New York offers a lot to those with fat egos and an even fatter bank account. But even by New York’s decadent standards of luxury, Above 60 (A60), the rooftop lounge at the 60 Thompson hotel in SoHo (I still don’t get the fascination that NYC hoteliers have with numbers and streets…), is more than just an evening spent at an upscale lounge. It’s a place of quiet luxury for the discreetly rich, where you’ll find people who have everything and yet find no reason to flaunt it, if that makes any sense.

In fact, even if you can afford it, you still won’t be able to get into A60, because its a members only lounge, with hotel guests being allowed in for the duration of their stay. Thus, what I mean is that if you can get into A60, they’ll treat you like royalty, and the service is fantastic and the view glorious - Wouldn’t you like to spend the evening on a rooftop bar gazing out at the Manhattan skyline and the Empire State Building in all its glory?

Ever since it’s opening in 2001, the 60 Thompson, a 100 room boutique hotel designed by Thomas O’Brien, has become the hallmark of sophistication, along with an understated but ‘real’ luxury. I’m not one for splitting hairs, but as an example, compare Jennifer Connelly against Lindsay Lohan and you should be able to understand the difference between the 60 Thompson and the Times Square hotels offering posh rooms for over 300 dollars.

The 100 rooms at the 60 Thompson are quite spacious by New York standards, with a simple and comfortable decor, deep beds you can sink right into with leather headboards and pristine white sheets, flat screen television, full marble bathrooms, complimentary wi-fi and fresh amenities. Room rates start at $329 plus taxes, which comes to about $376.50 and the upwards upto $1420.69 (including taxes) for an 850 sq ft ’Thompson Suite’ with a King bed, sleeper sofa, two marble bathrooms, a seperate living room, smoked glass French windows, a balcony and seperate flat screen televisions.

Dining options at the 60 Thompson include the Kittichai restaurant, from Chef Ian Chalermkittichai, who serves up a modern and distinctly New Yorkish blend of Thai cuisine, and is well frequented by both visitors and New York residents.

While the colors and decor here at the Kittichai are vastly more psydelic than the hotel, it still reflects a quiet sense of taste and elegance with the bright yellow and orange shades tinted with dark tones and slightly somber lighting. Gorgeous hostesses who could as well be models greet you as you walk in, and the well-heeled clientele, the quiet hum and chatter, the exotic teak cabanas with Ottoman seats, the goldfish in the aquarium, and the exquisite delicacies cooked up by the chefs all combine to make this one of New York’s signature Thai restaurants.

Info: Sixty Thompson Hotel - 60 Thompson St New York NY 10012; (877) 431-0400; www.60thompson.com  

Oh, so you just got totally sloshed at a Times Square party, you’re dead tired and now you think about where you’re going to sleep? Well, if you have 3 C notes and a box will do, select your choice - Red, Blue or Yellow. That, in a nutshell, is the Time NY hotel, located in the Theatre District a couple of blocks from times Square, and which supposedly offers refuge from the craziness of Times Square, with a near empty bar lounge and dinky boxes called rooms, which come in three colors - Red, blue and yellow - Take your pick, pay $300, head up to your room, sleep it off, get up and walk out. Worth it? Maybe….Let’s see what else they have to offer.

Well, for starters, it does look kinda trendy and chic. Especially the huge flat screen TV. And the lampshades tacked to the headboard above the beds. The half-windows which make it seem like you’re sleeping in a first class carriage in a train (which would likely be bigger than a room in the Time NY).

The workdesk set against the mirror is another good trick which a lot of designers are using nowadays. Makes the room look twice as big, with the bed and everything reflected right back at you, instead of a blank wall. the shower is like, really tiny, and if you’re a bit ‘healthy’, you might have a hard time turning around in there. But the bath products and the showerheads are neat. The overall effect, like I said, is a very trendy, very chic upscale hotel, and were it not for the size, or lack of it, this could have been a great hotel.

One word of advice - Stay away from the red rooms. Depending upon your state of mind, it’ll look like a B-grade horror film or a Bordello. Either way, you’re screwed. The yellow ones aren’t bad, but I’d rather not have bright yellow walls blinding me. Blues are good, neat and cool. But then, my favorite color is blue, so I might be biased, but still - Avoid the red rooms.

As it is, the rooms have a lot stuffed into the tiny space, with the flat screen TV and on-demand movies, a Bose music system, high speed internet, a mini bar, safe, iron & ironing board, and the workdesk. In terms of amenities, there’s not much to write home about other than the concierge and laundry services, a free copy of the New York Times and a complimentary overnight shoeshine. And the service is well…New York. Don’t expect too much, and you won’t be dissappointed. The Time Lounge, as the bar is called, is virtually deserted, and if you really want to get away from Times Square, and you have to duck into this hotel, then maybe you should first try to spend some time nursing a drink at the lounge, and then see if you still want a room.

