Since its opening in 1963, the Loews Regency New York has been one of the most sought after hotels on Park Avenue. A recent US$100 million renovation has ensured it has maintained that status – not just becoming one of the finest luxury hotels in the city, but easily sitting amongst the best hotels of the world.
Walking down Park Avenue, it would be easy to walk straight past this iconic hotel; the doorway sitting almost unassuming on one of the city’s busiest streets. But once you enter, you immediately see why this is such a beloved location, as the lobby magnificently presents the hotel’s modern beauty, comfort and luxury.
Above you’ll see the lobby’s front desks, and below you’ll see a bit more of the lobby and bar – all recently renovated and bursting with vibrancy.
While we were staying there, this area was still under some renovation, so sadly we didn’t spend much time exploring. So, after a check in which could not have been easier, we headed straight for our room, where we enjoyed a space just as luxurious as the hotel’s impressive lobby.
Upon entering our “Grand Double Room”, used to staying in rather shoe-boxed sized rooms in Manhattan – even at some of Loews’ luxury competition – you would have excused us for thinking we had entered the largest room in the hotel. No photo can do justice to the spaciousness and grandeur of the room – though we were surprised to hear that this was, in fact, only the largest of their “Guestrooms”, with the hotel offering a number of larger suites, such as the “Uptown Bohemian Suite” pictured below, which is the hotel’s biggest offering.
There really is luxury here for any price point, with rooms of all shapes and sizes. In total, the hotel offers 379 guestrooms and 58 suites – which is particularly impressive given how unassuming the hotel is from the outside. The rooms start at 250 sq ft (23.22 square meters, “Superior King”) and run to 425 sq ft (39.48 square meters) for the Grand Double Room, which is what we were enjoying. The Suites, meanwhile, run from 450 sq ft to 1,357 sq ft, as seen above, with all rooms and suites offering Frette linens on their impressively comfortable beds (top marks in particular to the pillows found on our doubles). The only real issue being the fact that you’re in the “city that never sleeps”, meaning that you won’t be spending much time in them.
The bathroom was quite remarkable, too, with amenities by Julien Farel and a huge walk-in shower – the head of which offered a great deal of water power; quite welcome after a day of walking the streets of Manhattan. You’ll find plenty of plush towels and comfortable robes in the bathroom, too, and a TV in the mirror – with the only thing missing being enough hooks to hang your dirty towels and your robes.
Elsewhere in the room, the Executive desk with ergonomic chair was comfortable and spacious, a large window, though well covered from the bright lights in the evening (not something every hotel in New York is capable of), offered an excellent view of the iconic Park Avenue. The room’s air conditioning was constant, comfortable and engineered to your liking, and the free wi-fi was fast and reliable. It always frustrates me when a luxury hotel, already charging high costs, wants to add on things like wi-fi. And plenty do it. So credit is certainly due for this service.
The hotel has some excellent food options – both in-room and in their Bar & Grill – though we didn’t sample any on this visit. Many mentioned the famous “Power Breakfast” that the hotel has been hosting on weekday mornings for 40 years, and business travellers in particular should check that out. Being in the heart of Manhattan, though, a short walk from Central Park and multiple train stations, you won’t be starved for options in and around the area. I enjoyed a diner nearby one of the mornings – as is my want when I’m in that fine city.
All in all, Loews Regency New York has everything you need in a hotel and more: incredible comfort, unbeatable location, impressive space, beautiful design and a TV in your bathroom! Bring all these pieces together and Loews have crafted one of the world’s finest hotels in the world’s best city.
The Loews Regency New York is located at 540 Park Avenue. For more details about the hotel, visit their official website.
Except where noted, images have been supplied by hotel. The writer stayed as a guest of the hotel for two nights.
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