractions in a city, CityPASS offers visitors a savings of 46% off regular combined admission prices.

For example, the CityPASS for New York saves travelers nearly half off the combined cost of admission to the participating attractions and has collected and vetted the top must-see, must do attractions; admission includes:

-- Empire State Building 86th-floor Observatory, plus audio tour

-- American Museum of Natural History, plus the Rose Center for Earth and Space and a Hayden Planetarium Space Show

-- The Museum of Modern Art - MoMA, plus audio tour

-- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (including special exhibitions, plus $1 off audio guide

-- Guggenheim Museum, plus audio tour, OR Top of the Rock

-- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, including admission to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island Immigration Museum, OR a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise

In addition, CityPASS holders take the VIP route, skipping most main entrance ticket lines.l

CityPASS clears the clutter to reveal the most visited and iconic places in town, its booklets crammed with attraction information, maps, select values and how to get around on public transportation (often the surprise hit of a city visit). Parents and kids alike will appreciate zipping past ticket lines to get to the dinosaurs, sharks, or the top of the Empire State Building, the Philadelphia National Constitution Center, the New York City American Museum of Natural History and many more places of interest for everyone in the family.

CityPass is also available in Atlanta, where kids can “compete” against Olympic Athletes at the Atlanta History Center’s new Centennial Olympic Games Museum, in Seattle, Museum of Flight. Other CityPASS destinations include Toronto and New York City.

The CityPASS Web site, www.citypass.com, offers advance ticket booklet purchase, brochures and maps, a new special exhibits section of notable traveling exhibitions, transportation options, an insider’s tip on the best time to visit, a pricing grid to compare savings in each city, and the “look inside” web technology to see every ticket in the book. For recorded information, call 1-888-330-5008.

NYCtrip

NYCtrip.com is the quickest, easiest and most affordable way to write your own ticket to the perfect New York City vacation without breaking the bank. Developed by New York City Vacation Packages (NYCVP), the only independent tour company devoted exclusively to New York City travel for the past 10 years, NYCtrip.com offers a choice from hundreds of unique vacation packages and an ala carte option to enhance your trip to the Big Apple using NYC TripQuoteSM.

All vacations planned with NYCtrip.com are individually customized, and reviewed by NYCVP Personal Vacation Planners. All trips start with hotel accommodations at your choice of Manhattan, Brooklyn or New Jersey hotels and always include a host of freebies including:

Admission to the Empire State Building Observatory or a guided tour of Rockefeller Center;
Admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History or Top of the Rock;
A VIP invitation to the CBS Early Show;
Shopping discounts at Macy's, Bloomingdales, and South Street Seaport;
Parking discounts at hundreds of Manhattan garages
And more.

NYCtrip.com lets you personalize your vacation by adding sold out tickets to Broadway shows, special and sporting events, private or group guided tours by land or sea, spa services, horse-drawn carriage rides, behind the scenes glimpses, meals at a famous New York City restaurant like Tavern on the Green, luxurious World Yacht dining cruises and more. Once you've booked your New York City vacation package from the comfort of your home or office with NYCtrip.com, your New York City itinerary and tickets will arrive at your home or office via FedEx or DHL. The package will include vouchers for your hotel stay, tips for visiting the Big Apple compiled by New York City travel experts and more.

New York Pass

Visitors to New York City can save time and money visiting the Big Apple's top attractions this year by using New York City's premier money-saving attraction card, New York Pass.
 
The $75 New York Pass day pass ($55 for children) gets holders into blockbuster  attractions all across New York City for a single price, many with exclusive "fast-track" entry privileges, allowing card holders to whiz past long holiday lines.  Attractions include: Top of the Rock; The Met; The Guggenheim; The Whitney; The Museum of Natural History; the Museum of Sex; the Museum of Television and Radio; Bodies...the Exhibition, and MOMA. Behind-the-scenes tours at Madison Square Garden; NBC studios; Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Free entry to zoos, aquariums, parks and gardens, and places of interest like Madam Tussaud's; The Empire State Building Observation Deck; New York Skyride, the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island ferry. The New York Pass also includes shopping discounts at stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's-it even includes discounts on New York City helicopter rides!

 New York Pass also offers two-day passes, $110 for adults, $90 for children; three-day passes, $140 for adults, $120 for children; and seven-day passes, $180 for adults and $140 for children.
 
For more information visit www.newyorkpass.com.   City's Top Attraction Card is now available at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, NY, New York Pass, the City's premiere money saving attraction card, announced that it is available for purchase uptown at one of its major attractions: the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the first time the New York Pass has been sold at an uptown attraction, making it convenient for visitors to the area and local residents to access the Pass. 
 
Every New York Pass comes with a free 180 page guidebook that includes detailed maps, hours of operation, tips and directions to every New York Pass attraction. The guidebooks are now available in English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. 
 
 The New York Pass can be purchased online at www.newyorkpass.com or picked up in person at the following attractions: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, New York Skyride, NBC Experience Store, Planet Hollywood, Bike and Roll NYC Bike Rentals and Radio City Music Hall.

HOTELS

A Valentine’s Day Weekend to Remember
At The Setai Fifth Avenue, a Capella Managed Hotel

 This Valentine’s Day Weekend – and on weekends throughout February - guests can enjoy a classic New York City romantic getaway at The Setai Fifth Avenue, a Capella Managed Hotel  with the Weekend to Remember experience.  The experience includes a twilight trip to the top of the Empire State Building (located just steps away from the hotel), Taittinger Champagne and chocolates awaiting in the guestroom, and a sumptuous in-room breakfast each day of the stay. The Setai Fifth Avenue provides an ideal setting for a weekend of romance with in-room amenities from inviting Duxiana beds to deep-soak Zuma bathtubs, as well as breathtaking views of the cityscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.

 

On Valentine’s Day itself, guests and New Yorkers alike can enjoy late-night jazz at Bar on Fifth. Artist-in-residence Antonio Ciacca will perform with vocalist extraordinaire Justin Echoles from 8:00 – 11:00 pm.  The evening features a special menu of Champagne, Oysters, and classic cocktails.  Separate reservations at Bar on Fifth are required on Valentine’s Day, and may be obtained by calling (212) 695-4005.
 
Another temptation at The Setai Fifth Avenue available throughout February to guests and local residents is a Valentine’s themed treatment at the Auriga spa, which is offering a chocolate wrap and chocolate facial, with chocolate by Richart.  Spa guests can also rejuvenate with a signature couples massage or bath treatment and take advantage of Auriga’s coed aqua lounge. Finally, a visit to the Julien Farel Salon at The Setai Fifth Avenue marks a perfect start to a night of romance.

The Weekend to Remember package at The Setai Fifth Avenue, a Capella Managed Hotel is valid from February 1 - February 29, 2012 and includes:

·         Overnight accommodation in a guest room or suite
·         A bottle of Taittinger Champagne with chocolates
·         Two tickets to the Empire State Building
·         Room service Breakfast for up to 2 adults
·         The special services of a Personal Assistant
·         Complimentary soft drinks, water and use of Espresso machine
·         Complimentary wireless internet

For more information, visit setaififthavenue.com or call (212) 695-4005. The toll free hotel reservations number is (877) 247-6688.

Disclaimer: Rates are per room per night and are quoted in US Dollars. Rates are based on double occupancy. Package rate is subject to availability at time of reservation. A tax of 14.75% plus $1.50 Convention Center tax per night and $2.00 Occupancy Fee per room and $4.00 occupancy fee per suite, per night will be added to the guestroom bill.  Offers are not applicable to groups or contract rates. No cash value. Services offered in this package are non-exchangeable, non-refundable, and non-transferrable. This package cannot be combined with any other packages or promotions and is subject to change. The Setai Fifth Avenue reserves the right to open and close and/or discontinue this package at any time.

