read more - Night Hotels

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ASSURED
New\brk
GrandGothicglamour,
Britishdashandretro-contemporary
cool.At thesecomfortable
new
hotelsyou'llslumbersoundly,
saysKatieBowman- eveninthecitythatneversleeps
=F-==:-=-
.a
8125
Night Hotel
'It's Batman
meets boudoir'
44 TravelDecember2007
The latestcreationfrom clubowner-turnedhotelierVikram
Chatwaifeelsmore nightclubthan
boutiquehotel.Turn ofi Times
Squareand you're presentedwith
its loomingebony facade. Beyond
is a low-litlobby patrolledby
pin{hin staff in black,with erotic
monochromeshots on walls,and
deep dark-leatherchairs.lt's
Batman with a dash of boudoir,
oozing a Gothic-glamnocturnal
edge that will ensureits popularity
among fashionableyoung partygoers. [hey'll be too wired to
mind that the 72 sleek rooms are
pocket-sizedratherthan palatial.)
Beds are bathed in eerieuplighting
with wraparoundblack-leather
headboardsthat flareout like
vampires'capes. Don't reckonon
any colour.Monochromedecor
rules:carpetswith Gothic-script
motifs,TimorousBeastres
wallpaperand slate-greyshower
rooms. Flat-screenTVs, iPods
(black,naturally)and mini-barsof
Torn Ranch nibblesmean no need
to open the curtains- just as well,
since most rooms look upon stony
stairwells.Ask for one on the
upper floors- the restaurantand
bar below stay open until4am,
servingKobe beef hot dogs with
trufflemustardto a soundtrackof
hectic chatter,
Night Hotet(00 1 212 835 9600,
wvuw.night hotelny.com) has
doubles from L125, B&8.
travelsmart
f,244
And some old
favourites...
The Bowery
'A modern
classic that's
here to sta;/
Youcanjust see Poshdrawling
downthe BlackBerry
to her
personalassistant,Heaf
magazinein one manicured
hand
and littleCruzrunningaroundher
spikeheels:'l needto stayin the
newest,coolest,chicestplace
in NewYork!'HerPAdid well
- on a recentvisitto the city,the
Beckhamsholeduo at The
Bowery,wheremanya Fashion
Week2007partywas heldas
the paparazziwereshooedaway
likecity rats.
ButThe Boweryis no mere
hotelof the moment.lt's a
contemporary
classicthat'shere
to stay:the imageabovegives
justan inklingof the commitment
to timelessdesign.Theowners
couldhavegreedilyshoehorned
a
secondroomintothe seven
enormousprivateterraces,yet
they havechosento leavethem
be. Meanwhile,
structural
bolts
arequirkilyconcealed
withold
ironstars,and otherdetailsretrollghtbulbs
withexposed
filaments,1940svanitybooths
andthe deepestbathsin the city
- makeit feel mature,not a flyThe Bowerybar is a
by-night.
wood-panelled,
tapestried
marvel,whileits ltalianrestaurant,
Gemma,is a lovelylittlepieceof
Piedmontin America- book
wellin advanceif you wantto
eat beforemidnight.
TheBowery,335Bowery
(00 1 212 5059100,www.
theboweryhotel.
com) hasdoubles
from t244, room only.
EL72
I{YC
The lobby feels
Iike Vlayfair in
tlre 192Os'
d
e314THELOWELL...
is a delightfullydiscreet
townhousehotelin uptownpowerbrunchterritorywith big marble
bathrooms,suitesrefurbedin
meditativeshadesand oneof the
mosthelpfulconciergesin town.
Doublesfrom E314,room only
(N 1 212 838 1400,www.
lowdlhotel.com).
$(F60THOMPSON...
pullscelebsin droves.lt's
secluded,chic,in Soho- and it
servesthe bestThaiin Manhattan.
hublesfrom E305,ram only
(00 1 877 431 400,
wvvw.60thom pson.com).
Ttre I-ondon
'Wherecan I heara TonyBennett
'Whomixes
soundalike
tonight?';
the bestBloodyMarywithinfive
minutes'walk?';'Canyou hire
me a dog for the day?'Just dial
'65' andthe manat the end of
the phonewilltellyou everything
you needto know.Thisis
becausehe'sno ordinary
concierge,
but a memberof the
Brit-founded
Quintessentially
U
team,whosejob it is to 'attainthe
u
Theiremployment
unattainable'.
4
is
The
typical
of
LondonNYC
u
q
o
hotel'sphilosophy:
classicBritish
serviceinjectedintoa spanking
o
E
Gordon
9 newhotel.Consequently,
Ramsay'sfirst US restaurantcan
z
st= be foundhere(notsurprisingly,
o
o
The NewYorkTimesnamedthe
8437 FOURSEASONS...
(above)has one of the best
addressesin the city - between
Madisonand ParkAvenues- and
is a classydame belovedof CEOs.
Doublesfromt437, roam only
(@ 1 212 7585700,www.four
seasons.com,l.
€1tf soHo GRAND...
is a trendytraditionalist:
while
othershavecomeand gone,it's
stoodthe test of time.Doubles
fromtl54, roomonly(N 1 212
965 3M, www.sohognnd.com).
RoomServicemenuthe bestin
the city)and theArt Decolobby,
filledwithtop-hattedvalets,feels
likeMayfairin the 1920s.lt's been
billedas botha businessand
pleasurehotel,but is probably
bestsuitedto the former(they
evencleandirtygym clothesfree
of charge).Justoneyearold,
The LondonNYCstillhas a few
teethingproblems(construction
noisefor one)and it lacksthe
soulof otherMidtowngrandes
dames.But with Ramsayand the
eager-to-please
Quintessentially
teamon board,it shouldn'tbe
longbeforeNewYorkfallsfor its
Londoncharms.
TheLondonNYC,151West54thSt
(m 1 866@0 nn, vwvw.tMondon
nyc.com)hasdoublesonlinefrom
t172; orfrom t250, roomonly.t
859 HOTELCHELSEA...
ls undernew management,
but
remainsthe originalrock 'n' roll
hotelfor starsfrom GoreVidalto
PeteDoherty.hubles front 859,
room only(020 8133 9533front
com).
the UK, www.hotelchels@.
Virgin Atlantic (O87O574747,
www.virginatlantic.com)fl ies
to New York JFK and Newar*
airports from Heathrcq
from f,239. Or try www.
travelocity.co.uk.
December2007 Travel 45