Thanks and agreed. Fingers crossed that any deterioration in the guest experience is not so noticeable as to outweigh the benefits of ambiance and location

I am wondering what the best suites (hard product) that can be had for under $2k (at least some of the time) are? Beautiful rooms, views, amenities, etc. Give me your opinions, there are just a ridiculous number of hotels to sort through. What have been your experiences?

Completely depends on what you’re visiting. The specialty suites at the historic properties in NYC are gorgeous but the prices vary a lot. If you want something more modern, the Equinox Hotel sells very nice corner suites for under $2K. Most of them come with views of the Hudson River. It’s more of a “luxury condo” vibe though

I would ask (1) where in New York do you want to be, (2) do you prefer contemporary or traditional decor, and (3) do you prefer a larger hotel that's part of a chain (FS or RC, for example) or a boutique independent hotel.

For 1, unfortunately, most of the nice hotels in NYC are largely focused on one part of midtown (with few exceptions). There are plenty of solid hotels in more interesting neighborhoods but I don’t think they would really qualify as luxury.

If OP is visiting NYC next year and cares most about hard product, I think the Aman New York will be the clear winner. I have not yet seen any of the hotel rooms but the branded residences are simply stunning. What $2K/night can buy there really depends on the time of year for the visit tbh.

Echo the Equinox idea. It also has one of the best gyms in the entire city. I go to the gym there often. It has an indoor and outdoor pool too.

Yeah it definitely is a very unique hotel with a great hard product. The biggest negative for the Equinox Hotel is it’s location imo. YMMV.

It is close to the 7 subway, And anyone who can pay for the Equinox can pay for an Uber or some transport. Which is precisely how most of their hotel guests come and go from what I've seen. I've spent a fair amount of time sitting out front waiting for my Uber to arrive. :)

Right, as someone that has sworn off taking public transit in NYC back in high school (for many many many reasons) I just don't think cabbing around NYC is a very pleasant experience. Between traffic and ridiculous road closures (I spent two hours trying to get from the UES to Tribeca on Sunday due to the marathon). For me, the true beauty of NYC is its walkability. If someone values that, the location of the Equinox Hotel is not ideal. I agree that if you're OK with cabbing around, Hudson Yards is fine (though the traffic will be particularly bad in that area).

On the other hand, uber prices have decreased significantly in the city. Earlier in the year, it cost $70 to get an uber from Tribeca to Midtown. Today it costs like $30. YMMV.

My favorite mid tier suite in NY is the Prestige Suite at Baccarat.
Poor views due to hotel's height and location but all else is great. Feels very spacious, airy and bright for a NY property.
French contemporary decor.
I often book it for clients and myself. Stayed for another week in August and the suite is aging well.
Depending on timing, can range from $1,300++/night - $2,000++/night.

Sadly I still stay at the CSH when in NYC. I might try the Aman when it opens.

But the CSH is the best hotel for the area I love to be in in NYC->SoHo. I just have nothing to do north of Gramercy Park.

I'm tempted to try FS Downtown but it's so far in FiDi that it doesn't really appeal to me. Not sure if there's any other hotel in NYC for what my needs are that are worth trying. And yes I've been to the Greenwich and prefer CSH.

Aman NY will truly be something special from a hard product perspective. I think everyone interested in nice hard products should give it a chance after it launches. Looking at the management team, I don't have high hopes for it from a soft product perspective. I am confident it will be excellent by NYC standards but that really isn't saying much.

If you want a nicer hotel south of most of NYC's luxury properties, I also suggest you give the Ritz Carlton NoMad a try whenever it opens. NoMad is definitely north of Gramercy Park but it's still a pretty cool area IMO. One of my favorite bars is in the area and you have some of the best food options in the city. You will definitely like that location more than the Aman NY's location.

I try to avoid Ritzes. But looking forward to the Six Senses...

The Ritz NoMad will undoubtedly be a nicer property than the CSH. It will also command higher prices though so ymmv.

