Can't comment on others mentioned but while I liked MONY ' hardware ', the service - particularly front office , ( lounge for tea ) & team ' downstairs ' - is not what you expect in Asia or at MOSF . Perhaps if they read this they might step things up

It would be a bit more than $800 per night, but one choice that comes to mind are the Deluxe Junior Suites at the Lowell. Some of these have terraces, and two have fireplaces (one Deluxe Junior has both fireplace and terrace). At 600 square feet they should comfortably accommodate two adults and a child.

At 600 square metersI would hope so!


Just poking fun. I asked around a group of French friends in town last night and the Lowell consistently came up as their favorite NYC property.

:p sorry about that.

The Lowell is one of my favorite NYC properties, and definitely my favorite within the category of smaller/boutique hotels.

My other favorites are the Four Seasons and The Peninsula (Junior Suite and above).

Really? I think it´s too small for two;)

1. FS rooms are bland - I find it a thoroughly uninspiring FS.
2. MO has great rooms, and is a real skyscraper hotel. Service is not super, though - and you are in a big mall.
3. Peninsula - OK, but probably one of the weakest hotels in the chain. Chicago still better.
4. Lowell - very nice service and very intimate. But seriously blue rinse crowd, and it is a bit fuddy duddy. Which kind of fits the Harper guides.

MO has great rooms and nice lobby scene with views of Central Park. Best feature is the full length lap pool. Yes, it is over a big "mall" but the upside is easy access to (relatively) cheaper eats if you're just looking for something light.

I have been to the Peninsula 4 or 5 times over the last 6 years, most recently in July. It has definitely slipped since that first visit, especially with respect to some of the in-room extras like fruit and water and the staff in the spa and restaurant. But I would not say it is to be avoided. The rooms themselves are still top notch, the location is great, and the afternoon tea in the Gotham Lounge is the best in the chain IMO (at least compared to Hong Kong and Chicago),

I've always enjoyed the Trump across the street from the MO more than the MO, mainly due to the cold service at the MO. Also, the room I had at the MO had a tiny bedroom in order to have a huge bathroom which may be what a lot of people prefer, but not me.

Good info, thanks. That confirms my suspicions about the FS. I was actually disappointed by Peninsula Chicago, so if you say Chicago is better I am definitely avoiding the NYC property.

Funny...I had to look up the "blue rinse" reference. Does that mean I am too young to stay at Lowell? LOL :D

I have always found Pen NY to be very impersonal, and I am a fan of the chain generally. The times I have stayed there, Chicago was better.

I guess I have to be careful about ageism - the fact that the crowd seems older obviously doesn't mean that people shouldn't stay there. But wow - having breakfast in the dining room is like eating at your Granny's - which is interesting. I have had very nice stays there in any event.

FWIW, I just spoke to my Virtuoso / FSPP agent and she sent me the complete STAR reports* for all partner properties in NYC. All reports have been updated within the last 6 months, I believe. Some are as new as last month.

According to the STAR reports, she said only 3 hotels are rated as "SUPER-STARS" in NYC:

- Carlyle (Supposedly this is the top choice of royalty, movie stars, and captains of industry who desire ultimate service combined with ultimate privacy in a residential-style setting).

- Crosby Street (interestingly, this is the only 4-STAR property that received "SUPER STAR" status. They also said it is the "Best townhouse-hotel in Manhattan". My agent is very keen on this property as well.

- FS NY



Other "5-STAR" properties that belong to Virtuoso or another "premium" marketing program offered by my agent:

- The London
- MO NY
- NY Palace
- Pierre
- Pen
- RC CP
- St Regis
- Waldorf Towers
- Trump Soho

4-STAR properties:
- Setai (though it has only 4-STARs, my agent is very keen on this property)
- Plaza Athenee

If anyone wants more detailed reviews, I can share privately. Due to the copyright and subscription-only nature of the STAR reviews I would not feel comfortable posting them publicly.

*For those not familiar with STAR reports, they are a product of Smith Travel Research. Acronym stands for Smith Travel Accommodation Reports. The number of stars does not necessarily correlate to the traditional AAA, Mobil, or World Tourism Organization travel ratings. They supposedly use empirical unbiased data to produce scientific reports on hotel performance. They take that data and combine it with TRAVEL AGENT reviews. Supposedly, they don't use lay guest reviews and therefore the reviews are supposed to be more thoughtful and evenly judged than Tripadvisor or other sites. I can't explain how they do it, but my Virtuoso agent claims the reports have never steered her wrong; she trusts them unfailingly.

no trump international is extremely odd
no lowell is somewhat odd
greenwich opened apr 2008 and is virtuoso/visa/LHW/FHR/MrMrsSmith
mark reopened jul 2009 - before crosby street, trump soho, setai (setai/capella is becoming langham)

the unique thing about this forum is that there is context and discussion

Really, MO has good rooms and nice lobby.

No offence intended to any agents - but I have more trust in user reviews by thoughtful guests (not TripAdvisor admittedly).

Good point- this being said guests choosing the Carlyle, Crosby Street, or the FS NY will have little to complain about (except perhaps the size of the bill ;))