1 The Mark Hotel
One of the landmarks of the New York scene, just steps
from the stores of Madison Avenue, Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. After a £90m renovation, it has reopened with plush beds, Italian marble bathrooms and Bang & Olufsen TVs. France's famous interior designer Jacques Grange has created classic interiors that nod to the building's Art Deco heritage, and the lauded restaurant is by Jean Georges Vongerichten. Rooms from £465 a night. 25 East 77th Street themarkhotel.com
2 The Carlyle
Of New York's distinguished grande dame hotels, The Carlyle is surely the matriarch. Built in 1930, this beacon of elegance on the swanky Upper East Side is a masterclass in hushed efficiency that caters to the truly privileged. The reception is dominated by black and white marble and twinkling chandeliers, while white-gloved lift attendants whisk guests and residents to rooms spread out over 35 floors. Doubles
start at £483. Madison Avenue at East 76th Street thecarlyle.com
3 The Surrey
More an oh-so-chic home from home than a hotel, this Beaux Arts building, a block from Central Park, recently had a £40m makeover. It still whispers uptown stealth wealth, but with a modish arty twist. In keeping with the uptown vibe, a stylish palette of white, black and dove grey reigns, worthy of any Architectural Digest spread. Then there's the seductive Bar Pleiades, Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud restaurant and a rooftop garden with views of Central Park. Rooms from £511. 20 East 76th Street thesurrey.com
4 Hotel Plaza Athénée
If you yearn for subtle elegance, service and comfort, this is the spot for you. Just one block from Central Park on the Upper East Side, this hotel had its second multimillion-dollar refurbishment this year. Spacious rooms are designed to replicate the glamour of a sumptuous European townhouse and many are bigger than a New Yorker's apartment. The spa is only available to hotel guests, and every treatment room has its own private dressing room. 37 East 64th Street. plaza-athenee-paris.com
Stay three nights with BA from £729pp including flights. All prices on January 2011 departures. Includes return BA flights from London Heathrow and accommodation only. Subject to availability, based on two sharing and includes all UK taxes. Visit ba.com/newyork
5 The Pierre
If you're looking for a swanky location and a great view, The Pierre is for you. The lofty property (which recently completed a £64m renovation) stands imposingly on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. The staff outnumber guests here by three to one, so expect to have every whim satisfied. Along with revamping the rooms (think wealthy grandparents' pied-à-terre), there's a new cocktail bar and the first outpost of the British dining establishment Le Caprice. 2 East 61st Street. lhw.com/hotel/The-Pierre-A-Taj-Hotel-New-York-NY
Stay three nights from £995pp including flights. All prices on January 2011 departures. Includes return BA flights from London Heathrow and accommodation only. Subject to availability, based on two sharing and includes all UK taxes. Visit ba.com/newyork
6 Intercontinental New York Times Square
Rising 36 storeys above the New York skyline and with 607 rooms, this is the largest new-build hotel to open in Manhattan in nearly a decade. Rooms are huge with 42in flatscreen TVs and touch-screen computers, and they're all wrapped with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stellar views. The hotel has recruited celebrity chef Todd English to create a casual French-style bistro, Ça Va. Rooms from £287. 300 West 44th Street. ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/newyork-timessquare
7 The Chatwal
Step inside and you'll think you're in a bygone era of Deco-decadence. The glam interior is designed by architect Thierry Despont, whose clients have included the Shah of Iran and Calvin Klein. The result is a tasteful adaptation of a classic Beaux Arts building, once home to the exclusive Lambs Club, a hub for the theatre crowd. Luxe rooms have clever details like a desk that opens up to create a mirrored vanity space for dressing for dinner. Rooms from £446. 130 West 44th Street thechatwalny.com
8 Andaz Fifth Avenue
In the heart of the Midtown hubbub, Manhattan's second Andaz hotel is tranquil and discreet. Occupying the former HQ of Tommy Hilfiger, it's full of light, airy spaces in smart New York industrial chic — exposed ceiling pipes, black and white tones, abstract artwork. Rooms are large, comfortable and quiet,
with free WiFi and soft drinks minibars, and orange-marbled bathrooms. The hotel's own dive bar — opening soon — will
bring in the party crowd. From £278. 485 Fifth Avenue newyork.5thavenue.andaz.hyatt.com
9 Distrikt
Distrikt is a hotel with a theme, the city itself. As you walk into the lobby, you are greeted by a mural of NYC's legendary grid system of streets engraved into a large wooden panel behind the check-in counter. Located in Hell's Kitchen, you're just a few blocks away from Times Square. Although the neighbourhood can get noisy, you won't hear it in your room as the hotel has thoughtfully installed the kind of glass used at airports to mute noise from planes. 342 West 40th Street. distrikthotel.com
Stay three nights with BA from £599pp including flights. All prices on January 2011 departures. Includes return BA flights from London Heathrow and accommodation only. Subject to availability, based on two sharing and includes all UK taxes. Visit ba.com/newyork
10 Gansevoort Park Avenue
This NY newbie has guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, many with balconies, and awesome views of the Empire State Building. Gansevoort hotels have a reputation as places to play and party, so there are two bars — one on the ground floor and another next to the hotel group's signature rooftop pool/lounge/pick-up spot dubbed Plunge. Exhale Spa offers treatments, yoga and exercise classes to help you recover from the night before. 420 Park Avenue. hotelgansevoort.com/gansevoort
Stay three nights with BA from £699pp including flights. All prices on January 2011 departures. Includes return BA flights from London Heathrow and accommodation only. Subject to availability, based on two sharing and includes all UK taxes. Visit ba.com/newyork. ba.com/newyork
