When we arrived in New York at around 4.30 in the afternoon it was dark, raining and very cold. Rather different to the bright and sunny Miami day that we’d just said goodbye to.
But I was very excited…I was in my second favourite city after London…one of my happy places! I was also very much looking forward to seeing the hotel. I’d asked lots of people for recommendations, checked plenty of websites and consulted trip adviser to choose the perfect place.
But when we arrived it wasn’t what I hoping for…I looked at Mr Silver…
‘Don’t unpack…’
The hotel was dark, narrow and dismal…there was absolutely nothing pink! I wasn’t happy. I did something I’d never done before…after staying one night I persuaded Mr S that I wanted to move hotels. I’ll be reviewing that first hotel later at a later date.When we’d visited New York over the summer we loved the hotel that we’d stayed in. The Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District, it was perfect for the summer, with a rooftop pool and in close proximity to The Standard and Soho House New York, which also had cool rooftop bars.
‘There’s another Gansevoort,’ I informed Mr S, ‘It’s in Park Avenue and close to all the shopping AND Kim Kardashian stays there.’ So we packed up our stuff and moved across town to the Gansevoort, Park Avenue and I’m so glad we did.
When we opened the door to the room we were greeted by this huge living and dining area.
And this was my reaction!!!
‘Aren’t you glad we moved?’
Mr S had been reluctant to move because of the hassle and as we were only staying three nights he was worried it would take up too much time. But actually after breakfast we very quickly packed up got in a cab and checked in to the new place. It all went very smoothly.
And now instead of a view facing a brick wall, we could see all the way down one of New York’s long straight roads from our Juliet balcony.
We had a wall mounted flat screen TV and an iPod docking station.
Our own dining area.
Facing a huge mirror…
Funky artwork lined the wall.
And the bedroom was also gorgeous, with pink curtains!!! Hooray for pink!!
I really felt like a Park Avenue Princess now!
There were also two good sized bathrooms.
And plenty of options for snacks and treats!
The Gansevoort Park Avenue describes itself as having ‘Downtown edge, with an uptown sensibility,’ and this really summed it up for me. The hotel was incredibly cool and funky, whilst being luxurious in a modern way. As much as I love the classic glamour of the Four Seasons or the Mandarin Oriental, when staying in New York I wanted something more fun.
When you walk into the hotel, you are immediately struck by the wow factor… the foyer is actually three storeys high…
With a huge fireplace….
And massive chandeliers!The hotel also had an incredibly cool rooftop bar.
Which included a relaxed lounge area with floor to ceiling windows, allowing unobstructed views of the New York skyline.
We really liked the rooftop pool which was split into two with the option of being inside or out. And best of all there were views of the Empire State Building as you swim.
On the floor below the pool and lounge is the Ivy Room, which transforms into a super cool night club.
On the ground floor there is a Sport’s Bar called The Windsor, which we never properly checked out, and the restaurant Aselina.
Which serves modern Italian food in a rather cosy environment. We popped there for brunch on our last day for a final holiday indulgence.
Starting with a heart-warming hot chocolate cocktail for Mr S.
And a strawberry bellini for me.
As I always detox after an indulgent holiday, it was the last opportunity for me to eat simple carbs and cheese… so I persuaded Mr S to share the smoked salmon pizza with me to start.
Ahhh….all my favourite things on one dish…it reminded me of the delicious pizza that we’d tried at the Ivy in LA…
And the accompanying glass of sparkling sangria, also took me back to that day. Although the real reason that I included this photo was the hilarious image of Mr S chomping on pizza in the back ground.
And as if that wasn’t enough melted cheese, we also ordered a portion of meatballs to accompany it.
It was a lamb burger with feta for Mr S.
By the way if you like the look of the food, there’s also an Aselina in the ME Hotel in London, and you can read my review here.
A hearty bowl of salmon with Mediterranean vegetables for me, very tasty but heavy on the garlic! A question for my American friends…Why are dishes like this served in high-sided bowls, over there? It makes it very difficult to eat. Either way the meal was a fab final indulgence, but it was a fond farewell as we had a plane to catch.
I must say that I’m so glad that we moved hotels, The Gansevoort was totally perfect for us. The room, bar and restaurant were gorgeous and it was in very easy walk to Fifth Avenue and the main shopping areas. The hotel also contained a spa, salon and gym, which we never used but always handy to have, and the concierge was of great help to us in finding our way around.
In summary, next time I’m not sure about a hotel, I’ll always follow my instincts…you never know when you’re dream hotel is just around the corner.
Gansevoort Park Avenue
420 Park Avenue South
New York
NY 10016