Manhattan's Bryant Park Hotel celebrating its 10-year anniversary

The Bryant Park Hotel has become known as a pillar of sophistication, where the contemporary fashionista meets storied New York. Located on the edge of Bryant Park, the hotel is housed by the landmark American Radiator Building, the subject of the iconic Georgia O'Keeffe painting. Made of black manganese-dipped brick and topped with gold leaf, the building’s facade is illuminated at night to resemble a glowing radiator coil.

Inside the sleek rooms feature hardwood floors, Tibetan rugs and spacious travertine marble bathrooms.

The Bryant Park Hotel is home to celebrity favorite Asian-fusion Koi Restaurant and the subterranean Cellar Bar, which features high Guastavino tile vaulting reminiscent of the nearby Grand Central. The property also houses one of the only RealD screening rooms in the city, attracting the city’s top film directors, who regularly screen dailies in its state-of-the-art 70-seat theatre.

A veritable exhibition hall during New York Fashion Week, the Gothic architecture of the Bryant Park Hotel serves as a dramatic backdrop to style arbiters in residence year-round.

St. Giles Hotel New York

The 199-room The Court and 121-room The Tuscany share one of New York City’s most fashionable addresses, steps away from Park Avenue on townhouse-lined East 39th Street in the historic Murray Hill district of Manhattan. Steeped in history and home to American icons and former residents such as The Murray family, J.P. Morgan, The Astors, The Lunts, Theodore and Eleanor Roosevelt, today Murray Hill maintains its desirable status recently dubbed ‘the best place to live in New York’ by New York Magazine.

Intimate in size yet offering some of New York City’s largest guestrooms with standard rooms averaging 425 square feet, The Tuscany and The Court are considered a tremendous value. Accommodations feature oversize closets, decadent baths outfitted with imported marble and high-end fixtures along with ample closets, state-of-the-art technology and luxury Treatment amenities. Most significant is the locale of the properties within walking distance of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, Fifth Avenue shopping, menus, Grand Central Station, a short taxi ride from restaurants and Broadway. In the know concierge staff provides guests with tips on “must see” attractions and events and can easily secure tickets for attractions, shows and concerts. 

Headquartered in London, England, St Giles Hotel, LLC and St Giles Hotels are affiliated of Cititel Hotel Management or CHM-Hotels. St Giles Hotels is a well known group of centrally located mid-market hotels in London. CHM-Hotels is a consulting and management concern that encompasses Concept Development, Market & Feasibility Studies, Facility Planning, Marketing Strategies & Planning, Equipment & Product Selection and Procurement. It is a subsidiary of the Malaysian-based IGB Corporation, a property and investment holding company, known for its excellence in both commercial and residential property development. The company’s portfolio consists of three, four and five-star hotels and is known for its collection of centrally located hotels in London. 

The Kitano New York Hotel

Conveniently located in Manhattan’s historic Murray Hill district, the 149-room Kitano New York invites guests to enjoy a truly unique cultural and hospitality experience with its Tatami Suite. As the hotel serves as New York’s first and only Japanese-owned hotel, it is home to the city’s only traditional $1 million Japanese-style guest suite. With its authentic furnishings, steeped traditions and cultural services guests feel they have stepped into Japan upon entering the Tatami Suite- with the only the spectacular views of Park Avenue and the Kitano New York’s esteemed reputation to remind them they are still in the heart of Manhattan.

As guests enter The Kitano New York’s Tatami Suite, after following the Japanese tradition of removing their shoes so as not to track in contaminants, they will first notice the distinct aroma of the tatami mats. This earthy aromatic is thought to calm and sooth the soul in Japanese culture, allowing guests to enter into a state of tranquility. The 805 square-feet suite offers a sleeping quarter with two twin beds, which can be replaced with traditional futons if the guests prefer. The sleeping quarters is connected to an authentic tea pantry. With this unique feature, The Kitano New York can easily convert the sleeping quarters after removing the beds into an authentic tea ceremony room with access to the pantry. The suite also features a spacious common area that measures eight tatami mats (a standard unit of measurement in Japan) as well as a traditional Japanese bathroom in which a large tub for soaking and a separate shower for bathing.

The most significant aspect of Kitano New York’s suite is the tatami matting that lines the floor, which symbolizes a higher class level in the Japanese culture. The mats are constructed with woven rush plant on the surface and rice straw inside-two common goods that grown abundantly throughout the country.  In addition signifying class level, tatami mats are also used commonly used in Japan to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer as it also acts as a cooling agent in the hot and damp climate. Typically, the mats last for approximately four years; however, once become worn, they can easily be replaced without changing the rush underneath. The mats are also eco-friendly as they can be used as a fertilizer once they are no longer used as flooring.

Each design aspect of the Tatami Suite, which cost nearly $1 million to construct and features artworks, furnishing and cedar accents imported directly from Japan, incorporates the strict tradition of the Japanese culture. The formal entry way, sleeping quarter/tea ceremony room and common area all feature a Tokonoma, a small alcove that often houses decorative scrolls and signifies that the most important guest should be seated with his or her back facing the area. The walls are constructed with the traditional Juraku, a sand-based well cement that removes moisture from the air, while the ceiling features the Sukiya Zukuri architectural design component that hides all nails from sight.                

In addition to enjoying the Tatami Suite accommodations, guests can also experience all of The Kitano New York’s on-site offerings such as the Michelin-rated Hakubai Restaurant, which features some of the country’s most authentic Japanese cuisine with its unique Kaiseki delicacies. Guests of the Tatami Suite are invited to enjoy this dining experience in-room as the hotel will arrange for service and presentation to take place in the suite’s common area. The hotel also offers The Garden Café, which is situated in a historic townhouse adjacent to the hotel. The restaurant is located in a tranquil urban garden setting of exotic plants and vegetation. It features American contemporary cuisine.  The Kitano Boutique also is a great spot to select a keepsake memento from a New York escape, as it features a unique collection of handmade items by European and Asian artists.

The Kitano features traditional East and West services and amenities that are unmatched anywhere in the world. Asian hospitality merges seamlessly with New York style for an ambience that is pure Kitano. Awarded the AAA Four-Diamond rating, The Kitano New York is distinguished by a contemporary interior that is both elegant and supremely comfortable. The newly-refurbished guestrooms feature custom-made mahogany and cherry furniture, down comforters, exquisite artwork and Roman pleated shades with windows that open to views of the historic Murray Hill, Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building and other New York landmarks. The renovation was designed to bring the same sense of serenity combined with the maximum level of comfort and service for which the hotel is known to the guestrooms. For hotel reservations, visit www.kitano.com or call 212-885-7000.

Brooklyn's Trendy Hotel LeBleu

Located on Fourth Avenue in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, within close proximity of the historic Brooklyn Bridge and offering easy access to Manhattan and major thoroughfares, hotel le bleu is the first luxury boutique hotel to open in Brooklyn. In recent years, Park Slope has become one of New York’s most desirable addresses representing a hip neighborhood in what is considered the city’s coolest borough. It is home to artists, celebrities and transplanted Manhattanites. Known for its stately and historic brownstones, and beautiful parks, Park Slope attracts visitors from around the world. It offers an abundant night-life featuring world-class restaurants with cuisine from around the world, jazz clubs, and neighborhood bars. Park Slope also offers access to some of Brooklyn’s biggest cultural assets including the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. 

hotel le bleu, Brooklyn’s first luxury boutique hotel, is a sleek chic architectural structure designed by the award-winning architect Andres Escobar. The well-appointed guestrooms are decorated to maximize space and provide the ultimate experience in comfort. Luxury items such as Egyptian cotton bedding, orthopedic mattresses and high-end in-room amenities offer the ultimate in relaxation.  hotel le bleu offers luxury, comfort and service comparable to Manhattan hotels but at significantly lower rates.

