By Ann-Marie Nieves
My husband and I had a ‘babymoon’ at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park earlier this month. I know what you’re thinking… How decadent! How fortunate! How positively New York City! It was all that and more.
As I write, I’m a weeble-wobbling 40 weeks pregnant, still working 12 hour days while awaiting my first born son with anticipation. So when my editor at LA’s The Place magazine asked if I would to write an article on The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, my first thought was of course, quickly followed by, when the heck am I going to do this? My husband quickly reminded me of my passion for world-class hotels. You’re always in a better mood when you stay at a gorgeous hotel, he said. The last time we stayed at The Ritz was just too many, errr, moons ago in the lovely city of Toronto.
Babymoon wasn’t even a word I was familiar with until one of my girlfriends – one who adores tradition and whom I admire for it – said to me as I was soaking it up in The Ritz bathtub – “sounds like you have a nice little babymoon planned for the weekend…”
And indeed it was. After my usual Friday rounds in Murray Hill to visit my OB and ultrasound techs, Lobster salad at Trump’s restaurant on 590 Madison Ave, I headed towards Central Park South past the Apple store, The Paris Theatre and the horse-drawn carriages. The city felt both familiar and new and I just couldn’t wait to see my gorgeous husband that night. There is something about New York City that always leaves me feeling exhilarated and vulnerable at the same time. It’s a feeling I don’t ever want to go away.
When you step into The Ritz Carlton New York, Central Park, you know you’re in for something special – wonderful food, stunning sights, unparalleled service. By that Friday afternoon, I had easily logged 65 hours in my work week and felt on the verge of some near collapse. It’s amazing how a few smiling faces and a bowlful of truly green apples sitting on top of the check-in desk can change the spirit. I had a new pep in my step.
After being escorted upstairs to my lovely suite by an equally lovely staff member who had just moved from Hawaii (how brilliantly daring!), I let out this huge sigh of relief. Then I spotted the tub in the master suite. This was my heaven. Then I spotted the Dylan’s Candy Bars. But it was the artwork that really had me enchanted.
The 33-story Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is housed within a striking 1930s building designed by Emery Roth. Boasting the residential ambience of an elegant New York townhouse, the hotel comprises 259 guest rooms, including 47 suites, and 12 luxury residences as well as a world-class spa and a traditional New York stand-up bar. The hotel features a museum-quality collection of paintings by American modernist Samuel Halpert (1888 – 1930) and others.
One candy bar down. 25 emails answered. A soak in the tub with Asprey’s body wash, one hit wonders on my iPod and the latest Barbara Taylor Bradford book, I felt the best I had felt since the day I discovered I was pregnant. After I wrapped myself in The Ritz terry cloth robe, I thoroughly enjoyed the cheese and cracker plate the concierge left in the sitting area.
My husband soon arrived, smiling to boot, and we hit Rue 57, a very busy brasserie for steak frites. I spent much of the time trying to figure out the actor sitting next to me. Doogie Howser’s best friend Vinnie? Anyway, the conversation eventually led to the renowned La Prairie Spa and the All Caviar package.
To say that the All Caviar Package redefines luxury is probably a bit of an understatement. From caviar tastings at Petrossian to caviar massages at the La Prairie at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, it’s more of an experience of a lifetime.
The One Night package is perfectly unique. Guests are met on arrival with a Caviar Martini, a martini accented with an exclusive Petrossian “caviar cube.” After settling into accommodations overlooking Central Park, guests enjoy a tasting of delicate, gourmet caviar at Petrossian, led by one of the French caviar legend’s knowledgeable team. The following day, guests wake to a full American breakfast, in-room or in the elegant Star Lounge, before indulging at La Prairie at The Ritz-Carlton Spa with an extravagant 60-minute Caviar Massage, a La Prairie signature service, utilizing the beloved Caviar Collection to nourish and hydrate skin like never before. Finally, guests enjoy an epicurean feast of three elegantly paired courses for lunch at the Petrossian restaurant.
We decided to stick with chocolate and the tub in our master suite. I won’t regret it – ok maybe a little bit, but there has to be some rule about pregnant women eating caviar right? I was ready to call it a night in my five-star hotel room with my handsome husband and my kicking baby. Saturday was a brand new day.
