Four Seasons Hotel New York

Central Park

Surrounded by some of New York’s most interesting skyscrapers, Central Park is a four-kilometer long and 800 meter wide oasis of greenery. Far from the sounds of screaming fire engine sirens and honking horns, it’s the favorite and the ideal site for New Yorkers in search of a peaceful area for a stroll. It’s extremely popular with joggers and roller bladers who run or skate through its numerous paths and lanes, as well as students looking for green patches of grass to relax on between classes. Families picnic here, and traders come to fill their lungs with fresh air.

Entirely designed by man, this former swampland was cleared in 1857 when work began on the creation of the park. In the north, the hills and rocks were put in place in a similar spirit to the “Hameau de la Reine” or the Queen’s hamlet in Versailles, although on a much larger scale. The centrally located man made Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir covers 43 hectares, and to the south we find huge tracts of grass where sheep grazed until as late as 1934. Today, instead of sheep, we find New Yorkers looking for greenery, nature or an open-air concert. Central Park also has a zoo which opened in 1880, the adjacent Metropolitan Museum of Art, Strawberry Fields, a monument to John Lennon, the Scottish Belvedere Castle, an ice skating rink, athletic fields and an abundant amount of fauna. Many bird species, a huge number of squirrels and even some marmots have made the park their home. Opened in 1873 after 16 years of work, the planting of 500,000 trees and expenditures equaling several million dollars, it was declared an historic monument in 1965 and remains an important and integral part of the lives of New Yorkers.

Reaching for the stars

The 208-meter high Four Seasons Hotel New York is in one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers. Built by the renowned architect, Leoh Ming Pei, who also created the Louvre Museum Pyramid, we discover an art deco style tower, which gold and beige limestone comes from the same quarry that was used to build the Parisian palace.

The hotel is spread over 47 floors, from the 5^th to the 52^nd. The rooms are immense and luminous with large bay windows overlooking Central Park with a panoramic view of Manhattan. Light colors like beige, caramel, honey and ivory combined with touches of glazed chestnut and a pale salmon reinforce the impression of bright light. The thick carpet, sycamore furniture, numbered works of art and Le Corbusier wallpaper combine to create the impression of elegant sobriety and subtle, discreet luxury. In short, the style is pure and refined. The less expensive rooms obviously have a lesser view as they are located on the lower floors.

The 400-square-meter suite, the Ty Warner Penthouse, is on the top floor and is one of the world’s most expensive suites, although all of New York is at your feet!

In this Pei masterpiece, Joël Robuchon, one of the world’s most celebrated Chefs, opened his Atelier. Under the 1930s style red marble chandeliers, the totally red and black restaurant has gradually imposed itself on the city. With its open kitchen, its U shaped counter and its boudoir type salon, the New York Atelier offers the same specialties as its Parisian counterpart and more! As a tribute to the Big Apple, an original hamburger with foie gras was added to the menu.

To forget the frenetic activity of the city for a while, the Four Seasons spa is the place to go followed by a visit to the Ty, named after the hotel’s owner, Ty Warner, for a delicious cup of tea. And to begin the evening, The Bar or The Garden are strongly advised.

The bedding of the Four Seasons is so comfortable that the hotel offers guests the possibility of purchasing it. It can also be ordered from the boutique on the ground floor.