Skating in Wollman Rink, shopping for gifts along Madison Avenue and peeking at the tree in Rockefeller Center—New York does the holidays better than any other destination. This year, break out of your routine and experience the best of the wintry city with a festive staycation.
To glean some getaway inspiration, we consulted Amanda Frasier, executive vice president of Standards & Ratings for Forbes Travel Guide. A global authority on luxury travel, FTG is known for its annual Star Awards for the world’s top hotels, restaurants and spas. Here are Frasier’s picks for an unforgettable New York City holiday.
For Families
New York City’s second Conrad property debuted in October. The new all-suite Conrad New York Midtown is close to seasonal favorites like Saks Fifth Avenue’s famous window displays and Rockefeller Center. Make your kids’ Christmas wishes come true with a stay in the hotel’s FAO Schwarz Holiday Suite. The 1,800-square-foot suite comes filled with toys and oversized stuffed animals (if your little ones grow attached to the towering plush giraffe or any other in-room toy, it can be shipped to your home), along with a $100 gift card to the famed store and a private tour with a toy soldier.
For Friends
Gather with your nearest and dearest atop The Peninsula New York. The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel converted its 23rd-floor rooftop into Chalet de Ning, an alps-inspired retreat. Reserve one of the two spacious private domes outfitted with chic interiors, fuzzy blankets and a chiminea for a jovial party. Enjoy cocktails and fare inspired by Switzerland’s Engadine region while gazing out of the dome’s clear walls onto the city skyline.
After dinner, move the merriment down to one of the sophisticated suites. The following day, revive at the hotel’s Five-Star spa, hit the Fifth Avenue shops and then catch the perennial favorite Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
For Lovebirds
Reconnect with your loved one at Archer Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan. Have a romantic dinner at the property’s Charlie Palmer Steak, then head up to Spyglass, the 22nd-floor rooftop lounge, for Empire State Building vistas and classic
cocktails.
The boutique hotel sits down the street from Bryant Park and the Bank of America Winter Village. Go there to glide on the ice rink, peruse more than 170 pop-up shops and indulge in s’mores. Wrap up the evening in the hotel’s intimate, contemporary rooms, whose plush Eurotop mattresses and Frette bathrobes will keep you cozy.
For Shoppers
Let Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown help you with your holiday shopping. The Five-Star hotel’s Martinis and Mistletoe offer gives you a specially curated shopping trip to Brookfield Place and Westfield World Trade Center. When you finish crossing everyone off of your list, enjoy priority access to One World Observatory to watch the sun set over the city. Then lace up for some laps at Winterland Rink on The Rooftop at Pier 17—the included Veuve Clicquot VIP Skating Package will give you a glass of champagne—followed by a four-course dinner for two at CUT by Wolfgang Puck.
For Foodies
Design aficionados will adore the sleek, minimalist aesthetic of The New York EDITION, which resides in a historic clock tower overlooking Madison Square Park. But foodies will appreciate the Four-Star hotel’s Dine like a Clockstar package, which includes complimentary breakfast with views of the green space and a $75 credit toward lunch or dinner at The Clocktower, celebrated chef Jason Atherton’s contemporary British restaurant. For a decadent ending, order the pear pie, which comes with brandy caramel and a rich brown butter ice cream. Afterward, stroll over to the park to see the towering Norway spruce tree festooned in bright white lights.
Photography by: Conrad Photo Courtesy Of Conrad New York Midtown; Four Season Photo Courtesy Of Four Seasons Hotels; New York Edition Photo Courtesy Of Edition Hotels; The Peninsula Photo Courtesy Of The Peninsula New York; Bryant Park Photo By Brittany Petronella
