The Pierre: A Hotel Review

As so many other widely traveled people, I often am critical of hotels that are supposedly five star properties but end up being disappointing in some important respects. So, I was very pleasantly surprised when The Pierre in Manhattan proved to be five stars in absolutely every respect. Though I was born and raised in New York City it had been a long time since I vacationed there. And I had long thought that it would be fun to stay at one of the older luxury hotels in Manhattan.

The Pierre definitely did not disappoint. The service was without any imperfection, including elevators run by actual people and all the people working the front desk and everywhere else were always helpful and friendly. The hotel restaurant is simply beautiful and superb, again with premium service. The room was excellent with a wonderful large and luxurious bathroom and top of the line bedding; we never heard any street noise in our 7^th floor room.

A tremendous benefit is the location opposite Central Park on 5th Avenue at 60^th Street. It could not be better, especially to enjoy the various activities and beauty in Central Pak. We were able to walk just about everywhere in midtown, including several walks to the Time Square area to see two Broadway shows. Window shopping along 5th and Madison Avenues provides a joyous experience with an abundance of very high-end retail stores and lots of beautiful, obviously rich people to look at. We were also able to walk to fine restaurants because even a 15 or 20 block distance can be walked in a relatively short time. There is also a subway station just around the corner from the Pierre which we used to get to an event in Brooklyn.

If you want a definite five star hotel in Manhattan go to the Pierre. Money wise, we got a great deal through a Virtuoso travel agent, including the third night free, ample money for breakfasts, which were terrific, a $100 food/beverage credit and a room upgrade. Turned out to be no more expensive than most ordinary Manhattan hotels, but such deals are not always available. For returning to Penn Station to catch an Amtrak train back to Washington, DC the hotel made its own limo available at not cost.

There are many hundreds of hotels in the Big Apple and selecting one is a challenge. My advice is to seriously look for great deals at The Pierre and other five or four star hotels in mid-town Manhattan above about 55^th Street. Stay away from hotels in the Time Square area because it is simply too packed with people nearly all the time and the crowds can be oppressive.