Who wouldn’t enjoy a few days wandering around New York, taking in the sights and sounds of one of the most famous places on earth? Central Park, the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings…Broadway, Times Square and the hustle and bustle of lower Manhattan…

Mind you, those business trips had served me well because I knew quite a few of the central hotels and also knew how poor value they can be: how basic and uninteresting and how noisy many of them can be as the sirens wail past them through the night. So I knew that the best thing we could do was book into the Millennium UN Plaza for a real treat…

MEET ME ON THE CORNER...

So to try to place it even more let’s think…well, the Empire State Building is 1.5 miles away, the heart of Fifth Avenue is 2 miles away and Grand Central Station is only 4 blocks away!

So on first approaching Union Plaza on 44th and 1st you will be amazed – it’s high; it’s very high and is in fact set over floors 28 – 40 in the building. It is also one of those buildings that look sheer; more like it is made out of mirror glass than glass itself y’know? It is quite a landmark in its own right and I believe it was also scaled from the outside by one of those “freestyle” (meaning no safety ropes) climbers once.

The lobby is a rather impressive, if disconcerting place. It has been updated quite extensively since I first visited but it still has an alarming amount of mirror walls to give the effect of space! There is always a distinct danger that a couple of gin and tonics would have you walking into walls!

Having taken the stomach-turning speed elevator up to your room you will find your room is unsurprisingly opened by a security card, rather than a key. You will find a large room, tastefully but minimally decorated with all the usual add-ins you would expect.

Given that the mini bar is so expensive it is good that some free snacks, fruit and water are usually set out for your arrival. Don’t expect coffee/tea-making facilities – it just doesn’t seem to be the done thing in US hotels.

Before you freshen up for dinner pull the curtains open and stand slack-jawed before the most amazing cityscape you will have the privilege to view. You will be able to see lower Manhattan stretching into the distance, to follow the East River and to marvel at the landmarks of the Empire State Building and the impressive Chrysler. Here, my friends, is what you are paying for and no amount of consideration of the free shampoo bottles or whether a chambermaid smiled at you or not will have any significant impact on the price of being able to look out on this majestic view. Enjoy.

The bathroom is the sort of bathroom you would expect for a 4 star city centre hotel – white and gleaming and larger than many hotel bathrooms we are used to accepting. There is nothing whatever to set it apart from a million other hotel bathrooms except its size but that is only because it is doing everything right – complimentary bits and bobs, white fluffy towels, bathrobes…you know the form…

The bar is called the Ambassador Lounge – it’s a rather dark intimate place, with lots of tables half hidden from one another. The same hostess’s have been working the bar for years and have amazingly good memories for guests! Drinks are expensive, as you would expect in a fairly upmarket hotel bar, but it is still worth just one drink before dinner (and a nibble on a complimentary cashew!) just to get a feel for the place.

If room service is more your thing then it s available from 6 am until midnight every day and provides a large proportion of the restaurant menu along with smaller snacks. From memory, I think you will pay an additional $5 for the service.

Anyone for tennis? Well it might rather take you by surprise to learn that there are tennis courts, a rather impressive gym and a swimming pool taking up one floor in this hotel (eek, I think it was the 35th..) It really does feel bizarre that they should be so high up the building and swaying along with the rest of us…perhaps that is why they are so deserted! If you fancy a swim it seems that you can have the pool to yourself at virtually any time of the day or night…

So the end of your stay has come around all too quickly, and the damage to your credit card will almost certainly depend on how canny you were at finding a bargain on the internet. Rack rates in early months range from about $179 - $280 depending on the days of the week, but I have seen claims that people have had rooms from only $100 a night. We paid $160 per night which I thought was excellent (don’t forget this is for two people sharing a double room). All in all, I thought it was a bargain and would be happy to use this as my base when I visit New York again.

1 Union Plaza (44th/1st)
New York
NY 10017-3575 US