Where to Stay - New York City 2009 - page 58

control panel at your fingertips, including the controls for, in most
rooms, a television so you can watch while taking your bubble bath
(now that's happy excess). The Peninsula also features one of the best
and biggest New York hotel health clubs and spas, the rooftop Pen-
Top Bar, and a faultless concierge desk.
700 Fifth Ave. (at 55th St.), New York, NY 10019. & 800/262-9467 or 212/956-
2888. Fax [phone]. www.peninsula.com. 239 units. $775-$1125 double; from
$1,275 suite. Extra person $50. Children under 12 stay free in parent's room. Winter
weekend package rates from $585 at press time. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking
$55. Subway: E, V to Fifth Ave. Pets accepted. Amenities: Restaurant; rooftop bar;
library-style lounge for afternoon tea and cocktails; tri-level rooftop health club and
spa w/treatment rooms; pool; exercise classes; whirlpool; sauna; and sun deck; 24-hr.
concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry
service; dry cleaning. In room:A/C, TV w/pay movies, fax, Wi-Fi, high-speed Internet,
minibar, hair dryer, safe, complimentary “water bar” w/5 choices of bottled water.
St. Regis When John Jacob Astor built the St. Regis in
1904, he set out to create a hotel that would reflect the elegance and
luxury of grand hotels in Europe. Over a hundred years later, the St.
Regis, a New York landmark, still reflects that splendor. This Beaux
Arts classic is a marvel: antique furniture, crystal chandeliers, silk
wall coverings, and marble floors adorn the public spaces and the
high-ceilinged, airy guest rooms. The suites are particularly ornate,
some with French doors, four-poster beds, and decorative fireplaces.
The marble bathrooms are spacious and feature separate showers and
tubs. In a nod to the future, plasma televisions were recently added
in all the rooms, along with LCD screens in the bathrooms. Service
is efficiently white-gloved and every guest is assigned a tuxedoed but-
ler, on call 24 hours to answer any reasonable requests. Afternoon
tea is served daily in the Astor Court and Chef Alain Ducasse
claimed the former Lespinasse space for his new Adour.
2 E. 55th St. (at Fifth Ave.), New York, NY 10022. & 212/753-4500. Fax 212/787-
3447. www.stregis.com. 256 units. $695-$995 double; from $1,150 suite. Check
Internet for specials as low as $400 at press time. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $55.
Subway: E, V to Fifth Ave. Amenities: Restaurant; historic bar; tea lounge; fitness
center and spa; concierge; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service; 24-hr.
butler service; valet service. In room:A/C, TV, high-speed Internet, minibar, hair dryer,
safe, DVD/CD player.
EXPENSIVE
The Benjamin From the retro sign and clock on Lexington
Avenue to the high-ceilinged marble lobby, when you enter The
Benjamin, it's as if you've stepped into Jazz Age New York. But once
you get to your spacious room and notice the high-tech amenities,
such as Bose Wave radios, browsers and video games for the TVs,