Greenwich Hotel | a unique NYC design hotel

One is immediately impressed, on entering the Greenwich Hotel, that this is a very unique hotel for Manhattan — or for anyplace else, for that matter. We were greeted at the front door by a doorman, dressed in a jacket and open shirt, who greeted us warmly while opening the door for us. Stepping into the lobby, we felt that we had entered a vintage living room from another era, with comfortable sofas and exposed wooden ceiling beams (fashioned from repurposed wood). In addition to the public lobby area (with a direct entrance into the adjoining restaurant, Locanda Verde), there is a private Drawing Room with wood-burning fireplace for guests only. The atmosphere is informal, casual, and funky.

I highly recommend the Greenwich for couples looking for a place in Manhattan to spend a romantic weekend. With just 88 rooms and suites, the property feels more like a B&B than a typical luxury hotel. Though just three years old, the hotel has a retro look and feel, each room being different by design. Reclaimed wood is used extensively for exposed beams and room doors. Wide oak planks are used for the floors, and high 10-foot ceilings throughout the property create a feeling of spaciousness.

Which room category to choose? Lead-in Courtyard Rooms overlook the central courtyard while Greenwich rooms have views into the hotel's TriBeCa neighborhood; these two lead-in room categories feel like Superior rooms at 395 square feet and offer Queen beds, single vanities, and a step-in shower. Higher room categories (Superior and Deluxe Greenwich rooms) and suites provide King beds, and some offer a soaking tub in addition to the step-in shower (most showers come with curtains instead of shower doors, so make a special request here if this is important to you). Suites are in high demand, and we were not able to see one during our site inspection as all were occupied at the time of our visit.

Complimentary WiFi is provided throughout the property, and the in-room mini-bars are complimentary as well, with the exception of alcoholic beverages. With an indoor pool, and a nice exercise room, The Greenwich Hotel offers an excellent value in lower Manhattan. Virtuoso guests receive room upgrades on arrival, subject to availability, in addition to a $25 per person breakfast credit and one $100 spa credit.

Greenwich Hotel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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High Line Park | a nice walk in New York City

Visiting New York City and looking for something different to do? Consider the High Line, a public park created on an abandoned elevated rail line above the West Side. Instead of tearing down the tracks, residents organized to preserve and transform the old rail line into a public park.

Beginning at Gansevoort Street (in the Meatpacking District) to 10th Avenue at W 30th Street, there are plans eventually to extend the Park to W 34th Street). We enjoyed walking the length of the park (about 1 mile), a very pleasant stroll on a sunny day. You can see the Hudson River between buildings to the west and the Empire State Building to the east (pictured above).

High Line (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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a clever scam

Chinese yuan on top, Belarus ruble on bottom

A colleague on my recent trip to China experienced a clever scam at the hands of some street merchants. He had negotiated the purchase of two "genuine fake" Louis Vuitton handbags, successfully negotiating the price down to 20 yuan (about $3.14). After being subtly encouraged to pay with a 100 Yuan bill, he received change of 80 in return.

My friend never suspected anything until he handed one of those bills to a driver to pay a taxi fare. The taxi driver took a look at the bill (the second bill in the picture above), took a second look, and handed it right back. Although the bill's colors are the same as a Chinese Yuan and may have looked genuine to the unsuspecting eye, there was no picture of Chairman Mao on the bill, a clear giveaway to any citizen of China!

Turns out my friend had been given change in Belarus rubles, a relatively worthless currency. 20 rubles are worth about one-fifth of one cent. Despite his "successful" price negotiations, he had ended up paying 100 rubles for the fake handbags (about $15.75). The scam was so clever, he almost didn't mind having been scammed!

Something to be on the lookout for when visiting China.


trip to China (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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keep watching this space

I had fully intended to post updates during my trip to China, not realizing that the free flow of information is restricted from within China. In particular, access to any Blogspot blog is blocked.

I am having a great time and have lots to share - nothing of which should concern the Chinese authorities, as I am only trying to promote luxury travel to China. So keep watching this space after I return next week.

London Summer Olympics hotel space

Bulgari London - opening April, 2012

If you've tried to book London hotel rooms during next summer's London Olympics, you've doubtless discovered that London Summer Olympics hotel space is very difficult to come by. Much of the city's hotel inventory has been pre-blocked by the Olympic Committee. If you are lucky enough to find a hotel that can welcome you, that stay comes with stringent deposit, cancellation, and minimum stay requirements.

The Bulgari London is opening in April, 2012. Although space is not yet available on regular booking engines, we are told that we will be able to get confirmed space due to our relationship with Ritz-Carlton. This is the extent of the information I currently have, but contact my office if you're interested in finding luxury hotel space in London during the Summer Olympics or The Jubilee.

summer Olympic hotel space (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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