As far as booking a room is concerned - Check-in, bath, sleep, bath, check-out. Less $300. Simple and uncomplicated. That’s the Time NY hotel for you. If you want a decent hotel actually located in times Square, which actually has decent sized rooms and baths, and where you actually can expect some service, then you might want to go through this list of New York family hotels.

Info: 224 West 49th Street New York Ny 10019; (212) 246-5252; Photos & Copyrights - Time NY hotel/Vikram Chatwal Hotels - www.thetimeny.com

Usually, when somebody says France, the word snobby blowhard immediately comes to mind. In the case of the Sofitel Hotel, this is literally true as all the Sofitels in North America are now wind powered. The Sofitel Hotels chain recently tied up with Community Energy, Inc., a supplier of renewable wind energy, who will supply a total of 1,527,000 kilowatt hours (kWhs) of renewable energy to all 9 Sofitel Hotels in North America, including the one in New York. This offsets approximately two million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the impact of which is equivalent to planting more than 800 acres of trees each year or not driving 2.36 million miles. Or all the French tourists in NYC not farting for a couple of days after eating lamb chops with artichokes and garlic sauce. What? The dollar is down and there’s a lot of European tourists wandering about NYC. That’s all I’m saying.

The Hotel Sofitel New York is a classic in every sense of the word - Elegant ambience, stylish and chic, fabulous dining, chok-a-bloc with amenities, spacious rooms and sexy bathrooms which make you want to take a bath, a central location on 44th between Fifth & Sixth Ave - You name it, the Sofitel’s got it. For a hotel which just came into existence last year, the Sofitel oozes old-world European charm and a sense of decorum, not to mention decor, while catering to the modernistic, technological and designer crazy hangups of the Big Apple. Photo Credit - Wired New York

But in spite of fitting right into the New York landscape, the hotel still has a deep Gallic streak running right through it, from the Bon jour you get at the reception to the Gaby restaurant’s French fares and the gift shop packed to the rafters with French products and cosmetics - Kinda like the duty free shops at the Charles de Gaulle airport. It’s almost like the hotel is making a statement - ‘Yes, we love New York. But France - C’est Magnifique. And here at the Sofitel, we give you a taste of how to eat and live like the French.’  Or maybe the designer was someone with an identity crisis, stuck between Paris and New York…

The 398 Art Deco rooms at the Sofitel spread over 30 floors are stuffed with European style furnishings like the heavy red velvet chairs and the dinky table, pictures of old Paris, and large drapes covering the floor-to-ceiling windows, along with the latest in gizmos and gadgets and amenities, including high speed internet, a stocked minibar, pay-per-view movies, cable, iron, and hairdryers inside the marble baths with seperate showers. Rooms are built to accomodate upto three people and rates start at about $455, which includes taxes. For families and couples, the Sofitel offers rooms with connecting doors and special packages like the honeymooon romance package which offers complete privacy with in-room breakfast along with a glass of champagne.

If you want to dine at the hotel, the Art Deco inspired Gaby restaurant, with ceiling mural and artworks covering the walls, serves up original French cuisine along with fusion dishes from around the world, with over twenty entrees that you could lift straight out of an upscale Paris brassierie. The Gaby bar offers a New York experience with snacks and drinks and a relaxed atmosphere for after dinner drinks. For such a highly priced and upscale hotel, the food at the Gaby is remarkably reasonable and filling, unlike the diners at other star luxury hotels. Worth trying at least once, if you’re staying at the Sofitel. 

If you’re torn between the merits of New York and Paris, then you need to take a look at the Sofitel New York. I assure you, the hotel and its staff will do their best to add fuel to your confusion. Simply put, not unlike the Statue of Liberty, the Sofitel offers the best of both worlds - New York and France.

Info: 45 West 44th St, between 5th & 6th Ave, New york NY 10036; (212) 354-8844; (212) 354-2480

The Belvedere (www.belvederehotelnyc.com) is something of an institution among New York family hotels. Mixing up a rich history built up since its opening in 1928 and an original Art Deco facade with cutting edge modernities, luxury hospitality and a vibrant and diverse list of international clientele, the Belvedere Hotel sits a block away from the Theatre District, with everything from Times Square to Carnegie Hall and the Met within walking distance. It’s the perfect choice in terms of price, location, comfort and amenities, whether you’re on a weekend NYC getaway with family, or on a business trip or conference.

The hotel has 400 guest rooms, each offering a fully furnished kitchenette with microwave, refrigirator and coffee maker, plasma TV with a Nintendo player and pay-per-view movies, in-room safe, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, and a European style marble bathroom with custom designed showers.

