Tried & Tested: Reviews Edition, New York, US
author: Mark Hillsdon
There’s certainly no lack of ambition at the New York Edition, a hotel that opened in May and brings luxury to the city’s NoMad neighbourhood. Taking over the landmark
Clocktower building – the tallest in the world when it was completed in 1909 – Marriott International and born-and-bred New Yorker Ian Schrager have set out to “reinvent” the idea of the luxury hotel, switching our perceptions from over-the-top opulence to a new simplicity and sophistication. Their vision is to present the
“hotel as private home”, although it has to be said, by private home they mean the mansions and apartments along nearby 5th Avenue, dubbed Millionaires’ Row during the early days of the last century. Not that there’s much last
century about the lobby, with its cast concrete tiles, huge picture
Urso Hotel & Spa, Madrid, Spain
children in tow, this was a very welcome service. The reception staff were
author: Jo Reeder
An understated boutique hotel, the Urso opened a year ago bridging the bourgeois district of Chamberis, the up-and-coming Tribunal and trendy Chueca areas. Whether clients like to browse local, independent shops or high- end boutiques; dine in cute cafes or hip neighbourhood restaurants, look no further. And if culture is more their thing,
the Urso is within walking distance of Madrid’s famous golden triangle of El Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums and art galleries. Friendly doormen greeted us on
arrival, parked our car (€33 per day) and took care of luggage; as we were driving through Spain with two
knowledgeable about Spain’s largest city and able to suggest restaurants and book us a table at one of the best tapas bars in the city. Staff also encouraged us to
experience the spa with our kids, another welcome relief, as many five-star hotels discourage children in their spas. This one was a discreet hideaway on the lower ground floor, but at the height of summer, it was quiet, so we could splash about in the little pool after a day on the hot August streets of Madrid. There’s also a gym, hammam, steam bath, three rooms with treatments by Natura Bisse and a hydrotherapy pool. Boasting 78 rooms and
suites, the hotel has been thoughtfully restored by architect and designer Antonio Obrador who has turned an imposing 20th century neo-classical palacio
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TTGLUXURY.COM WINTER 2015 TRIED & TESTED
into an elegant, sophisticated haven. Oriental influences are also evident. A central feature of the Urso is the
four original 20th century stained- glass windows and restored antique elevator. Rooms had huge, comfortable beds and free Wi-Fi. All food at the Urso is sourced
from local producers who have been serving up delicacies to the city for nearly 100 years. A delicious buffet breakfast can be taken in the “vertical garden” upstairs where you’ll find yourself
surrounded by bamboo trees and moss; Urso Bar is another relaxed dining option. There is no formal hotel restaurant as such, but The Table by Urso is a fabulous concept restaurant that will pop-up until June, back for its second series and set to welcome six Michelin-starred Spanish chefs. Tel: 00 34 914 444 458,
hotelurso.com
How to book it Rooms from €200pn, with breakfast
windows and blackened steel fireplace. The lobby bar is sleek and simple, and serves up a mean cocktail, while a unique spiral staircase takes guests up to the second floor Clocktower restaurant. Here, Michelin-starred chef
Jason Atherton is already wowing New Yorkers with his British take on classic dishes and a menu that also includes the likes of North African
spiced Colorado lamb and pistachio souffle. The restaurant is split into three
dining rooms, each full of rich mahogany and velvet upholstery, the walls festooned in an eye- catching array of black and white photographs of American Icons and New York street scenes. Adjoining is the
library, which doubles as a bar, and a billiards rooms designed to add to the homely feel. The Edition’s 273 rooms are
equally stylish, simple and beautifully put together, from the white-washed oak floors to the contrasting dark walnut headboards around the sumptuous beds which, despite the delights of New York, are hard to leave when the alarm goes off in the morning. You can see plenty of these
delights from your window, too; mine looked down on Madison Square Park with the Flatiron Building to the left, the Empire State looming to the right. Take one of the hotel’s penthouses, and the views become 360-degree. Add in a small spa and fitness
suite and service which is exemplary, with staff who are helpful but never fawning, and while luxury may not have been completely reinvented at the Edition, it’s certainly been given a very elegant modern makeover. Tel: 00 1 212 413 4200,
editionhotels.com
How to book it Rooms from $725pn
One to watch
Child friendly
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