Hotels: More, more & more

An abundance of choice: under the impact of ever-increasing business and leisure tourism, the number of hotel rooms has continued to rise in New York. Since 2015, more than 250 new establishments have opened or are under construction, from the Bronx to Staten Island, from Queens to Brooklyn and of course in Manhattan. Luxury hotels, boutique or lifestyle establishments, whether they are independent or affiliated to major brands, whether they offer 15 rooms or more than 700, they are the proof of the diversity of the New York offer. And yet, as proof of the zenith of hotel occupancy, the occupancy rate is not weakening and is still between 85 % and 90 %, despite the fact that in ten short years, the number of rooms has doubled, from 55,000 to just over 120,000. In 2017 alone, around 20 new hotels were opened, adding almost 3,000 rooms.

The survival of myths

So how do you make sense of it all? Some people favour theure valuesThese include the palaces that line the edges of Central Park and the 5^e Avenue. The Peninsula, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, enjoys a high level of prestige. Recently renovated, it boasts an unrivalled level of service, with more staff than rooms (239). With its Hong Kong origins, nothing is left to chance, right down to the stationery on the hotel's letterhead and the name of each guest, who also has a personal butler. But it's also its prestigious location, on the corner of the 5^e Avenue and 55^e Rue, in an imposing 1905 building, which is the beauty and prestige of the place, with its rooftop bar, swimming pool and spa offering extraordinary views over one of the world's most famous avenues.

A little further along the park, on 77th Street and Madison Avenue, the Mark, which is more confidential, is also a classic. In the very quiet Upper East Side, this establishment dating back to 1927 has long since proved its worth. Some of its 150 rooms overlook the gardens of neighbouring buildings, adding to the 'homy' atmosphere, as we like to say here. But the most breathtaking is the immensely spacious penthouse, a cube set atop the building with a 360-degree view, including of the Metropolitan Museum. Pleasant touches: the free rickshaw for shopping - after closing time - at Bergdorf Goodman, the bicycles available and the flowers sold in charming bouquets outside, just outside the entrance.

So, in New York, you can bet on the myths, from the Peninsula to the Mark, from the Pierre to the Plaza, from the St Régis to the Mandarin... But you can't go wrong! try something new can also be exhilarating. Still near Central Park, a very fine hotel, the Whitby, from the English brand Firmdale, owner of a dozen establishments in London, opened in spring 2017. The originality of the Whitby and its 86 rooms is its burst of colour, its eclectic decor, sometimes ethnic, predominantly Indian, its creations signed by contemporary artists, its slightly rebellious elegance, so British. You'll feel as if you're in a grand hotel, but with the impression that you're trying something new.

The same is true of the 1 Hotel Central Park, the second in a series of eco-friendly establishments, the first of which opened in Miami, heralded by a green wall that spills out onto 6th Avenue, not far from Carnegie Hall. However, it is the third 1 Hotels, opened just over a year ago in Brooklyn Bridge Park, that has become the brand's flagship. And with good reason. Most of the 199 rooms at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, as if set on the East River, open directly onto the forest of buildings in lower Manhattan and the famous bridge. Grand effect guaranteed. There's also a sense of intelligent consumption, with no plastic bottles, filtered water fountains in each room with recycled carafe, decor designed from recycled materials, plants and moss everywhere and a roof terrace with swimming pool for the summer...

Brooklyn is currently on a roll, even when it comes to hotels. Next September, a 179-room Hoxton will be opening in Williamsburg. This first Hoxton on American soil, also from a brand straight out of London, also has a roof terrace. Not an uncommon sight in this district of former warehouses.

Breakfast at Central Park

Nonetheless, the majority of openings are concentrated on between Midtown and Central Park. At the end of 2017, it was the Luma Hotel in Times Square, with its beautiful contemporary style, and the Moxy, also in Times Square, a 600-room hotel with a playful spirit, dominated by wood and allusions to the past: A little further down the road, in the revitalised NoMad district, the aptly named Life Hotel, with its beautiful wrought-iron beds and vintage look, is all about delicacy.

But again and again, we come back to Central Park. And when we're not talking about new openings, we're talking about a complete makeover. This will soon be the case at the Parker Hotel, a former Méridien that has just joined the noble ranks of Leading Hotels of the World. In one or two years' time, it will have undergone a complete metamorphosis, having shed its somewhat old-fashioned look for a more sparkling and tangy spiritAnd above all, this new look will highlight the admirable views over Central Park from its 739 rooms and its splendid swimming pool at 42°.^e floor. Under the stars, high above the fray...