If you make it here – Hotel Plaza Athénée / NY / USA

Another favourite place of mine, landing on JFK makes me always happy, even when the Immigration torture sucks.
House & Hotel Magazine features one of New York City’s nicest hotels: The Plaza Athénée.

We felt like a proper New Yorker wandering the tree-lined streets surrounding the Plaza Athénée.

Comfortably ensconced amid the grand townhouses and luxury boutiques of the Upper East Side, this Sex and the City romantic dream hotel (its Bar Seine lounge was featured in one episode) oozes the kind of warmth that comes with such a Manhattan location.

A twinkling nighttime skyline provides the backdrop for some of the suites’ wraparound atrium terrace. At the Plaza Athénée, you’re just blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Whitney and the Frick Collection (a jewel of a historic mansion museum). For guests who prefer fine clothing to fine art, you’re even closer to Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman — not to mention the Madison Avenue outposts of Valentino, Prada and every other premium designer worth naming and it is not to far away from East Village, Soho…

The Plaza Athénée is regularly cited as one of the finest hotels in the world. Of its 142 rooms, 25 are suites with hardwood floors and full kitchenettes. Several suites have dining rooms for spontaneous dinner parties or outdoor balconies with expansive cityscape views. There’s a 24-hour concierge, 24-hour room service and twice-daily housekeeping service. Exquisite rugs and pieces of art, classic but comfortable furnishings and views of the Manhattan skyline all add up to a world-class stay.

At Arabelle, the hotel’s famous modern American restaurant, diners bask in the glow of brass chandeliers under the domed ceiling, amid Murano glass. Sunday brunch offerings include a sea of crustaceans (steamed lobster, chilled shrimp) plus a huge dessert buffet.

You will feel as if they’re sipping their wine inside a piece of candlelit amber in the warm, tawny glow of Bar Seine, which features rich velvet curtains cascading down red lacquered walls, Moroccan olive jars gleaming against animal print pillows and leather floors.

There are more famous hotels in New York — but few offer this level of boutique elegance and personal pampering.

We enjoyed it.