I really appreciate a great hotel and am willing to pay (within reason). Typical split personality: family w/ 3 small kids and business exec road warrior. Hotel priorities are location, cleanliness, non smoking, peace and quiet, fitness center.
July 18 2007: Wow! The Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle is worth it. I stayed there during a 2 week long business trip with back-to-back meetings. This hotel was such an oasis. Great rooms, service, food, views, location.
It's in midtown at the bottom left corner of Central Park. The hotel starts on the 35th floor of the Time Warner Center. Being that high in NY is a great thing. Quiet and great views.
I'm not sure that you could say that there is a #1 hotel in NY, because there are a number of super nice ones. This one would get my vote.
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Occupying the upper floors in the north high rise of the exclusive Time Warner Center, the Mandarin Oriental rises above Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side, where Midtown, Central Park and Upper Manhattan, N.Y., converge. The Time Warner Center also contains luxury condominiums, restaurants, offices and shopping with 50 upscale retailers. Central Park is one half block from the hotel. Express elevators whisk guests to the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, where the "sky lobby" features Crystal Cranes, a graceful glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly. Antique Mandarin silk robes are displayed on the walls, and wondrous views of the skyline, Central Park and the Hudson River are seemingly everywhere.
The Mandarin Oriental features 203 guestrooms and 48 suites on floors 38 to 54. All guestrooms offer floor to ceiling windows with stunning views of New York City. The décor includes stylish 1940s inspired furniture mixed with palettes of Chinese red and silver or jet black and pale gold. Amenities include flat panel LCD televisions, three multi line telephones, custom designed bed linens, in room safes with laptop rechargeable access, and evening turndown service with quotes of the day and orchids.
The Mandarin Oriental is home to Asiate, the culinary soul of the hotel. The restaurant entrance showcases a wall of wine, while the interior is dominated by a glittering tree branch sculpture that hangs from the ceiling. The menu, presented by Chef de Cuisine Noriyuki Sugie, is a modern approach to French and Japanese cuisine. The Mandarin's MObar is a stylish cocktail venue highlighting two immense paintings by Valerio Adami.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental offers a variety of treatments in a meditative environment with bamboo floors, natural stone and bubbling waters. Facilities include seven multifunctional rooms, vitality pools, amethyst crystal steam rooms, his and hers Relaxation Lounges, and a shared Oriental style Tea Lounge.
July 18 2007: Wow! The Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle is worth it. I stayed there during a 2 week long business trip with back-to-back meetings. This hotel was such an oasis. Great rooms, service, food, views, location. 