The hotel’s guestrooms feature custom designed ergonomic furnishings, Bose Wave DVD system, WiFi, Cable High-Speed Internet, iPod docking station, flat plasma televisions, mini bars, coffee and tea service are a few of the room features. However, the most impressive feature of the hotel are the guestroom balconies with unrestricted views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline.

Located in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, Body by Brooklyn is a spa and lounge offering a unique blend of services that evoke a genuine sense of comfort and style. Body by Brooklyn lets guests indulge in a steamy mix of health and hedonism! Throughout the ages, cultures around the world have recognized the health and communal aspects of the “traditional bathhouse.” The spa promotes the curative effects of water and heat and provides luxurious spa treatments administered by world-class massage therapist or esthetician.   Guests can enjoy the Russian Bath, Turkish Aroma Steam Room, Cedar Sauna, Thermal Hot Tub, Cold Plunge Pool or simply relax with friends in front of a fire while sipping cocktails.

For information and reservations contact hotel le bleu at (866)427-6073 or <mailto:info@globiwest.com>info@globiwest.com. Rates are subject to change, based upon space availability and exclude tax and gratuities. Rates cannot be combined with any other offer.

hotel le bleu is owned and managed by Globiwest Hospitality Group, a second generation family owned hotel development and management corporation headquartered in Artesia, California. Summer 2008 hotel le bleu will welcome a signature restaurant Vue that will feature continental cuisine. Globiwest provides operations, marketing and distribution services to its diverse portfolio of recognizable hospitality brands and franchises such as: Carlson, Choice, Hilton, IHG and Marriott Hotels. The company’s properties are located throughout the United States. Most recently the company launched the first of two in a collection of new boutique hotels in Park Slope and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, trendy neighborhoods and Borough of New York City within close proximity to Manhattan.  hotel le bleu and hotel le jolie feature sleek, comfortable contemporary décor and design, state-of-the-art technology, impeccable service and cutting edge culinary options. Globiwest is a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association (HSMAI) – NY Chapter. The company is also proud sponsors of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, NYC & Company, Brooklyn Philharmonic & Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Contact Globiwest at www.globiwest.com or 562-402-6191. 

Hotels & Guest Apartments

The 93-room, newly built hotel, owned and operated by Hersha Hospitality and designed by Datumzero Design Office, is located on stylish Smith Street and sits squarely at the intersection of four intriguing Brooklyn neighborhoods: Downtown Brooklyn, home to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Courthouses, and the offices at MetroTech Center;  Boerum Hill, where streets are lined with elegant brownstones and French bistros; Cobble Hill, a blend of old-world shops, bakeries and gardens; and Carroll Gardens, an old-fashioned Italian neighborhood with wide streets, chic restaurants and antique shops. Together, these areas possess all the requisites for a unique, insider’s experience.  

NU Hotel showcases a design approach intended to maximize space, light and air.  The project is nestled in an upscale residential complex suggesting a local neighborhood refuge, while the beauty and friendly nature of the neighborhoods ensure that guests feel safe and secure as they explore the gems that Brooklyn has to offer.  Whimsical references such as stenciled quotes from famous Brooklynites, “found objects” from local landmarks and other daring local art strive to echo the authentic, confident character of Brooklyn.

Guest rooms are available in three styles – the NU Standard, the NU Friends Suite, and the NU Urban Suite – and are outfitted in a clean, natural palette and replicate the style of an urban artist’s dwelling. NU Friends Suites feature with bunk beds and modular furniture that adapts for friends and family – ideal for children and in keeping with the fun, casual atmosphere that NU Hotel aims to provide. NU Urban Suites boast a cozy bed niche with leather surroundings, a sitting area and designer hammocks suspended from the ceiling for relaxed lounging.

In addition to presenting a luxurious, bright and airy space, NU Hotel reflects a commitment to eco-friendly living.  Cork flooring appears in rooms, as do organic bedding materials and custom furnishings crafted from FSC-certified recycled teak wood.  Amenities include 32” flat-screen televisions with “jack packs” to dock audio, video and computer electronics and complementary WiFi access. Spacious bathrooms are equipped with unique chalkboard walls where guests can jot notes for housekeeping, travel mates, or simply record their own musings.  Sleek light fixtures, stone and glass showers, rain head showers and Aveda bath products complete the luxurious sensibility.   

Guests can mingle with fellow travelers and locals alike at NU Bar, the hotel’s café/lounge – located adjacent to the lobby – where café beverages, cocktails, and light fare will be available.  The NU Gym includes the latest cardio equipment and free weights in addition to a boxing bag and yoga/pilates mats and accessories.  The NU Hotel also offers bike storage and bicycle use service for guests interested in exploring New York on two wheels.  Additional amenities located in the lobby include the business center, and a custom concierge service.  Those seeking a quiet corner can retreat to the “library nook” where comfortable seating and antique accents create a warm space to delve into a book. 

Rates begin at $200 per night.  For more information, or to make a reservation, call 718-852-8585 or visit www.nuhotelbrooklyn.com.

About Hersha Hospitality

Hersha Hospitality currently operates over 60 hotels in the most valuable markets in the nation.  In addition to boutique hotels, Hersha Hospitality also provides turnkey hotel management and asset management for properties with leading brand affiliations through Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, and Intercontinental Hotel Group. Our highly experienced team is accustomed to serving as a fiduciary to publicly traded companies, joint ventures, institutional real estate owners and private investors.

With 45 rooms, the six-story hotel evokes the unique style of Manhattan’s fashionable loft living, complete with high ceilings, tall windows filling rooms with natural light, hardwood floors and clean modern décor. Designed by noted architectural firm Gene Kaufman Associates and renowned interior designer Paul Vega, the Hersha Hospitality Management property integrates the unique character of Tribeca with the needs of sophisticated travelers.                                                                                                                               ” 

Understated Elegance & High-Tech Amenities

Each of the 45 rooms feature custom-designed residential furniture, natural wood, slate bathrooms with chrome and marble fixtures. Amenities include a work desk, high-speed and WiFi Internet access, 32-inch plasma TV with premium cable, and a CD player/clock-radio with MP3 hook-up. Both queen and king-size guest beds are outfitted with European cotton linens, luxurious duvet comforters and a state-of-the-art “healthy” pillow-top mattress with washable hygienic liner. Three room sizes – Superior, Deluxe and Executive – are soothingly appointed in shades of pale green and blonde wood (Superior) and gentle lilac and cherry wood (Executive and Deluxe).

Additional amenities will highlight the splendors of the Tribeca neighborhood – including floral arrangements from Elan Flowers and access to award-winning cuisine for in-room dining from top-rated local restaurants. In addition, the Duane Street Hotel is home to ’beca Restaurant, where guests will find an array of culinary comforts, as well as fine Italian coffee and both European and Japanese tea service.  The restaurant also provides room service for the hotel.

Room rates at the Duane Street Hotel begin at $300. For more information, please visit www.duanestreethotel.com, email info@duanestreethotel.com or call 212-964-4600.

