Just returned from a 4 day stay in New York to celebrate my nephews 21st birthday, and stayed at the Palace Hotel for one night on the 4th of March.
We had just come from the eerily quiet Financial District neighbourhood and I have had the NY Palace on my list of dream places to visit for a few years now (owing partly to it's heavy presence on Gossip Girl), and I was very excited to be checking in yesterday.
Before all of this, let me comment on how professional, friendly and helpful the Guest Relations staff were - I have never received such a warm welcome before we've even arrived at the hotel. Beatriz should be made of special note, allowing me to do a last minute room change and discussing my nephews birthday - she took a real keen interest and made the hotel "personal".
Check in itself was a breeze, I was handed the REAL keys (now, thats cool) within a few minutes and headed up to our room (which had been kindly upgraded by the lady on reception because of the birthday celebration) on the 35th floor, overlooking St Patricks Cathedral.
The first thing you notice when walking into the room is it's view, and if you happen to be on a high floor overlooking the cathedral...well...WOW...what a view. This is the reason I come back to NYC time and time again, it's views never cease to amaze me. At night, it turns into a glistening sea of changing colours, with the mighty Rockerfeller Centre gazing down upon the beautiful cathedral. It's truly the best view from a hotel you'll get in Manhattan.
The room itself was big, with two very comfortable beds, and a huge TV, with dark wooden furniture. The large wardrobe was a god send as we both brought a huge amount of clothes, in fact I dont think I've ever been in a hotel with a wardrobe that big before!
Bathroom was just right, with the water pressure just how I like it for taking a shower - nice and powerful. Im a big fan of Molton Brown stuff, so having these toiletries in the room was divine.
In the afternoon, after a full day of shopping, the hotel had delivered a bottle of sparkling wine and a personalised birthday card to our room for my nephew, complimentary, and I just thought this was such a nice touch - and it was some damn good wine as well!
Any hotel that provdes an evening turndown service is a winner in my books, and the chocolates on the bed and the tidying that housekeeping did whilst we were out to dinner was perfect.
GILT bar was just how I had dreamt it - sultry, oozing with class and damn good at making drinks - the Big Apple Martini, although on the pricey side, was worth every penny.
Most importantly of all, and the reason I would never for one second ever doubt about not coming back to this hotel again was its staff - from the housekeeping to porters to random employees you would encounter in the lifts and around the hotel, everyone treated you as if they had known you for years - and its a real welcome change from some of the faceless, corporate hotels I've stayed in. The staff there know what it means to deliver a good first impression, and how to give great customer service.
One of the best hotels across the whole of New York, and I would even take a stab at saying the whole of America - I visit New York about twice a year and I will be forever, as long as it stays this way, calling this my new New York home-away-from-home.
Well Done, Palace, for making my trip 100% worthwhile, 100% awesome and 100% perfect.
hotel reviews