NYC’s Newest Sneak-away
Posted on February 2, 2011Although many of us may have left the buzz of the city for the calm of the ‘burbs, we all still crave a decadent evening or two immersed in the glitz of the Big Apple. Luckily, the five-month old, Art Deco-style property, The Chatwal provides just that plus, it’s just blocks from Grand Central. Remodeled under the masterful eye of architect/designer Thierry Despont, the 83-room hotel — a Stanford White building and site of the original Lamb’s Club — stands out among its Theater District neighbors as a polished icon of 1930s glamour. Based on the considerable crowd at the hotel’s two bars and full bookings for both of the restaurant’s evening seatings, The Chatwal appears to be the go-to, fashionable option for wining, dining and yes, reclining. Popular with both theatergoers and neighboring businesses on expense accounts (the hotel practically abuts Condé Nast headquarters), there is a palpable energy reverberating off the suede-lined walls that stirs the imagination, reminding its guests of the building’s venerable past.
The hotel’s signature restaurant, appropriately named, The Lamb’s Club, is reminiscent of the beloved Sardi’s, complete with celebrity-photo wall décor and a clubby-scene, even on a Tuesday night. Cozy seating is supplied with Despont-designed, lipstick red banquettes fronting a massive, 18th-century stone fireplace originally belonging to undoubtedly, a very impressive castle in England (the exact one is still being sourced despite expert attempts). The mood is undeniably gregarious, not surprising given the vintage-inspired cocktails mixed in the lounge bar were crafted by celebrity mixologist Sasha Petraske of Milk and Honey, (even the ice cubs are cut specifically to the cocktail). The Lamb’s Cup, a riff off a British summer favorite, The Pimm’s Cup, is a favorite though I preferred the lighter, St. Hilaire, a bubbly concoction of Cava, St. Germain and lemon peel. The wine list is similarly meticulous with some excellent French Reds that deserve the sommelier’s assistance. With so much sweet nectar flowing, you may find your eyes glazing a bit over the menu. Snap out of it because Chef Geoffrey Zakarian (a Greenwich resident), of Town and Country fame, helms the American style menu, which includes standouts like the Heritage Pork Ravioli and Chatham Cod Cheeks.
Fortunately, gastronomy and libation are not the only highly conceived indulgences at the Chatwal. Between the gorgeously appointed, Despont-detailed, guestrooms (those on the seventh floor have balconies) and the basement, Kashwere spa (don’t be put off by its subterranean location), the goal of one-stop pampering is easily met. Four hundred-thread count Frette linens with custom bedspreads, Asprey toiletries in the bathroom and suede-lined walls are just some of the luxurious amenities in the guestrooms while creativity abounds in the furnishings such as the exotic though surprisingly comfortable, caterpillar-lounge chair, closets fashioned after steamer trunks and a truly luxe Murphy bed in the sitting room of the one bedroom suites. Last but not least, what sets apart a hotel room every time — the bathroom is striking with ambient light, Rain Drop shower or Jacuzzi baths, marble floors, mirrored walls and one of those oh-so-sleek, integrated mirror televisions. If you can tear yourself from your room, head directly down to the spa. Begin with a soothing dip in the spa’s heated saline pool, or if exercise is the key to your eventual ease, test your stroke against the lap pool’s jet-infused current. Don’t miss the Kashwere treatments, fully customizable to your specific tastes and needs. They even have a 30-minute facial called the New York Minute, aimed at those time-pressed city-dwellers. Luckily, that’s no longer you, so go ahead, book the 90-minute treatment and indulge in enjoying New York’s fast pace at your own leisure.
Room to Request: A junior suite (520 square feet) with a balcony overlooking 44th street.
Meg Nolan van Reesema is a travel writer and author of the Hideaways series published by Rizzoli. She has recently opened a consulting business; Friend of a Friend Consulting, advising both small hotels and couples planning celebratory trips. (wherenextwithmeg.com)
Great Escape: Paris
Posted on November 18, 2010Greenwich native and travel expert Meg Nolan van Reesema dishes about the sneak peek she took of Paris' newest addition, boutique hotel Pavillon des Lettres.
Constantly curious about all things hotel, during a recent trip to Paris I stopped to check in on the progress of the highly anticipated, boutique property Pavillon des Lettres. Slated to open sometime this autumn (this is France, after all), the 26-room, literary-themed hotel has dedicated each room to a letter in the alphabet and a corresponding French scribe (H for Hugo, F for Flaubert.) The sister property to the Marais’ beloved Pavilion de la Reine, Pavillon des Lettres is buzzing with workmen who are busy sanding, painting, installing and generally sweating in order to complete the hotel according to the owner’s high standards.
Having set the bar quite high — the Pavillon de la Reine provides a rare, verdant oasis with plush, wallpapered rooms that hum with romance — the owners (particularly the son, who is the lead behind the hotel’s ode to the written word) have taken similar, well-conceived steps to ensure this new property will draw equal accolades, including remodeling a beautiful Hausmann style, 17th-century townhouse in the 8th Arrondissement and employing the talented designer, Didier Benderli, responsible for NYC’s Kitsch Restaurant and those dreamy rooms at Pavillon de la Reine.
The 26 letter-assigned rooms range in size and shape, though all feature stenciled words of the chosen writer above the beds and contemporary, glass-walled bathrooms. Despite the historic façade, each of the rooms will offer an iPad for easy communication with the restaurant-less hotel and provide, perhaps a fitting contrast between yesterday’s form of reading and today’s.
Good to Know: When booking, as to stay in either the front-facing, junior suite D for Diderot with a narrow terrace and skyline views of the Grand Palais and the iconic Tour de Eiffel or on the top-floor, nestled in the eaves, B for Baudelaire.
Book It: Rates start at 300Euro; pavillondeslettres.com
Meg Nolan van Reesema is a travel writer and author of the Hideaways series published by Rizzoli. She has recently opened a consulting business; Friend of a Friend Consulting, advising both small hotels and couples planning celebratory trips. (wherenextwithmeg.com)