About Hersha Hospitality Management

Hersha Hospitality Management currently provides asset management services at 14 properties and hotel management services at over 50 upscale and mid-scale hotels in the most valuable markets in the nation, including Boston, Hartford, New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, metro Washington D.C., the Southeastern US, California and Arizona.  Hersha Hospitality Management provides turnkey hotel management and asset management for properties with leading brand affiliations through Marriott, Starwood, Hilton and Intercontinental. Our highly experienced team is accustomed to serving as a fiduciary to publicly traded companies, joint ventures, institutional real estate owners and private investors.

Located in the heart of the historic preservation district at 12 West 44th Street, the 126-room Mansfield Hotel has emerged from a 12-month restoration to debut as the City's newest renovated boutique hotel and an architectural and historic landmark.

Originally designed by James Renwick and the firm of Renwick, Aspenwall and Owen, the Mansfield opened its doors in 1904, revealing a property designed in the Beaux-Arts and Second Empire styles, and in keeping with traditional European hostelries constructed during the era.

Over the years, the Mansfield was home to wealthy socialites and luminaries such as John Butler Yeats and Max von Gerlach, the rumored inspiration for the Great Gatsby. Over a century later, hotel owners Brad M. Reiss and John Yoon, principals of Willow Hotels, the managing company for the Mansfield, were inspired by the elegance and architectural grandeur of the hotel which led to their restoration of the property.

Paying homage to its rich and storied past, the Mansfield exudes a classic New York feel, while boasting contemporary conveniences. Many original details remain integral to the Mansfield's design - oval staircases with wrought iron balustrades, terrazzo floors, and the Grand Lobby's 16-foot ceiling supported by columns and accented by bobesches - and demonstrate a careful craftsmanship throughout the hotel.

Featuring varied room types amont 90 guest rooms and 27 suites, each encompasses a sense of classic style while maintaining form and function. Each room's interior - gracefully masculine in design - features aneutral color palette of ivory and beige, accentuated by dark wood appointments and ebony-stained hard wood floors. To further enhance guests experience, the hotel offers an updated list of amenities and services as well.

For more information or reservations, check web site www.mansfieldhotel.com

Kitano New York's Room Upgrade Incorporates Japanese Service, Hospitality, Warmth and Intimacy to Deliver Guest Accommodations that Promote Tranquility, Productivity and Well-Being

Ideally located in the heart of Manhattan’s historic Murray Hill district, just steps away from Grand Central Station, Times Square and Union Square, The Kitano New York, New York’s first and only Japanese hotel, has just completed a room upgrade project, as announced by General Manager Hans Basse. With new custom-made mattresses, 37” flat-screen plasma TVs and furniture and bedding, the upgrade was designed to bring the same sense of serenity combined with the maximum of comfort and service for which the hotel is known to the guestrooms that the hotel currently offers, with additional offerings to meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers.

Each of the hotel’s 149 guestrooms now welcomes guests with a serenity-inspired color palate of natural beige and brown tones, including new comfortable sofas and moveable club chairs. The Sealy Posturepedic® Dynasty pillow-top mattresses are custom-designed for The Kitano, providing each guest with the ultimate in softness and support. Covering these exclusive mattresses, The Kitano features softer cotton sheets, plush white down-filled pillows, European duvets and new gold satin throws to provide the perfect touch of luxury and sophistication. With the hotel’s sound-reducing technology installed in the walls and sound-eliminating, double-pane windows, guests will sleep with ease and comfort, forgetting they are in the middle of New York City. 

For the business traveler, The Kitano’s guestrooms will now provide a more efficient work space with larger desks, ideally suited for those who need additional room. These custom-designed work spaces offer easy desk-top access to outlets, eliminating the need to search for hidden outlets out of plain view. Ergonomic desk chairs supply guests with a both comfortable and conducive work environment and new lamps provide the desk and room with more efficient lighting. 

The refurbishments are being overseen by the award-winning designer Jay H. Leff, who completed his design training at Chouinard Institute of Art in Los Angeles. Leff has accomplished a very successful career of interior designs, including his award-winning work on the Four Seasons in New York.

An institution in the New York hotel industry, The Kitano New York has remained a competitive force for both business and leisure travelers for more than 30 years, offering a unique touch of Japanese culture and tranquility to each guest. Although the general look and feel of the rooms will remain the same, with custom-made furniture accented with soft linens, the rooms will become more modern to appeal to a savvy traveler’s style.
In addition to world-class service, guests at The Kitano are delighted with superior culinary offerings including the Michelin-rated Hakubai restaurant, serving traditional Kaiseki cuisine, a delicate multi-course meal focused on exquisite presentation and the highest quality of food and The Garden Café, contemporary American cuisine. The Kitano’s signature Bar Lounge, on the mezzanine level, features Jazz Wednesday through Saturday with some of the city’s top Jazz musicians playing in a unique and intimate setting.

The Kitano offers a blend of traditional East and West services and amenities that are unmatched anywhere in the world. It is the only hotel in the city featuring an authentic Japanese Tatami Suite. Asian hospitality blends seamlessly with New York style for an ambience that is pure Kitano. Awarded the AAA Four-Diamond rating, The Kitano New York is distinguished by a contemporary interior that is both elegant and supremely comfortable. 

The Kitano New York is a member of Summit Hotels & Resorts, a consortium of deluxe hotels worldwide. For more information, contact The Kitano New York at 212-885-7000, 1-800-548-2666 or log onto www.kitano.com.
212-941-3989

The deluxe Premier Hotel in Times Square (a Millennium Hotels and Resorts property) is breaking new ground, changing the quality of travel and wellness of its guests with the introduction of its new Premier Pure rooms which feature an allergen-friendly environment. The Premier Pure rooms are free of 98% of bacteria and viruses which are eliminated via a special purification technique. The hotel is also introducing therapeutic natural skin care products by LATHER as its bath amenities

The Premier is the first New York City hotel to introduce allergen-friendly rooms utilizing an innovative, one-of-a-kind high-tech cleansing and maintenance process developed by Pure Solutions, North America. Premier Pure rooms are available on three floors of The Premier (16 guest rooms), the Penthouse and Fitness Center. This is the first Fitness Center in the New York and the world that has received this utterly new process. Each room has been treated comprehensively to remove allergens from all surfaces, fabrics and air flow.

The innovative and rigorous conversion process designed by Pure Solutions ensures that heaters and air conditioners are deep cleaned and sanitized then equipped with the company’s patented Tea Tree Oil Cartridge. PURE Tea Tree Oil is an all natural antiseptic and disinfectant gel that maintains the sanitary conditions created during the initial conversion process. Soft surfaces are cleansed then sanitized to eliminate contaminants that trigger allergies. The room next undergoes a 4-5 hour high ozone shock treatment to kill any remaining living organisms and their associated odors. A bacteriostatic barrier called Pure Shield is then applied on virtually all surfaces to minimize the growth of bacteria.

To maintain ideal conditions in the room, a state-of-the-art air purification system is installed, creating air quality that averages four times cleaner than the threshold for asthma patients. This system is registered by the FDA as a Class II medical device. Special micro-fiber hypo-allergenic pillow cases and mattress covers are used in the room to eliminate dust, dander and dust-mite related allergens usually associated with common bedding.

The Premier Pure Room concept is envisioned by Millennium Hotels and Resorts as part of a program provide the best experience to its guests. The allergy friendly environment is meant not only to provide a clean-air environment but also to help ease respiratory problems, asthma and allergies. Medical research shows that more than 70 million Americans suffer from various airborne allergies or asthma.