I actually didn't know Six Senses was coming to NYC. The building it's in, The XI, is one I am very familiar with. I looked at apartments there a few times and have worked with the developer directly on deals in China.

As a building, the XI is not within the top tier of the city. It is actually a disappointment they are planting their flag there. Definitely a step-down from the Ritz Carlton NoMad and miles behind the Aman NY.

The location is good but not great. It's in the nice part of Chelsea. Very nice area. 11th ave is inconvenient. Fine for a short trip but I could never live there.

The problem is the service and product re: Ritz. And many other hotels.

I only just realized this... I've stayed at the CSH at numerous points since 2011 and the hotel's interiors have basically been sparkling clean as if the hotel just opened. No sign of wear, and very well maintained. I don't think there are many properties for which I can say that. And it's pretty consistent, in my experience, across the Firmdale group. I'm not sure I could expect the same from cookie cutter luxury that's the Ritz...

To each their own. CSH has clean rooms and, if you're not a fan of cookie-cutter hotels, you probably will not be a fan of the Aman NY either. The CSH is definitely a very unique hotel (though not in a very NYC way tbh). However, I am inclined to believe the Ritz rooms will have less wear and tear on them simply by virtue of the fact that the Ritz is a brand new construction and the CSH is more than a decade old. I doubt you will like the FS Downtown based on your posts here too.

IMO the coolest thing about the CSH is the bar and the location. Personally, I don't consider the rooms to be a strong point for the hotel but everyone has their own tastes/preferences.

Thanks--I am well aware what 'NYC' is given that I lived there for 5 years...

That was just a small part of my comment. CSH is a fine hotel (not really luxury by NYC standards imo) but, given that you started your statement with “sadly” it might be time to try something new. Based on what you wrote here about location and cleanliness, I’m not convinced you will enjoy either the FS Downtown or Aman NY. Six Senses NY might be a good fit for you but given that it’s located inside a mid tier condo, I’m not sure what the hard product will be like.

I agree that walking is great in NYC. Like London and Paris and some other great cities I could name. But just to be argumentative :) I will say that pre-COVID I walked from the Equinox Hudson to an office by Herald Square quite often. It's a nice and easy walk. And once you are there, you have access to so much of New York. And during COVID I Uber'd between Equinox and both downtown and UWS rather often without any serious traffic issues.

And as someone who has spent about 1000 nights in Intercontinental hotels, I am looking forward to trying the new Six Senses and I guess I should try the Crosby Street property too. I hear that those two brands are treating Royal Ambassadors very well. But this is all stated as a hotel junkie. :)

Returning to the OP for the $2000 suite, I might suggest a Premier Central Park View Suite at the MO.

Depends on what you want. Getting from Hudson Yards to Herald Square (which is already unpleasant IMO) requires walking through Penn Station territory, one of the worst parts of Manhattan south of 59th. But even ignoring the crack capital of NYC, that's a 20-minute walk just to get to a hub that requires more walking. I think the most interesting areas by Hudson Yards are south. Walking east is kind of beat until you hit NoMad and Kips Bay IMO (which is about half an hour on foot). The part of HK north of Hudson Yards is fine but difficult to walk through. The nice part of Chelsea is south of Hudson Yards and you could legit do the entire walk on the High Line (guess that's why Related got the city to sponsor the High Line extension into Hudson Yards). Pretty pleasant but not as nice as actually being in Chelsea in general.

No worries. I love to debate things as long as the discussion is grounded in reason. Thank you for being respectful and reasonable.

Overall, I don't think Hudson Yards is the worst area but it's far from the best and definitely not convenient compared to Midtown proper. I think the area will get better as Facebook and Apple clean up the area by Penn Station (hopefully). Also, if I'm being honest, I'm pretty biased against Hudson Yards as a neighborhood. The complex is so sterile (even worse than FiDi) and is so soul-less IMO. I toured many apartments there during my covid RE buying spree but couldn't pull the trigger. While Hudson Yards apartment prices are still inflated, a lot of re-sales are going for a loss in the secondary market rn, which is pretty terrible given that they're a) new construction b) being sold during one of the hottest NYC re markets in history.

