Library Bar at Hudson Hotel

Reminiscent of an old English club or drawing room, the Library is the perfect cozy hangout for relaxing by the enormous gas fireplace, chatting and drinking with friends, shooting billiards, playing a computer game, or reading a book from its extensive collection on topics ranging from film, theater, fashion and art, to travel and politics.

An artful blend of old and new, the two story Library features an antique billiards table covered in purple felt (and topped by Ingo Maurer’s enormous metallic hemisphere lamp shade), classic English caramel leather sofas and wing chairs, walls of leather-bound books and antique area rugs residing alongside cyber-desks fitted with laptop computers. Not to mention oversized black and white photographs by noted French fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino of a most curious subject: Holsteins sporting jaunty couture hats. No lie.

Hudson Hotel
356 West 58th Street; 212.554.6000

Bottom photo courtesy Rob Tabor

Roosevelt Hotel

Madison Avenue at 45th Street
212-661-9600

A Grand Dame of Madison Avenue since 1924, the building spans a full city block on Madison Avenue across from Grand Central Terminal. Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, this midtown hotel was built as part of the thriving Grand Central Terminal City project of the 1920s and is the only one of the group still operating in its original form. The Roosevelt Hotel was linked with Grand Central Station by way of an underground passage that once connected the hotel directly to the train terminal.


In 1996 the hotel underwent a $65-million top to bottom renovation of its public spaces and all 1,015 of its rooms. The hotel recently added a rooftop lounge that operates under the name “mad46.”


Guy Lombardo performed “Auld Lang Syne” for the first time in the hotel’s Roosevelt Grill, and Lawrence Welk began his career here.

The Roosevelt Hotel has been seen in several major motion pictures, including “Maid in Manhattan” starring Jennifer Lopez, “Wall Street,” “Quiz Show,” and “The French Connection.” The hotel is currently owned by Pakistani Airlines.

The Standard (hotel)

848 Washington Street at 13th St.
Rooms from $195; 212.645.4646
http://www.standardhotels.com/new-york-city/

The Standard Hotel on the High Line is now open. The hotel is a rare bit of concrete construction in NYC, perched up on stilts directly above the High Line, a strip of abandoned elevated railroad track being converted into a park running through the Meatpacking District and West Village. The hotel’s architecture and interior decoration have a strong 1960s retro vibe. Rooms feature floor to ceiling glass windows and bathrooms with glass walls looking into the guest rooms, many of which have stunning views of the Hudson River. Note: Bear in mind that there is no way to eliminate the direct view from the bathroom into the guest room (only the toilets are screened off); this will be considered problematic for some, sexy as hell for others. Each room has a sofa, flat screen TV and free WiFi. Premium-priced corner rooms and suites are especially coveted.

The full length of the High Line park will be open by mid June, 2009. The result will be similar to the popular Promenade Plantée in Paris, a park also constructed on disused elevated railroad tracks.



The runway-like entry path, flanked by yellow plastic picnic tables, continues through the revolving door and into lobby.

Lobby Lounge at Mandarin Oriental

Lobby Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
80 Columbus Circle at 60th St.
35th Floor; 212-805-8800

www.mandarin-oriental.com/newyork

There are enviable views across the southwest corner of Central Park from the floor to ceiling windows of the Lobby Lounge, located on the 35th floor of
80 Columbus Circle.
Light fare is served alongside very expensive drinks just a few steps down from the round reception area. There is also a proper bar, called the MO Bar, separate from the lobby.

Hotel Metro

Hotel Metro New York City
45 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
212-947-2500

A mid-price range hotel near Penn Station, Macy's, Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building, this property dates from 1901 and features Art Deco architectural detailing. The lobby decor pays homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood. A complete renovation took place in 2006. Its rooftop terrace (open seasonally) affords stellar views of the Empire State Building and Manhattan skyline.

Member World Hotels First Class Collection

179 guest rooms and suites
Rooftop terrace with views of Empire State Building (weather permitting)
Metro Grill Restaurant & Bar
Complimentary Continental Breakfast
Complimentary WIFI throughout the Hotel
Complimentary use of Business Center
iHome Clock Radios with iPod Docking Station
Room Service
Fitness Center
In-room Laptop Size Safe
Check-in 4 pm; check-out noon

Carlton on Madison Avenue Hotel

88 Madison Avenue 212.532.4100

Built in 1904, this 11 story luxury hotel comprises 305 rooms plus 15 suites in a handsome Beaux-Arts building at the corner of 29th Street and Madison Avenue (Murray Hill). The spectacular three story lobby, designed by architect David Rockwell, features a curved limestone staircase and a unique flat waterfall sculpture that flows over a photograph of the original 1904 building. Near the Empire State building, Morgan Library, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station and two subway lines.

Member of Preferred Hotels group. Two restaurants: the acclaimed Country (with its original Tiffany stained glass domed ceiling) and a café. Champagne bar. Features: complimentary WiFi Internet access, iPod docking stations, complimentary daily newspaper, Frette linens, down feather comforters, executive work desks.

Trivia: Graucho Marx once worked here as a bellhop, when the hotel was known as The Seville.

www.carltonhotelny.com

Hotel Roger Williams

131 Madison Ave • 212-448-7000

In the low-key Murray Hill neighborhood, this hotel offers stylish, well-proportioned rooms at a modest price. Newly renovated in 2005, the hotel’s public areas enjoy a sleek modern look that is cozy, not cold. Honey-tone maple paneled walls and plank floors, subtle modern art and chrome accents create an inviting look in the light-filled double height lobby. The small lounge beside reception takes in the prime Madison Avenue views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Dining is up on the mezzanine overlooking the lobby. The breakfast here is a delicatessen-like affair, with selections from some of the city’s best grocers and bakeries.

The guest rooms boast eye-popping primary colors. Quilts top the beds, and modernist table and floor lamps add interest. The rooms are arranged with platform beds, desks, dual-line phones with voice mail and data ports, flat-screen TVs with DVD and CD players, mini-bars and coffee makers. High-speed Internet access is standard. The small baths have translucent glass walls and stainless-steel sinks with exposed plumbing. The smallest Classic rooms are 200 sq ft, but for a nominal up-tick in rates, the larger Superior rooms are a better bet. In warm months, book one of the limited number of Garden Terrace rooms, which are more spacious units appended with furnished terraces with city views. The small but helpful staff offers attentive service. Hip thirty-somethings comprise the lion's share of the clientele. Over sixteen floors, the 196 rooms are housed in a 1928 building. Tip: check out the rest room near the lobby level elevator; you'll have an entirely new concept of orange.

Trivia: Formerly an apartment house (Roger Williams Apartments) the property takes its name from the founder of Rhode Island, who was a champion of religious liberty, an interesting association, since the Madison Avenue Baptist Church is next door. Author Henry Miller stayed here when he was living in New York in 1935, pursuing Anais Nin; he finished his novel Black Spring while in residence. Across the street, at No. 120, is the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, founded in 1884 as the Lyceum Theatre School of Acting. The school later moved to this fine 1907 Stanford White designed edifice, originally built for the Colony Club, a private organization for women from old-school high society. Academy alumni include Cecil B. DeMille, Edward G. Robinson, Spencer Tracy, Rosalind Russell, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Grace Kelly, Anne Bancroft, Robert Redford, Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes.

www.hotelrogerwilliams.com