In June 2006, the 125-room Premier also converted to a fully non-smoking facility. The hotel’s smoking rooms (24 rooms in total) underwent a special deep cleaning process prior to conversion to non-smoking rooms. The Premier became one of the first non-smoking deluxe hotels in New York City.

The hotel is also introducing LATHER bath amenities including body, skin, and hair care products made from the finest and most effective natural ingredients including essential oils, antioxidants, extracts from rare fruits and herbs. LATHER may go to the ends of the earth to source ingredients, but packaging is kept clean and simple. That’s because LATHER believes “it’s what’s inside” that counts.

Some product examples include LATHER’s Bamboo Crème collection which draws on the hydrating benefits of shea butter and micronized bamboo to moisturize skin and hair. The combination of products works together, providing rich, creamy formulas that gently cleanse and condition without stripping skin of its natural oils. Delicate scents of mandarin, lavender and chamomile restore balance to the senses and impart a sense of renewal.

The Pure system reduces or eliminates biohazards and other irritants from all room surfaces and filters them from the air. Bedding, carpeting, walls, furniture, air conditioning systems, water and practically everything in the room is specially treated to remove contaminants and significantly hinder their return.

About Millennium Hotels and Resorts

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR), established in the United States in 2000, is the North American arm of London-based Millennium and Copthorne Hotels plc (MLC). The MHR portfolio includes 20 holdings in The Americas, and the company operates properties including: Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York City; Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, New York City; Millennium Airport Hotel, Buffalo, New York; Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles; Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Chicago; Millennium Bostonian Hotel, Boston; Millennium Hotel, Minneapolis; Millennium Hotel, St. Louis; Millennium Hotel, Cincinnati; Millennium Harvest House, Boulder; Millennium Hotel, Durham; Millennium Alaskan Hotel, Anchorage; Millennium Resort, Scottsdale, McCormick Ranch; and the Millennium Maxwell House, Nashville. MLC holdings outside of the Millennium brand include the Millenium Hilton Hotel in New York City.

For further information on Millennium Hotels and Resorts, call 866-866-8086 or visit www.millenniumhotels.com.

GUEST APARTMENTS & RESIDENCES

The Phillips Club II

Millennium Partners, which set the standard for urban fractional real estate with its first Phillips Club residence in New York City eight years ago, has just launched Phase II of The Phillips Club, also located in the heart of New York's Lincoln Center neighborhood.

Phillips Club II offers its member-owners furnished luxury apartments and hotel-style services and amenities in an 88-unit building at 155 West 66th Street. The address had been the site of an extended-stay Phillips Club lodging developed by Millennium in the mid-1990s. Having sold through its first fractional ownership club last year and seeing significant demand to add more product, Millennium decided to convert the extended-stay property into a new fractional.

The new club offers 704 total memberships in 88 apartments - a single membership represents one-eighth ownership in a Club residence. The apartments in Phillips Club II include 14 studios, 62 one-bedrooms, and 12 two-bedrooms, with fractional share units ranging from $190,000 to $380,000.

Pre-sale interest was so high, among Phillips Club I owners looking to buy additional units as well as others seeking to enter the high end of New York's fractional ownership market, that Millennium Partners reports having gone to contract on more than 52 memberships since obtaining approval for its offering plan at the end of June.

Fractional ownership offers multiple benefits for regular visitors to New York, eliminating the high expense and maintenance hassles of owning a co-op or condo, while providing a level of personalized service hard to find in a hotel. Similar to a country club membership, Phillips Club members purchase shares in the club rather than stays for specific weeks. Phillips Club members can stay at the property as often as they want subject to the club's reservations policies and procedures. Reservations can be made with as little as one-day's notice or as far ahead as 14 months. If all the members were to use their share equally, they would have 45 days per year. However, some members will use it less than others thereby creating more availability. The result is an on-demand luxury residence in one of New York‚s premiere neighborhoods.

'The Phillips Club provides a welcome sense of belonging to a comfortable, well-appointed home, to a vibrant and cultured neighborhood, and to a fabulous city,' says Pamela Malkani, the Millennium Partners principal in charge of the Club‚s development and operation.

The economics of a Phillips Club fractional are understandably attractive for a part-time New Yorker. A one-bedroom unit share of 800 square feet is priced at approximately $250,000. A comparable New York co-op or condominium apartment with equivalent amenities could easily command $1.2 million. Aside from the fact that a hotel wouldn't have near the space or a full working kitchen, a one night's stay at a quality lodging would cost around $700, a sum that becomes expensive spread across 30, 40 or 50 nights a year.
Home-Stocked Home: 'Personal Storage Unit is The Best.'

Phase II apartments feature kitchens with granite counters, top-line appliances by GE, and a full set of Villeroy & Boch dinnerware, crystal and silverware. The units also boast marble bathrooms and living rooms with Panasonic 42‰ high definition flat screen plasma TVs and Bose entertainment systems. Bedroom amenities include high definition LCD televisions, Italian linens and Matelasse coverlets. Daily maid service is available for members in residence and each unit offers wireless and T-1 lines for high-speed Internet connections. There's even an in-room safe and ironing board/iron in each residence.

As was the case with the original Phillips Club, all Club II members will have an individual, secure wardrobe for storing a few personal items, such as seasonal clothes, running shoes, or toiletries. The wardrobes - kept in storage while members are away and rolled into the apartment before arrival -have proved to be among the club's most popular amenities, allowing members to travel light, with the comfort that key possessions will be waiting for them when they take up residence.

Another welcome touch is the Phillips Club's personal shopping service, part of the general concierge service that makes The Phillips Club as hospitality-centric as the city's best hotels. But unlike at a hotel, Phillips Club members can have a fully-stocked kitchen waiting when they arrive, courtesy of an abundance of quality food stores around Lincoln Center, including gourmet shop Balducci's, adjacent to The Phillips Club.

The Phillips Club also features quality public spaces, including an on-site business center and a members‚ library- lounge with wireless Internet service. For many members, one of the highs of club ownership is privileges to the Reebok Sports Club/NY, a block away on Columbus Ave. The 140,000- square-foot complex, itself a Millennium Partners property, is one of New York's largest sports-fitness facilities.

Fractional Economics Hard to Resist

Millennium is bringing its second Phillips Club to market as a number of hotel operators and developers are starting to catch on to the appeal of urban fractionals. 'We have a decided advantage, having pioneered the concept in New York and sustained it successfully for the past eight years, through soft conditions as well as through white-hot real estate and tourism markets,' Ms. Malkani said.

Ms. Malkani said the decision to launch a new fractional club was driven by market demand, including from members hoping to buy additional units for themselves and their families. 'Months before our plan was approved, we had a waiting list of well over 200,' she said. 'Even though our extended-stay lodging was operating at 90% capacity, the opportunity to quickly open a fully-ready fractional adjacent to our existing club was too good to pass up.'

Phillips Club works on so many levels, for culture lovers seeking a regular fix of theater and restaurants; for former city residents returning to visit family and friends; or for business commuters who need to settle into the city for days or weeks at a time.

Judging by the demographics of its first fractional, Phillips Club II will likely include a healthy mix of younger members with strong ties to New York, as well as older couples who want a reliable place near their New York children and grandchildren. More than a few members are actually full-time New York residents who use their club share to house visiting guests and grown children.

