The Hotel Elysée (www.elyseehotel.com), on 60 East 54th Street, between Madison and Park Ave, is offering an ‘NYC Luxury Shopping Package’ for $350 per night per room, which includes deluxe accommodations, pink champagne upon arrival, one pound of Leonidas Cocoa dusted truffles, NYC Zagat shopping guide, day at Bergdorf Goodman including a complimentary tea for two in the BG Restaurant, a complimentary facial on the beauty level of the store, a personal shopping consultation, and an incentive gift card, the latest issue of Vogue Magazine, complimentary breakfast each morning, complimentary fruit, cookies, tea and coffee throughout the day, complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres each weekday evening and complimentary passes to the NY Sports Club. Read the full press release.

I think a few questions are in order here. What the heck is a free shopping consultation? And the package includes a whole bunch of complimentary stuff, but is it all worth it? I mean, C’mon - Pink Champagne? One pound of Leonidas cocoa dusted truffles? A copy of Vogue…? Gimme a break. The only value is see in the offer is for the free breakfast and the visit to Bergdorf Goodman, although I would have preferred gift vouchers for Macy’s instead. There’s also a minimum two night stay requirement. Meaning you’ll probably end up spenging around a $1000 on hotel charges for a weekend, when you tote up the taxes and add-ons and room service and the rest of the schtick. Is it worth it? Well….Let’s see what the hotel has to offer, shopping and freebies notwithstanding.

Location wise it’s not so bad, with everything from Times Square to Central Park to Bloomingdale’s and the Theatre District within walking distance. From the outside, it looks quite New Yorkish, with the awning and the green doorman. The lobby, while ornate, chandelier and all, seems to be slightly worn and in need of a little sprucing up. There are 101 rooms at the hotel, including 86 guest rooms, 3 junior suites, 10 suites, 1 royal suite and 1 piano suite.  In-room amenities include hair dryers, safes, mini bars, complimentary wireless internet, work desk, cable TV and VCR, and marble bathrooms. Some of the suites have direct access to seperate terraces, kitchenettes or solariums.

But the biggest attraction which draws both NYC residents and visitors to the Elysee is the Monkey Bar, a well-known watering hole on the Big Apple social scene. The Monkey Bar serves cocktails and drinks around the $10 range, along with an eclectic range of virtuoso Asian fusion cuisine. Room service orders are also taken by the Monkey Bar.

In summary, the Elysee has seen better days and it is slightly overpriced, but its still quite up to the task, and you’ll enjoy the stay there. Besides, its a boutique hotel with only 101 rooms, which makes the service a bit more personal than the monster New York family hotels you find peppered on Fifth Ave.

Info: Hotel Elysée - 60 East 54^th Street  New York NY 10022; (212) 753-1066