Four Seasons New York Rating: 5.0 Pearls

Midtown East, Manhattan, New York City

Drinks at Ty Lounge

In terms of high-design pedigree, it's hard to ask for more. The squad behind the Four Seasons' look reads like a laundry list of visionaries. I.M. Pei -- the legendary architect behind the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the east building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. -- designed the public areas with 33-foot ceilings, rigorous symmetry, and a whole lot of limestone. The lobby and guest rooms owe their look to Remedios Siembieda, the designers behind interiors at high-end hotels from Hong Kong to Munich to Bora Bora. Prolific high-end designer Pierre-Yves Rochon laid out the swank accents in on-site dining areas Atelier, Ty Lounge, and The Bar at the Four Seasons. The space is beautiful -- so beautiful, in fact, that the Four Seasons website kindly invites guests to download its marketing photos "to use as your computer's desktop background."

In hyper-dense, business-intensive Midtown East, open space comes at a high price, and the Four Seasons articulates its opulence primarily through the vaulted ceilings of its public areas. An on-site art gallery supplements such tony elements as equine sculptures in glass display cases and silver bowls filled with winding, leafless twigs. In their plain, gray openness, the public areas eschew both the traditional charm of the Waldorf-Astoria's chandeliers and the adventurous color of the Mandarin Oriental's Dale Chihuly glass sculptures.

It's this middle-of-the-road restraint that helps define the Four Seasons. The rooms feature expensive equipment but target comfort above adventurous design, and the overall goal appears to be putting business travelers at ease with tasteful features and plenty of breathing room and privacy.

For a caricature of the quintessential Four Seasons guest, look to Sex and the City and Mr. Big, the mysterious Gatsbyesque love interest to main character Carrie Bradshaw. The HBO series makes it known that the Four Seasons is Mr. Big's hotel of choice -- just watch the Season 6 episode "The Domino Effect." International business travelers hold court face-to-face or via Smartphone on the lobby's velvet-cushioned sofas. It isn't strange to overhear conversations in French as well as Japanese during a single walk-through. Still, the massive, pillored lobby stays relatively quiet despite the frequent comings and goings of brisk-walking, well-tailored guests and the occasional family.

Sometimes a recognizable face appears; the likes of Jennifers Aniston and Lopez, as well as Beyonce, have been spotted here. The hotel doesn't provide a list of its famous guests, but suffice it to say that those aren't average Joes staying in the $18,000-a-night Presidential Penthouse or the $35,000 Ty Warner Suite.

Room service

From 24-hour room and concierge service to twice-daily housekeeping, free shoe shines, and a nightly turndown (sorry, it's service only -- no chocolates or nightcaps), the hotel offers a broad array of services, but the niceties -- like its special treats for kids -- set it apart from its high-end competitors.

Doormen, along with a team of security guards, monitor the passersby at 57 East 57th Street, the hotel's address, holding the doors for guests. Bellmen rush out to passing taxicabs to greet new arrivals as they dismount.

When it comes to small tasks and a soft touch, the Four Seasons does service as well as anyone. Virtually every single staff member I encountered seemed to ask, "Do you need anything else?" before leaving. When I called the front desk for a shave kit, not only did they respond promptly (within 10 minutes) they also brought me a bag filled with a Gillette Fusion razor, shave cream, a toothbrush, Colgate paste, a small Speed Stick, and some Scope mouthwash. Hotel regulars know the entire lounge staff by name, and wouldn't hesitate to ask a server for a pair of reading glasses. When I asked for a Nintendo Wii video-game system -- something promised on the Four Seasons' website but that the hotel does not actually offer -- the concierge apologized profusely, offered a PlayStation instead, and even offered to buy a Wii on my behalf -- as in, someone would run out and buy the console, then charge the cost to my room.

View on a Larger Map

Located on East 57th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues, the Four Seasons sits in the business-heavy Midtown East neighborhood, an area more popular for its high-volume of iconic skyscrapers than its nightlife (which generally ends after happy hour). Although there are better neighborhoods for drinks, there are considerable dining highlights beyond the Four Seasons' own L'Atelier. Steak restaurants like Maloney & Porcelli, Smith & Wollensky, or the upscale Mexican spot Dos Caminos are well worth a visit.

Many major New York attractions are within walking distance -- the hotel is five to 10 minutes from Central Park and 10 to 15 minutes from the Museum of Modern Art -- but plan to hail a taxi or wear a good pair of sneakers if you want to catch a Broadway show or see the flashing ads of Times Square, about a 20-minute walk away.

In terms of subway transportation, four lines (the N, R W; the 4, 5, 6; the E; and the V) all sit within a five-block radius (a five- to 10-minute walk) from the hotel.

Bathroom in the Moderate Room

Rooms are luxurious, without being adventurous. Gold-tinted carpet, pale wooden trimming, and muted brown furniture don't get points for creativity, but there's comfort in the home-office style. Plus, the rooms on higher floors take in substantial daylight from large windows -- no small feat in skyscraper-riddled Midtown East -- and in my Moderate room (No. 3308), one of the windows even featured a leather-cushioned nook.