One Phillips Club member, who lives only 60 miles outside of Manhattan sums up her attachment to the Club and its location: 'I see friends for dinner, go to Lincoln Center, the theatre, ballet, without ever having to worry about catching the last train home. Before I purchased, I had an apartment in New York. This is so much better -staying at The Phillips Club is more comfortable at a fraction of the cost and without the headaches of owning a place. Everyone goes out of their way to be helpful. It's one of the best decisions I have made.'

Members are also adamant about what The Phillips Club is not - as in, not a typical time share, with its unpredictable accommodations and reservation restrictions. As one owner of a Club I unit notes with some pride, 'This is so much more personal than time share living. Carrying my purse and laptop, I'm immediately at home. My grandchildren sleep over; their toys are tucked away in our wardrobe filled with other essentials. The night before our arrival, I fax a grocery list; the kitchen is replenished with my preferences. The club is home away from home.'

As Manhattan hotel prices continue to surge upword, consumers and business travelers might wish to experience New York from a neighborhood perspective -- and get a price Deal in the process. Metro-Home is a premier provider of short-term and extended stay apartment accommodations in New York. The company offers an inventory of 200 master-leased units (studios, 1 & 2-bedrooms) in neighborhoods throughout Manhattan.

The Deal

Metro-Home's value-based pricing from $209 per apartment per night represents a 20-25 % savings, on average, over traditional hotel pricing. That's $100 in potential savings for a two-night weekend stay over a traditional hotel, $350 in possible savings for a weeklong reservation and $1500 + in potential savings for a month-long stay! Unlike many extended stay providers, with Metro-Home guests can stay the night, the weekend or for the month - there is no minimum number of nights required for a reservation. With Metro-Home's Concierge, guests can experience New York like a New Yorker with an apartment in their neighborhood of choice -- and still enjoy the hospitality services of a first rate Concierge.  Metro-Home's Concierge can do everything from securing dinner reservations in that hard-to-get-into restaurant, get tickets to the latest Broadway Show, make airline or charter reservations, find a qualified baby sitter, provide business services such as fax and Internet access, order and deliver up everything from flowers to Chinese and nearly anything in between!

Metro-Home has more than 200 fully furnished guest apartments, from budget to luxury. Studio, one and two bedroom units are available. The apartments are located in quaint Manhattan neighborhoods, each offering a unique mix of amenities to discover and enjoy, including fabulous restaurants, art & antique galleries, museums, boutiques, wonderful shopping and more.

To learn more about Metro-Home or for guestroom reservations, contact 212.813.2244 or toll-free 800.987.1235, or visit <mip://02d1e750www.Metro-Home.com.

MUSEUMS

VISITOR INFORMATION

Hours Fridays and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays–Thursdays 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Met Holiday Mondays in the Main Building: September 1, October 13, and December 29, 2008; January 19, February 16, and May 25, 2009 Met Holiday Mondays sponsored by CIT 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. All other Mondays closed; Jan. 1, Thanksgiving, and Dec. 25 closed

Suggested Admission
(includes Main Building and The Cloisters museum and gardens on the same day) Adults $20.00, seniors (65 and over) $15.00, students $10.00 Members and children under 12 accompanied by adult free Advance tickets available at www.TicketWeb.com or 1-800-965-4827. For More Information (212) 535-7710; www.metmuseum.org
No extra charge for any exhibition.

Restaurants

The Strand Restaurant, An American Bistro, Opened at NYCs Strand Hotel

New York City's STRAND hotel unveiled The STRAND Restaurant, an American bistro, a 115-seat venue with a sophisticated bar and lounge, featuring classic American cuisine at lunch and dinner and sure to shine in the landscape of New York restaurants. The STRAND is located at 33 West 37th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

The cool yet cozy scene is in total sympathy with the modern bistro menu prepared by a three-chef team comprised of veteran Executive Chef Greg Gilbert, Executive Chef Hector Tice of Manhattan's acclaimed Black Duck Bistro and energetic Chef de Cuisine Kelvin Fernandez. Chef Gilbert brings years of fine dining experience with him from notable kitchens throughout upstate New York and in New York City. Voted one of the top eight chefs in Westchester, Gilbert has received top-starred reviews in major media outlets, including The New York Times, as well as high praise from notable food critic Gerry Dawes who calls his cuisine 'eclectic American beautifully presented, conceptually not over the top and, most importantly, delicious.' Prior to the STRAND he was chef de cuisine for Rick Moonen at Manhattan's Oceana and at Crabtree's Kittle House in upstate New York, which boasts the third largest wine cellar in the world.

Menu items will showcase fresh products sourced as locally as possible, both form land and by sea. Diners will enjoy lunch menus featuring smoked trout, east coast oysters, crisp duck leg confit, fried oysters, golden beet carpaccio, classic lobster rolls and roasted Japanese eggplant, among other items. Dinner selections include Alaskan king crab, sesame crusted tuna sashimi, mac and cheese, grilled Merquez sausage, seafood risotto, pan roasted chicken, steak frites or ginger marinated tofu.

The interiors of this urban bistro were created by renowned New York City designer Chris Smith whose projects have included Buddakan in Philadelphia, Nobu in Manhattan, and numerous hotels around the country. From the first step into the sophisticated, low-lit area, guests feel cocooned from the city outside. Why not try the four-person swing as you sip a pre-dinner cocktail? Or perch by the translucent fireplace in the library lounge with books selected by the Bistro‚s resident Curator, many of which were purchased at the famous Strand Bookstore in Manhattan.

Perhaps the most stunning backdrop in the main dining room will be a 6 x 28 foot masterpiece entitled Hemaspora by San Francisco-based artist Rex Ray. A rising star in the world of art, Ray's work features exuberant, joyful, colorful patterns with a laid back and slightly mischievous vibe. The STRAND Restaurant will feature his largest piece of work yet.

The STRAND hotel, which enjoyed a December 2009 opening, is a member of the Green Hotel Association and is a new, modern tower featuring 20 intimate floors housing 177 deluxe guest rooms and junior suites at 33 W. 37th St. just off Fifth Avenue. The hotel is the newest addition to the Atlantic Stars Hotels & Cruises portfolio which operates boutique hotel and cruising experiences in New York City, Newport, RI, Martha's Vineyard, South Beach and the Caribbean.

Fresh and innovative guestrooms feature floor to ceiling windows framing Empire State Building views. The STRAND's lobby with staircase of stone and glass and a two-story waterfall engages the ear and helps guests leave the city‚s cacophony at the door. Fashion photographs from Conde Nast archives are found throughout the common areas and guestrooms and may be purchased. The hotel's rooftop lounge, Top of the STRAND, was recently named Best New Rooftop Lounge in NYC in New York Magazine's annual Best of New York issue. The lounge features a retractable glass ceiling and walls -- allowing guests to enjoy four seasons worth of Empire State Building views amid a private lounge ambiance. The lounge was designed by Lydia Marks, known most recently for creating the set designs for both Sex and the City movies. The Top of the Strand is open to both guests and the general public and features a full-service bar.

Located at 33 West 37th Street, New York, NY 10018; (212) 584-4000
www.strandamericanbistro.com

Baraonda Italian Restaurant on the Move

Now that construction crews have started work on the Second Avenue subway line after decades of delays, the retail businesses and restaurants along the stretch of Second Avenue must find new locations. Some are more prepared than others.  Baraonda, the long running clubby Upper East Side Italian restaurant and late night boite, will debut its new location and debut its new chef on the very day it closes its old space on Second Avenue; not even skipping a day of business.

That's a remarkable feat for any business; thanks to Baraonda owner Enrico Prioetti's foresight (restaurants on the Upper East Side come and go, but Enrico Proietti has managed to attract a vibrant beautiful crowd to his dining spots Baraonda, Per Lei and Bella Blue for fifteen years).