Unfortunately, the age of covid no traffic is gone. :( Covid traffic was an aberration in so many ways and I sincerely miss the days where I could get around anywhere in the city in half an hour.

Traffic is actually worse than pre-covid in the city now. I take about 4-5 cabs every day in NYC and have watched things get worse as the city comes back alive. On the bright side, prices are down now. Revel is my favorite for generally having better drivers IME and having a fleet of Teslas. It's cheaper than Uber Black but more expensive than UberX. A nice compromise IMO.

I have never stayed in this suite personally but I have seen it in person. Really beautiful (though on the small size for a suite). My godparents have a pied a terre 3b3.5b in the Mandarin Oriental NY Residences and I genuinely think it is the best hotel in the city for cash stays.

The trip is for my wife and her friend and this is what she tentatively booked (can be cancelled of course), I just wanted to make sure we didn't overlook anything, as there are so many hotels and I am unfamiliar with basically all of them (don't go to NYC that often.) I think the view sold her over the Equinox (though I pointed out from google maps what to expect the view to actually look like with the other tower and the Trump International(?) right there.)

They are not on business but on vacation, so I'm not sure location is that important (as long as its in manhattan) as I'm sure they will be all over visiting friends that live in different areas, going to restaurants in different areas, going to a show, etc. They could end up from Wall St to UWS or UES. They can take Ubers or the subway or whatever.

It's been at least 10 years since I last stayed here, and 4 years since the last post above mentioned it. So getting an amazingly good cancelable rate during the peak of Omicron, I booked a suite in the "Towers" section of the hotel. Just arrived last night.

The reason I stopped staying here 10 years ago was because the service sucked. Even in the allegedly upscale "hotel within a hotel" that is the Towers, and only having been here one night so far, I can confirm that service still sucks. We're all anchovies in a can to the Palace management, and I doubt that will ever change.

A bit on the good side: the suite is spacious, I estimate it at around 1200 sqft. Furnishings are comfortable, in good condition, although the style is fairly dated. The main bathroom shows the age of the hotel, having a small shower, but it does have two basins. Guest toilet is good. Lighting in the bedroom is gloomy. So far I have had them bring in a refrigerator (amazingly the suite doesn't have one), a humidifier, and an extra lamp. To their credit, they did provide these.

But want late checkout without Amex FHR? "Ask on the morning of your checkout, I (the desk clerk) can't grant it." Want to print out some emailed theater tickets? Go to the business center which said I'd be charged for that. Want to talk to a clerk at the Towers front desk? There is often a significant queue. Tower amenities are Moulton Brown. There is no coffee maker or tea pot in the room. And so on.

Indeed, other than the availability of turndown, there appears to be little difference between the service levels in the Towers and the rest of the hotel.

Hey, at the rate I am paying (around $600++), it's fine.. But at anywhere near rack (close to triple what I am paying), I'd be really annoyed.

Lotte are just nickel and dime owners and have no business being in the luxury hotel hospitality industry. They charged me 500 won for being a minute over my parking time allotment at Signiel Seoul. Most luxury hotels would let it go but not a Lotte owned one.

Are there any good options around NYU or East Village? I understand that there aren't true luxury options in these neighbourhoods but would like to be in these areas for shopping and eating around

The Greenwich Hotel or Four Seasons Downtown.

Crosby street hotel and the Bowery hotel are both fun and very enjoyable with an easy walk to NYU.

Ludlow is also a worthy option if East Vill. proximity is important. Crosby St. is great and prob garners the most "luxury" creds, but it can be 2x the price of the others (not worth it IMHO). As noted, the emphasis downtown will gravitate toward style/F&B/bar scene vs. luxury detail.

The Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, and St Regis are my 3 favorite hotels in NYC. Also love the Park Hyatt for the best points redemption. The Four Seasons & the Beekman are my two favorites downtown. Lot's of great hotels in NYC.