A free complimentary continental breakfast is included in the nightly charge for a room with two double beds, which comes to about $359 plus taxes for a family of four, including two adults and two children. The Belvedere also offers a special NY1 package deal, which includes the free breakfast and a two night minimum stay, at $269 per night plus taxes.

Amenities include fitness and business centers, with a state of the art meeting center for conferences and events with A/V equipment, internet access and catering arrangements. The Belevedere’s Concierge is reputed for being able to arrange ’hard-to-get’ tickets and restaurant reservations at trendy hotspots, in addition to making arrangements for guests to join guided tours of the Big Apple and transportation within New York and limos to and from the airports. You can call ahead and let them know your needs and you can bet your boots you’ll have the tickets (or other ‘discrete’ arrangements as per your request) waiting for you when you get there.

Dining options include the Belvedere Café and Churrascaria Plataforma for lunch and dinner. The Belvedere Café serves the free breakfast for hotel guests with a gourmet buffett, fresh dairy and bakery products, meats and cheese, flpajacks, and coffee and tea from 7 to 11 a.m. Churrascaria Plataforma is a Brazilian steakhouse with roasted beef, lamb and pork dishes on the menu. While the Belvedere’s culinary fares are excellent, it remains to be said that New York in general, and Hell’s Kitchen and the Theatre District in particular, have a lot more to offer in terms of restaurants and diners than what the Belvedere’s two diners have. If you want to get a real taste of New York, consider dining out at one of the finer restaurants in the area. Web links are provided below.

Info: 319 West 48th Street New York NY 10036; (212) 245-7000

Web links: Hell’s Kitchen dining guide; NYC vacation family things to do; New York City Pass; Cheap Broadway tickets

New York’s Meatpacking District, or Gansevoort Market as it is officially known, is not a place where you’ll bump into too many blood-stained aprons or sausage factories nowadays. In fact, while it still retains a large blue collar residential population supporting the remaining meat plants, the Meatpacking District has actually morphed into one of the most trendy and ultra-chic neighbourhoods in Manhattan, with upscale boutiques, hard to get in night clubs frequented by celebs and ridiculously expensive restaurants catering to the filthy rich. As Seth Kugel, New York Times, says in this article about people watching in New York, the Meatpacking District is your best bet to see what skimpy outfits today’s young New Yorkers are wearing.

Also as a matter of fact, a lot of stars from the West Coast head straight for the Meatpacking District when they’re visiting NYC. Not surprisingly, there are a horde of tabloid journalists, film makers and NYC models packing it into the place, trying to ’fit in’ with the high flying crowd. And the center of gravity for all these high wattage celebrity stars and their hangers-on packed into the Meatpacking District is the Gansevoort Hotel.

From the outside, the hotel looks like an eyesore, a 14 story silver monster looming over the bland and relatively nondescript brick warehouses that abound in the District. Once you’re inside, though, its a completely different world, where luxury is taken for granted and the competition is to see who manages to spend more (a disease imported from Hollywood, I believe).

The best thing you’ll probably like about the hotel is the rooftop deck. The rooftop of Hotel Gansevoort is like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. In the center, there’s a 45 foot heated, glass-encased swimming pool with underwater music.

Then there’s the Plunge lounge with wall-to-wall windows and 20 foot high ceilings, where there’s always some hip parties and events in progress. There’s also a roof garden with another lounge and a 360 angle view of the entire District and the City skyline.

The dining at the Gansevoort is provided by the Ono Bar & Restaurant, with funky Japanese cuisine and an inimitable style of cooking and serving Sushi and Robatayaki.

You sit at the bar, surrounding the chef and a selection of meat, game and veggies, with the chef  busy chopping and grilling over an open flame. You point out what you want out of the choices in front of you to the chef, he picks it up, cooks it on the open flame and serves it to you right there. Eating at the Ono is more of an experience than a simple dinner. In addition, there’s also a Maxim eatery on the ground floor of the hotel.

Amenities and services at the hotel imclude complimentary wi-fi internet, free New York times or Wall Street Journal, Nintendo Wii gaming consoles, 24 hour fitness and business centers available for use by guests, a full service spa and 3 infinity hydro pools and a hair salon, room service around the clock, and same day laundry and dry cleaning. Room rates start at $435, with a suite going at $675 and a duplex penthouse for $5000. The 187 rooms are exceedingly well furnished with plush beds and 400-thread Egyptian cotton linens, flat screen LCD television, large bay windows and some really funny looking artsy kind of lighting and lamp shades.

A stay at the Hotel Gansevoort, accompanied by a sampling of the wonderful pleasures of the Meatpacking District, the massive Spice Market restaurant, the Wooster Projects gallery, and the Highline elevated railway that hangs over the Meatpacking District, with some celeb spotting and hob-nobbing with the stars, could be just the prescription for an exciting New York holiday.

Info: 18 Ninth Ave W 13th St New York NY 10014; (212) 206-6700