Hotel: Mandarin Oriental New York

Address: 80 Columbus Circle at West 60th St., N.Y., 10022

Website: www.mandarinoriental.com

TraveLife Ranking: 5 Stars

Rooms: 251

Room Rates: $800+

Awards: The Mandarin Oriental New York has made Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s Gold List and has earned kudos from just about every other travel and hotel publication.

Highlights: Housed in the impressive Time Warner, the new home of CNN, the hotel sits across from the entrance of Central Park at Columbus Circle. The hotel occupies 18 floors of one of the complex’s two 80-story glass towers. There’s an 1,970-seat Jazz concert hall and New York City’s only retail mall attached to the towers and the hotel.

History: The hotel is too new to have a history, but stay tuned because this will undoubtedly become one of the city’s landmark properties.

Interior Highlights: When the elevator doors (they are decorated with designs of Chinese calligraphy) slide open at the 35th-floor sky lobby, guests are greeted by an awesome view of Central Park and a sweeping staircase that leads to the hotel's 6,000-square-foot grand ballroom. The hotel’s designers have successfully combined Mandarin elegance and Manhattan chic. The sky lobby features stunning Waterford crystal creations by sculptor Dale Chihuly and works by some of New York's hottest artists hang alongside a collection of amazing Chinese textiles in the hotel's public areas.

In The Next Room: Because it sits in the Time Warner complex, you’re bound to bump into a lot of CNN personalities – like Nancy Grace, whom your TraveLife correspondent shared an elevator with one day. Lots of movie star types and jazz greats also make this their hotel of choice in New York.

The Rooms: Rooms are accented with the works of Chinese artists. Colour schemes in "standard" rooms are a combination of either pale gold and jet black or Chinese red and sterling silver. As you can well imagine, no detail has been overlooked in the rooms, which come jam-packed with every electronic gizmo ever invented for the business traveler. Beds are thick and cozy and bring back memories of sleeping in grandma's overstuffed bed as a child. The richly appointed furniture was inspired by designs from the 1940s and the addition of a window seat (in our room, at any rate) was a nice touch and allowed us to watch the happenings in Central Park across the street comfortably. Like most properties owned by Asian interests, great care has been taken with bathroom designs. A separate shower stall and water closet help free space for those trying to freshen up quickly and get in a New York state of mind. Inspiration for the hotel's spacious suites (48 in all) came from neighboring Manhattan apartments where the city's rich and powerful call home. All the suites have wonderful views of Central Park, the Hudson River and Manhattan's marvelous skyline.

Amenities: The 14,500-square-foot spa and fitness centre is the real star of this hotel gem. The Mandarin's spa may be the best in New York. In fact, the spa facility here rivals the chain's flagship property in Bangkok, which has long been rated the best hotel in the world. The spa menu is packed with every treatment known to man and woman. The rooms for bathed on light and the couple’s room may be the best in the business. It features a walk-up soaking tub big enough to be classified as a pool; an Asian day bed where couples can cozy up; and some stunning views of the dramatic Manhattan skyline and Hudson River.

Restaurants: The Lobby Lounge and the trendy MObar and Asiate restaurants – they’ve already earned gastronomic acclaim – are the new chic rooms to be seen in the Big Apple. Asiate was the creation of Tony Chi, a man so revered in the design field that he is described as a "visionary" instead of just a mere designer. What Chi has created at Asiate - he also designed MObar - is a vision of loveliness. Asiate features French-Japanese fare that rivals anything New York competitors can dish up. Patrons leaving the restaurant were overheard using words like "fabulous," "exquisite" and "swish" - a New York expression meaning fashionable - to describe their experience. I had to take their word for it because I was unable to secure a reservation during my stay. If Asiate can't meet you reservation requirements, then one of the "greatest collection of restaurants ever assembled under one roof (in the Time Warner Center)," according to EatOut magazine, surely will. The "food court" at the $1.7 billion Center has attracted an all-star team of restaurateurs and chefs - Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Masa Takayama, Charlie Trotter, to name drop just a few - and is drawing patrons away from the city's other chic dining spots.

Shopping: Many high-end fashion stores have set up shop in the Time Warner complex, including Hugo Boss, Coach, Clio, Thomas Pink and Cole Hann. The shopping Mecca along Fifth Ave. and Madison Ave., is just a short stroll away.

Close By The Mandarin Oriental sits on the edge of Broadway and all of New York’s most famous theatres are just a short cab or walk away.

Tips: It costs a lot for all the above-mentioned luxury this property offers so wait for some off-season specials. However, they’re getting very rare at this well sought after property where reservations a year in advance are becoming commonplace. You’ll also have to make reservations a year in advance if you want to enjoy a couple’s massage at the Mandarin spa.