Now Proietti, who New York Magazine said "has the very specific knack of creating a festive downtown atmosphere in a straight-laced uptown neighborhood'' is about to move Baraonda from 1439 Second Avenue to a bigger and better space at 1640 Second Ave. Apart from the main restaurant, there will be a sexy new upstairs lounge. The phone number will remain the same (#212-288-8555).

The new chef will be Christian Fantoni, lastly the executive chef at Fiamma (as well as Michael White's Chef De Cuisines for the four years before White's departure from Fiamma). His pedigree includes Le Bernardin and Le Cirque, as well. A graduate of APTS in Clusone, Italy, Fantoni will be bringing a whole new level of cuisine to the popular spot.  Fantoni began his culinary career in New York as sous chef at San Domenico, before returning to Italy to work at Dell 'Angelo and then Taverna del Colleonni in Bergamo.

T-Bar Steak & Lounge Opened on Upper East Side

Believe it or not, in the midst of New York's steakhouse mania, there is hardly an example of the current craze on the Upper East Side. That is, until now. Leave it to Tony Fortuna, to create a shining stand out amidst the area's trattorias and sushi bars. The man who ran the front-of-the-house at Jean Georges Vongerichten's 4 star Lafayette, and the Plaza Athenee's restaurant, now brings us an exciting stylish, modern steakhouse on the Upper East Side.

Ben Zwicker, executive chef of T-Bar Steak & Lounge, has created a menu that amuses all steak aficionados and seafood lovers. As the original chef from Lenox Room, Ben has stayed on board to revitalize this contemporary Upper East Side restaurant. The menu combines contemporary flavors and ingredients with traditional recipes. The raw bar includes a wide range of sweet, tangy, and savory tartars. There is a steak bar that includes four prime cuts including a 26-oz. T-bone, along with succulent tuna and salmon steak dishes. Inventive steak sauces like miso mustard and mint chutney are offered to compliment every steak. The appetizers are classic and market driven and are comprised of a Roast Hudson Valley Beet salad, Chopped Ceaser Salad, Smoked Salmon "Ravioli", and Honey BBQ Chicken Wings. The signature side dishes are the perfect accompaniment and include French fries seasoned with paprika and an Applewood Smoked Bacon and Aged Gruyere Potato Cake.

Desserts include a luscious version of strawberry shortcake with fresh plump fruit, whipped cream, moist pound cake and crisp meringue shells. Other desserts are comprised of a crème brule, beignets, and a banana pudding cake.

The design of the restaurant has a playful, colorful edge that feels zip codes away from the club chair stuffiness of most steak houses around NYC. Walls are adorned with glass light fixtures enclosed with seasonal dried leaves and flowers, the room pops with color, and the bar scene is as vibrant as the room. The hues throughout the room are a mix of greens and bright oranges and with crisp white tiles that enhance the feeling of a clean and modern restaurant.

T-Bar will no doubt give midtown steer palaces a run for the money. It is located at1278 3rd Avenue, NYC. For more information, call 212-772-0404

Lunetta Restaurant

Lunetta, the second coming, opened on October 29th, 2007 at 920 Broadway at 21st Street, NYC (212-533-3663). Executive Chef and Owner Adam Shepard, who will split his time between the original Lunetta across the street from his home on Smith Street in Brooklyn and the new Lunetta near Union Square, is expanding on his exquisite paean to Italian-American home cooking. Lunetta's menu is a mosaic of home cookery. Dishes are topped off with herbs and the sauces are a medley of flavors which complement and compel you to feast further.

Lunetta seats over 100 in the dining room, and 15 at the bar and will be open for lunch, dinner and brunch. Expect rustic seasonal cuisine, with pastas, small plates that double as sides, single ingredient medium plates and fairly large entrees.

The menu is market driven, specializing in slow, seasonal and sustainable food and wine. Lunetta is a steal and offers an extremely accessible wine list, a full bar and classic cocktails; specialty grappas and the finest espresso and teas. A few items on the menu, which have created loyal clientele all the way from NYC's upper east side to the local burgeoning gourmet scene, are the acclaimed Meatballs with toasted garlic-red sauce, the Ricotta lunette pasta pomodoro, and the Lunetta ricotta (which is made in-house).

The interior exudes period charm and home dining room playing a great part in this charming eatery in which wine, food and atmosphere exude a slightly sybaritic dining experience.

Saju, Hotel Mela's New Restaurant, Offers "Haute Vietnamese" Cuisine in the Heart of Times Square

Hotel Mela, New York’s new boutique hotel, announces the opening of Saju, a culinary experience featuring exotic “haute Vietnamese cuisine” in an enchanting and sophisticated atmosphere. Saju’s menu includes enticing delicacies created by Chef Hung Nguyen from the finest in fresh ingredients in a warm and seductive, Asian-inspired setting that blends city chic with “colonial Vietnam.” The restaurant, which seats 110 guests, is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features a full-service bar offering several signature cocktails created with unique flavors such as ginger and lemongrass. 

Created by restaurateur Philippe Bernard, co-owner of the widely acclaimed Osteria al Doge, the restaurant was designed by Pierre Hitier to transport guests to an exotic oasis in the middle of Times Square. Accented in orange, yellow and green, the space features chic teak floors, an imported bamboo ceiling and stunning details including exposed brick walls that create an alluring setting. Saju compliments Hotel Mela’s modern, sophisticated and elegant style with its sleek design, swank decor and cosmopolitan ambiance.

Executive Chef Nguyen, born in Kansas City, Missouri, developed an interest and appreciation of Vietnamese cuisine at a young age by spending time in family friends’ restaurants. Realizing his passion for cooking, Nguyen enrolled in culinary school in Austin, Texas and began working for Tyson Cole, voted one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs in 2005. Under Cole, Nguyen mastered modern Japanese cuisine before making his New York City debut at Café Boulud and then Jovia where he worked under the expertise of Josh Dechellis. Expanding his culinary portfolio, Nguyen moved to Bouley where he relished his experience and education in French cuisine. 

With the opening of Saju at Hotel Mela on West 44th Street, Chef Nguyen introduces his approach to creating an exotic gastronomic experience. Saju’s menu will feature signature Vietnamese dishes, with select menu choices available for room service to all guests of Hotel Mela. The restaurant will also offer a separate room service menu for breakfast. In addition to the cutting edge cuisine, Saju’s philosophy and service represent the welcoming custom of Vietnamese culture. 


Hotel Mela is ideally located just steps from some of New York City’s most celebrated landmarks including Broadway, Times Square and Bryant Park, the location of choice for the upcoming fashion week extravaganza. 

For more information visit the web site at www.hotelmela.com or call 1-877-452-6352. 

About Tecton Hospitality and Desires Hotels

Tecton Hospitality and Desires Hotels, the boutique division, provides a wide range of management services to both institutional and individual owners of hotels in the United States and Caribbean. The Desires portfolio currently includes the award-winning 93 room Sagamore Hotel, the 66-room Wave Hotel, the 83-room Circa 39, the 40-room Hotel Astor, the 62-room Betsy Ross Hotel, the 24- room St. Augustine Hotel and the 87-room condo hotel The Strand Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Fla., the award-winning 76-room San Juan Water & Beach Club Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the 110-room Glenn Hotel in Atlanta, Ga., and the recently opened 235-room Hotel Mela in New York City, NY. 