Yet another soak in the tub with soft jazz playing in the background, an advance copy of Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days by psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert and then a hearty breakfast at Sarabeth’s, we circled around Central Park a bit and hit Madison Avenue. I had to pick up a new red bag at Longchamp.
There was the slightest hint of spring in the air and it was making me giddy, unfortunately not enough to ignore the cartoonish swelling in my fingers and ankles. Still we walked Madison Avenue as if it was new to us. We laughed. Circling back to the hotel we stopped at a vintage poster street vendor and hit the jackpot in kitsch. We found the remaining artwork for our baby’s nursery.
A dangerously good nap followed by some more chocolate and reading, we talked for hours and took pictures of our hotel room suite – the wallpaper, the artwork, the molding. Oh – the ideas we came up with for our quaint brick row house in Astoria. Would life ever be this gloriously simple again? Would my husband’s hands turn into those of a contractor vs a management consultant? Could we stay at The Ritz Carlton-Central Park forever?
After room service for dinner – a divine meal of beet salad and chicken club for me, shrimp cocktail and filet mignon for the husband, I realized that planes, trains and automobiles were entirely over-rated. Sometimes there is nothing better than a stay-cation and falling in love all over again in the place you call home.
Fast facts for travelers:
The hotel’s 259 guest rooms and 47 suites were refurbished in 2009 and are opulently furnished in shades of celadon, taupe and pale rose. Plush upholsteries, brocade drapes and richly patterned carpets create a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience. A variety of services and amenities are designed with ultimate guest comfort in mind.
- Exclusively made 400 thread-count fine linens
- Feather duvets, feather beds and a choice of seven types of pillow
- Oversized marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and a separate glass-enclosed shower
- Lighted make-up mirror, custom made scale, and full-size hair dryer
- Luxurious Etro bath amenities
- Choice of terry & waffle or cotton sateen bathrobes
- Multi-line cordless telephones with voice mail and data line capabilities
- WiFi access
- Complimentary morning newspapers of choice
- DVD players and a library of Academy Award-winning films, films featuring Central Park, and children’s movies
- Telescopes and birding books in park view rooms
- Extensive state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen entertainment systems in
GUEST SERVICES:
Pre-arrival” call to all guests by a guest relations manager for quick check-in, direct-to-room welcome
24/7 Technology Butler
Full service multi-lingual concierge
24-hour In-Room Dining
Twice-daily housekeeping service
Bath Butler and Bath Menu
Complimentary overnight shoeshine service
Full program for Children
Cookies and milk at turndown
Stuffed animals for small children
Bulgari baby amenities for infants
“POLO” (Protect Our Little Ones) program that includes box of bandages, outlet protectors, and other safety aids
Strollers
babysitting and nanny services as well as a full range of activities can be arranged through the concierge, such as tours of local toy stores and children’s exhibits at museums.
Pet program for dogs weighing less than 60 pounds. Veterinary services are available on-call through concierge in case of emergency, as well as walking and sitting services. An additional pet fee applies.
SHOPPING:
New York’s premier shopping districts, Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, are within easy walking
distance of the hotel. Just steps away are legendary shopping destinations Bergdorf Goodman and the
Tiffany & Co flagship store. The concierge team is more than happy to arrange personal shopping
services or transportation for citywide shopping excursions.
AREA ATTRACTIONS:
The hotel is in close proximity to Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art and Carnegie Hall,
Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Theater District and Times Square, Fifth Avenue and
Madison Avenue shopping and, of course, the many attractions of Central Park, such as Wollman Rink,
Belvedere Castle and the Central Park Zoo and Wildlife Center.
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
In conjunction with The Ritz-Carlton’s new brand campaign, ‘Let Us Stay With You,’ The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of New York are welcoming discerning guests to treat themselves, rejuvenate, and discover with new packages. At The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of New York, the ‘Discover With You’ Package unveils the best of New York, ‘Treat You’ promises access to the exclusive Club Lounge, the ‘Comfort You’ Package encourages guests to experience all the hotels have to offer, and ‘Rejuvenate You’ offers indulgent and relaxing spa experiences.
