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