Hotel reviews: Le Parker Méridien

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• Overview
• Accommodation
• Food and drink
• Beach
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One of the largest hotels in New York with 731 rooms on 42 floors, the hotel is part of the Jack Parker Corporation started in 1955. Jack has now passed away, however his wife actually still lives in the property. Last year (2009) the hotel underwent a soft furnishings renovation which explains the impeccable state of the rooms.

• Location
• TO KNOW
• Overview
• Accommodation
• Food and drink
• Beach
• Photos

It would simply not do for Le Parker Meridien to have a lobby that did not echo the magnitude of the hotel and so it comes as no surprise that the entrance hall is quite magnificent: lofty ceilings, contemporary seating and lighting and Greek-style arches supporting galleries up above. Both the reception and concierge boast original works by Damien Hirst reigning down upon them, while an explosion of small squares occurs on the carpet. Adjoining the reception area is a marble-floored space with perfectly aligned seating and a row of lamps crossing diagonally overhead. Off the reception are the hotel's three eateries: Norma's, Knave and the Burger Joint (see Food and Drink). Gravity runs the hotel's fitness and wellness services which are second to none; indeed, President Barack Obama stayed at the hotel expressly for the gym. There are two floors of the finest cardio and weights machines as well as free weights and all the equipment you could possibly require for the best workout of your life. Incredibly for a hotel Le Parker Meridien boasts racquetball and basketball courts and classes for spinning, kickboxing, yoga, pilates and sculpting. You can take your anger out on one of two boxing bags and for something a little more light-hearted why not try a Wii workout! Instructors are available for guidance and advice. Gravity also offers a limited wellness programme with facials, massages and waxing available. The hotel is one of the few in New York to have a swimming pool which is on the rooftop and has a terrace. The hotel is spotless and extremely well-kept and has unique touches such as beautiful fabric on the corridor walls and a Droopy cartoon playing in the lifts.

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The hotel offers rooms and suites in different sizes and with varying amenities although all the bedrooms are appointed similarly. The standard room, some of which have views on to Central Park, has a generous square footage and the décor is understated yet sharp and clean. The bed is smartly made with custom reddy orange duvet and matching pillow cases and sits against a wall panelled in lacquered wood with both lamps and reading lights. A Tivoli radio alarm clock sits on the bedside table while opposite is a flatscreen television implanted into a swiveling storage unit. In the closet you'll find an enormous safe and iron and ironing board and there is a desk and Aeron desk chair face the window. A well-stocked minibar is located in the unit next to the closet. The bathroom, which also features the wood paneling as well as a black marble vanity, has a bathtub, Peter Thomas Roth toiletries, hairdryer and custom white robes with orange ties. The shot glasses for rinsing your mouth are a nice quirk. The larger Deluxe rooms have another 100ft² and so space for a living area with a couch, armchair and coffee table. Moving on to the suites, their bedrooms tend to be slightly smaller than the guest rooms allowing for a more spacious living space. The Junior Suite has a separate lounge which features a couch sunk into the window sill and a series of attractive autumnal canvas above a second sofa. It boasts a pouring bar and closet (with umbrella) hidden by a plush red velvet curtain. The swiveling unit housing the television (and in these rooms a DVD player) spins 180° so it can be watched either in the bedroom or the lounge. The larger suites, such as the Corner Suite and the Central Park Suite have kitchenettes and are of course more spacious, the latter having a sofa bed for extra guests. The Diplomatic suite, as well as having stunning views, has a dining table and chairs making it great for longer stays in the city or for business meetings. The crowning room of the hotel is the Presidential suite which has no kitchen, but does have a screening room with an 80" plasma screen and a deep bath and bidet in the bathroom.

• Location
• TO KNOW
• Overview
• Accommodation
• Food and drink
• Beach
• Photos

With four places to eat you won't go hungry at Le Parker Meridien. First up is Knave, a high end espresso bar housed in a cathedral like setting with a long stained glass atrium running the length of the room from which hang gothic chandeliers. Where there would be stained glass windows recounting a particular scene from the bible there are mirrors and where there would be pews there are tables and chairs for enjoying a morning beverage and croissant or, a little later, a sandwich and a glass of wine or a beer. From late afternoon Knave becomes a bar where you can enjoy cocktails and nibbles in an angelic setting. Norma's, named after the late Jack Parker's wife, is a legendary address, particularly for brunches. In fact Zagat guide liked it so much that it ranked it as its second favourite place in New York to pig out late morning. Open from 7am to 3pm, it serves pancakes, all kinds of French toast, eggs they way you like them, crepes, salads, sandwiches and other dishes, all in substantial quantities. The restaurant has 120 covers and on a busy day can serve 700 dishes! If you fancy reliving the outrageous Norma's brunch experience at home then make sure you grab a copy of the cookbook. For a good old fashioned New York burger then make a bee line for the tiny Burger Joint off the hotel's lobby, but get there early or else you risk having to join the queue which often wraps around the lobby so good are its burgers. The place actually did one better then Norma's and made it to number one in Zagat's list of the top burgers in the city. The room cannot be much bigger then 200ft² and its walls are covered in celebrity autographs and as well as framed photos, posters and raving reviews from every magazine that matters.