AMAN NY

Decor is of course subjective but I don't think any property in the city is even close in terms of hard products. For 83 rooms/suites (actually all accommodations are called suites but I will only call proper living room and bedroom accommodations a suite).
By the looks of it, the entry room looks to be the best entry room I've seen to date for a city hotel. It almost reminds me of Cheval Blanc Randheli in the sense that if you're in an entry room, you wouldn't be upset about it. Entry room specs are the size of Jr. or full size suite for NY standards.
Having the terraces for al fresco dining and 20,000+ sqft of spa are something special for the NY market.

Not confirmed and speculating but it's possible (hope) that Aman may only allow hotel guests, residents or club members to enter property. Which means all the space, terrace dining, etc. are just for a small vol of people. Unlike Aman Tokyo. Maybe a lesson borrowed/learned?

Service: Obviously have no clue until I've stayed (will likely go for a week in Sep) but I'm managing mine and all my clients' expectations. AMAN NY could surprise to the upside on service but I know it's been problematic for many hotels to hire staff and even if that's not an issue, being brand new, it'll take a few months to iron out the kinks. But for anyone who's been to Aman Tokyo, I think this will be easy for you to adjust to (city Aman vs. a resort Aman). For those who have only been to Aman Resorts, don't except the same service experience. Though, if you compare apples to apples (NY hotel to NY hotel), probably still better than most NY hotels. But we shall see.

I've been eagerly waiting for AMAN NY to open. While the old Aman ethos are phasing out in some ways, there's still a lot I love about Aman and I'm pulling for AMAN NY.
Over the past couple years, I've said to many clients that if AMAN NY is remotely close to what their renderings look like, it'll be in a league of its own in NY. But I think I still like Aman Tokyo's pool better.
If they can get the service/operations down quickly (or in a few months), then this will be as beloved as Aman Tokyo has become. Maybe more so due to the exclusivity factor that Aman Tokyo lacks.

I'll report back after my stay. I'll have about 10+ sets of clients staying during the first few months of opening as well so will share summary of data/feedback.

Looking forward to your feedback.....

When did Aman Tokyo become 'beloved? I must have missed the transition. The reviews here are mixed. Of my Aman stays, I'd rate it second from the bottom, with Summer Palace at the bottom.

My money would be on the Members Club side being in much better service shape than the hotel. I would be very surprised if they keep all the outlets for hotel guests only. VD does love the Tiktok crowd and exposure.

Well, as much as I love Flyertalk, my statement was not based on how Aman Tokyo is reviewed here. It's based on the fact that it's my most requested and highest repeat booking property in Japan. And Aman Tokyo had very high sell through rate (pre covid). When did you last stay? I disliked it on my initial visit and liked it more on each return visit.

Amanfayun was my worst Aman stay. Might be a Chinese market effect.

Update on status of FS New York

A real shame to see FS New York shuttered like an abandoned building.

This hotel lost money in 2018 & 2019 before the pandemic even began yet the Four Seasons still collects its management fees no matter what. Not surprised there is a fight between the owner and four seasons corporate, I'd keep it closed too if I were in the owners shoes.

I guess Warner will rundown the management contract for how ever long that is.

Mr Warner surely knew what he was signing up for... FS has standards to uphold and it's not entirely unusual for a property to make losses for certain period... it's a long term game and about real estate. And frankly Four Seasons made enough sacrifices for this man: yes, he gave them an iconic hotel, but they outsourced the Spa, they cut a very good restaurant and engaged in various cost cutting measures to meet his demands. I understand their side as well. Just look at the rooms... they're all his design, this owner is way too hands-on, he decided so many details. Including that infamous penthouse bearing his name.

I think he expected FS to offer waiving their management fees for the Covid closure period. That didn't happen, given they themselves have to deliver revenue. Not surprised here... however now with the current market there would have been a healthy profit.

Brief overview of newer luxe hotels in NYC:
https://www.barrons.com/articles/new...ne-01665082277

Aman has a new promotion. Rent for purchase prices. OK, but without joking. Even on the risk I say it the thousands time. Prices are totally crazy at the moment.