Standard rooms start at an enormous 500 square feet. That doubles the size of the Waldorf's rooms and beats the 420- and 430-square-footers at the Mandarin Oriental and the St. Regis, while edging out those at the Plaza (475). This means that even in the cheapest room, there's still plenty of space for a spacious closet, comfortable bathroom, and large desk. There's even room for yoga or push-ups.

Moving up the rate scale, square footage increases. All individual guest rooms besides the lowest-priced Moderate room come with the Four Seasons' signature deep soaking tub, which fills in 60 seconds. The Executive Suite jumps up to 800 square feet and adds a distinct seating area. The two Presidential Suites, which sit on the 51st floor, eat up 1,500 square feet apiece and rent for $18,000 a night.

Among the high-end perks:

• Eight-piece glassware set and a well-stocked minibar
• 32-inch hi-def flat-screen TV with a full satellite package that includes Spanish-, Japanese-, and French-speaking channels; a DVD player (the hotel also offers a lending library with both classic and children's DVDs)
• Printer/fax machine
• Terrycloth robe and slippers
• Ample dimmer switches
• Drapes that close by an electronic switch.
• Each morning, guests can choose between the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the New York Post, or USA Today for free delivery.
• Small flat-screen TV in the bathroom
• Showers come with two heads -- one overhead, one handheld.
• Bulgari bath products
• Excellent beds: Sealy Posturelux Four Seasons mattresses; fine sheets; fluffy down pillows; down comforter with a duvet; hypoallergenic pillows available upon request

Other notes:

• The in-room Wi-Fi is fast and easy to set up, but it costs an extra $15 per day.
• On the 18th floor, I didn't experience any street-noise issues and heard no sounds from other guests in the hallways.

Treatment room in the Four Seasons Spa

• Spa facilities, unlike the treatments, are free for guests, and this includes use of the whirlpools, saunas, and vanity stations (open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m). In New York, this is practically unheard-of.
• The on-site Four Seasons spa -- open for treatments from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day -- offers massages and mani-pedis, as well as signature treatments like the Big Apple Antioxidant sugar body scrub and the DNA Collagen Regenerator facial. During off-hours, in-room treatments are also available.
• Excellent, 24-hour fitness center: free weights and weight machines; 13 cardio machines, each with personal TVs and headphones; free fruit and fruit juice in the locker rooms' lounge areas; an attendant offers free bottled water.
• Personal trainer-led yoga and jogging workouts available for a fee
• No pool, unlike at the Mandarin Oriental
• Also open seven days a week -- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays -- the Four Seasons' business center offers several above-the-bar services, including cell-phone and laptop rental, in addition to the usual Internet access. The facilities can also accommodate high-volume copying and printing. When the center is closed, guests can still access it by contacting the concierge.

The Four Seasons' list of family-friendly features is extensive. Given advance warning, the hotel will provide a welcome package for very young guests, plus child-size bathrobes. The hotel also offers materials for childproofing rooms, as well as coloring books, rollaway beds, cribs, PlayStation game consoles, and a DVD lending library with titles for children. Babysitting services are available through the concierge with 48 hours' notice, but the hotel will also try to accommodate later requests.

That catalog of family-friendly services sets the Four Seasons ahead of most other New York hotels, including the Waldorf-Astoria and the Mandarin Oriental. However, prospective guests should note that on-site dining facilities and the overall air of the place caters much more to buttoned-down grown-ups than to energetic tykes.

From bed to bath, hallway to lobby, spa to restaurant, the Four Seasons is immaculately clean.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

The Four Seasons has two high-priced fine-dining establishments on its premises. Like Inagiku at the Waldorf-Astoria, L'Atelier and The Garden both offer gourmet fare that's tasty but hard on the wallet. The Mandarin Oriental, meanwhile, offers three on-site restaurants and sits atop the fine-dining cornucopia found at The Shops at Columbus Circle. The Four Seasons' room service comes from a separate, in-house kitchen.

• L'Atelier, a restaurant run by French celebrity chef Joel Robuchon, is open exclusively for dinner. Menu items include roast Japanese hanger steak ($44 entree, $25 appetizer) or stuffed quail with foie gras and potato puree ($48 entree, $28 appetizer). Plates are generally small -- a $34 foie gras appetizer comes in a shot glass -- but they're packed with flavor. Reservations are required; attire is "smart casual."
• The Garden, an American restaurant across the lobby from Ty Lounge, opened in November 2009. Four 20-foot African acacia trees adorn the airy, contemporary space, hence the name. The breakfasts, brunches, and lunches haven't changed much since the restaurant was known as 57: Expect eggs, pancakes, baked pastries, and organic yogurt parfaits for breakfast; prime beef burgers and bacon paninis with slight gourmet twists for lunch (about $26 to $38 per entree).
• At night, The Garden becomes a classy wine bar. It serves an assortment of small plates -- sweetbreads, tuna tartar, and charcuterie, among others -- as well and over 200 wines by the glass.