The Miami-based company also operates franchise hotels, including full and select service properties and resorts under the Marriott, Hampton Inn, Choice and Intercontinental Hotel brands. 

For more information about Tecton Hospitality and Desires Hotels, call (305) 577-8484 or visit www.tectonhospitality.com and www.desireshotels.com.

Spas

Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa serves up a robust selection of treatments to make spa goers look winter wonderful -

While winter may be beautiful, it does not foster beautiful skin. Frigid temperatures and blustery conditions can damage skin and make anybody yearn for the warm, flushed feeling associated with drinking wine. The Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa offers a number of wine-based skincare treatments that can have spa goers looking and feeling winter wonderful. 

As the first vinotherapy spa in New York City, the Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa is increasingly becoming the destination for people that want a unique experience that leaves them looking radiant all winter long. The spa’s warm and inviting atmosphere feels like a winery and transports clients away from the cold and their cares. A trip to Delluva is less time consuming than visiting the Pinotage wine region of South Africa and clients can chose from a number of luxurious treatments to help winterize skin, such as:

TheraVine™ Barrel Bath:

In this decadently indulgent treatment, you are immersed in powerful Grape skin and Vine leaf antioxidant extracts, combined with indigenous essential oils to promote the fight against aging. Hydrotherapy uses water to achieve a deep state of relaxation, while the therapeutic jets massage you. Your skin will be left silky and smooth. The treatment includes a full body grapeseed exfoliation, hydrotherapy treatment and light application of Pinotage body oil. You may add on an optional 30 minute massage. (60 minutes, $120; 90 minutes, $175)

Firming or Contouring Body Gel Wrap:

This wonderfully nourishing and firming treatment will leave the skin feeling smooth, firm and soothed. It includes a full body grapeseed exfoliation, a 30-minute massage with Moisturizing or Slimming Pinotage body oil, firming body gel wrap and a light application of Cabernet body lotion. (90 minutes, $190)

Gift certificates for treatments are available online or at the Delluva Spa Boutique as are a wide array of wine-based and traditional skin and body care products, designer accessories, and gourmet food.

The Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa and Spa Boutique is located at 152 Franklin St., on the ground floor. For more information on treatments available at the Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa, call 212-937-7757 or visit www.delluvaspa.com.

ABOUT DELLUVA VINOTHERAPY DAY SPA

“Delluva” (pronounced dell ooo va) comes from the Italian conjunction dell ‘uva, which means “of the grape.” Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa offers indulgent, inviting surroundings where clients experience first-class service, internationally renowned vinotherapy treatments and unexpected delights.

Physical Advantage Massage and Personal Training

Founded by former bodybuilder Laurie Towers, Physical Advantage has established itself as the premier “serious” massage center in Manhattan, a favorite of actors, opera singers, professional dancers and professional athletes. All therapists are schooled in rehabilitation work and medical contraindications and are skilled at providing treatments designed for short-term pain relief and long-term results.  A regular in New York Magazine’s “Best of” issue, Physical Advantage now brings personal trainers to the workplace along with on-site massage. 

For more information check web site www.physical-knead.com, or call 212-460-1879.

Mandarin Oriental's Award-Winning Spas includes the Mandarin Oriental, New York

Mandarin Oriental is the recipient of a record number of international awards for spa in 2007. Guided by the Group’s Oriental heritage but influenced by local cultural diversity, Mandarin Oriental has created distinctive concepts with a unique sense of place in every location.

This year, the Group has been lauded as ‘Outstanding Spa Brand’ by the respected Luxury Spa Finder, and ‘Best Wellness and Spa Group’ by SpaAsia magazine, with many of the individual hotel spas receiving accolades for excellence.

Mandarin Oriental, New York has again received the coveted Mobil Travel Guide five star award and has been voted the ‘No. 1 Urban Hotel Spa’ by readers of Conde Nast Traveler, US, and ‘No. 2 Urban Hotel Spa’ in the US by Conde Nast Traveller, UK. Mandarin Oriental, Miami meanwhile, was voted the ‘No. 1 Urban Day Spa’ in the US, by Conde Nast’s UK readers and was also the recipient of the Mobil Travel Guide four star award. At another recent award ceremony, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London was voted the ‘Top Spa of the United Kingdom’ by Luxury Spa Finder and was also nominated as the second best spa in the UK by readers of Conde Nast Traveller. 

Mandarin Oriental’s newer spas have also already received recognition, including the spa at Mandarin Oriental, Prague, located in a former 14th century Dominican Monastery, which was nominated as one of  Conde Nast Traveler’s ‘Hot Spas’ for 2007. The same accolade was awarded to the stylish Shanghainese-inspired spa located in the recently renovated Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.

The Group continues to set benchmarks for spa innovation, excellence and training. The Oriental Bangkok’s new Ayurvedic Penthouse, the first authentic ayurvedic sanctuary in the city, has been awarded by readers of Conde Nast Traveller, UK, while Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai was named ‘Best Destination Spa’ by readers of  SpaAsia  and has also received an award for the ‘Best Therapist in Asia’.

Mandarin Oriental, Washington’s zen-like spa, where Chinese, Ayurvedic, European, Balinese, and Thai therapies are incorporated in a menu of treatments, and Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s vertiginous spa, perched on the 37th floor with views of the surrounding cityscape, have both been singled out internationally with awards from publications such as Luxury SpaFinder and The Mobil Travel Guide.

“We are delighted to have been the recipient of so many prestigious awards,” said Andrew Gibson, Mandarin Oriental’s Group Director of Spa. “The Spas at Mandarin Oriental are havens for contemplation and discovery, born out of a sincere understanding and passion for wellness. The Group is committed to delivering all aspects of wellness with integrity and honesty, providing inspiration for lifestyle change, in an environment that delights all the senses.”

For a full list of the Group’s recent award listings, visit www.mandarinoriental.com

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most prestigious hotels and resorts, currently operating 20 luxury hotels with a further 17 under development in Riviera Maya, Mexico (2007), Beijing, Boston and Hainan Island, China (2008), Barcelona, Chicago, Costa Rica, Dallas, Las Vegas, Macau, Marrakech, and Turks and Caicos (2009), Grand Cayman, Guangzhou, Milan, Paris and Taipei (2010). In total, Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development over 9,800 rooms in 22 countries with 16 hotels in Asia, 13 in The Americas and eight in Europe and North Africa.

For more information check web site www.physical-knead.com

Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa Offers Soothing Skin Specials

Whether with a glass wine or a visit to a fabulous spa, people like to be pampered. New Yorkers can combine these two pleasures at the Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa in TriBeCa. Offerings luxurious wine-based skincare treatments that are high in antioxidants and indulgently relaxing, Manhattan’s first and only vinotherapy spa, Delluva, is offering two June specials that are the perfect way to savor the spa’s unique luxuriating treatments:

Gift certificates for treatments are available online or at the Delluva Spa Boutique as are a wide array of wine-based and traditiona

The Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa and Spa Boutique are located at 152 Franklin St., on the ground floor. For more information on treatments available at the Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa, rcall 212-937-7757 or visit www.delluvaspa.com.

ABOUT DELLUVA VINOTHERAPY DAY SPA

“Delluva” (pronounced dell ooo va) comes from the Italian conjunction dell ‘uva, which means “of the grape.” Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa offers indulgent, inviting surroundings where clients experience first-class service, internationally renowned vinotherapy treatments and unexpected delights.

Home | New Jersey Books | Outdoor Tips | Travels | Product Reviews | Holidays | Contact Us

All information and photography © 2007-2011 Arline Zatz. All rights reserved. Contact us if reprint permission is needed.

---