St. Giles New York - The Tuscany Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Gramercy and Murray Hill, Manhattan, New York City

Front desk

In April 2010, the London-based St. Giles hotel group took over two Starwood-managed W-brand hotels, the Tuscany and the The Court (located around the corner). Since the buyout, little has changed in the hotel proper -- the elevators were called "lifts" before for no clear reason; now there's a reason. The Tuscany did lose a bit in the name-change: No more Whatever/Whenever service; no more shuttles around town in a souped-up Accura SUV; no more Bliss-brand bath products; no more signature scented candles in the lobby.

But the dimly lit lobby still feels like Hugh Hefner's gypsy lounge, if he had one. It has burning candles, a few leather chairs placed around a mirrored table, and flowers draped over vertical pieces of dark bamboo. Right next to the lobby is Audrey, the swanky bar named after Audrey Hepburn. Here, business travelers check their e-mail on the free Wi-Fi while a funky soundtrack belts out over the speakers. At night, the Blackberries and laptops go back to their chargers and couples slip into Audrey's sitting areas for quiet cocktails and appetizers. While it's not a destination bar for New Yorkers, there does always seem to be a mix of hotel guests and a few locals looking for a quiet drink in a quiet bar. Audrey's mood changes again in the morning, as it morphs into a breakfast bar with bagels, yogurt, danishes, cereal, and coffee.

Essentially, what you're paying for is a little ambiance, an excellent bed, an above-average-size guestroom, and a top-notch fitness center -- a fair tradeoff, for the price, when you compare it to similar properties nearby like the Hotel Chandler. If you plan to work out, or just need a quieter night's sleep, the Tuscany is a clear winner over its sister, The Court.

• 24-hour in-room dining
• Daily newspaper delivery (by request)
• Express check-out

View on a Larger Map

The Tuscany is on a quiet one-way street -- and right next to The Court, which sits on the only slightly busier corner of 39th Street and Lexington Avenue. Lexington Avenue has some shops and places to eat, while 39th Street is basically just residential. The advantage: a quieter night's sleep.

Primarily residential, the neighborhoods of Gramercy and Murray Hill don't have the tourist crowds of Times Square or Midtown East (just a few blocks north). Bryant Park and the Morgan Library Museum are both within walking distance, as are many shops and restaurants of every ethnicity, not to mention a plethora of sports bars on Third Avenue. But for most visitors, the main draw is that it's a quiet, convenient place to stay, just outside the theaters, funky shops, and restaurants of the East Village (to the south) and the business-focused hub and high-end Fifth Avenue shopping of Midtown East (to the north).

• Three blocks from the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S subway lines at Grand Central Station
• 10-minute subway ride to Central Park
• 10-minute subway ride to Times Square
• 10-minute walk to the Empire State Building
• 25-minute subway ride to the ferry terminal to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 15-minute walk or bus ride to Rockefeller Center
• 30-minute subway ride to the American Museum of Natural History
• 30-minute subway ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the "Met") and 10-minute ride to the Museum of Modern Art (the "MoMA")

The Wonderful Room

The rooms are big at the Tuscany. The design -- brown carpet, matching brown chaise lounge, brown bed comforter, and deep ruby red curtains -- is a little dated by New York boutique standards, but they're certainly more stylish than most of New York's major chain hotels like the Marriotts, Hiltons, or the Sheratons (the St. Giles was the W New York - The Tuscany until April 2010). The paint was beginning to peel on the ceiling of my bathroom, and two marble tiles were beginning to sag in the shower. But all told, these details hardly make the room feel worn out, and the rooms look perfectly clean. All rooms are scheduled for renovations to begin in February 2012.

• The hotel's smallest "Superior" standard room, at 375 square feet, is nearly twice the size of a typical hotel room in New York City. Deluxe rooms are even larger: 435 to 450 square feet.
• One-bedroom suites range from 675 to 700 square feet, and also include a Bose/Bang&Olufsen Surround Sound System and impressive views.

All rooms include:

• Large, dark wood desk
• 27-inch LG flat-screen; DVDs available to borrow for free
• Stocked minibar
• Tivoli Audio clock radio, though no iPod dock
• Archive Essentials Collection bath products
• Excellent beds, left over from when the St. Giles was a W-brand hotel: pillow-top mattress; down pillows; down comforter and duvet
• Wireless and hard-wired Internet costs $15 per 24 hours.
• Though clad in plenty of marble, the bathrooms are pretty standard. Deluxe rooms include a large, soakworthy tub (a rarity in New York hotels).
• Tip: Some guests complain about excessive noise coming from the rooms positioned next to the elevators. I stayed in Room 1007, right next to the elevator, and slept just fine. The elevators are no more an issue here than anywhere else. That said, if you're an uncommonly light sleeper, ask for a different room.

The Fitness Center

• The 24-hour fitness center at the Tuscany is the major draw. It has numerous clean modern machines with TVs attached. There's a quality selection of free weights and plenty of towels. While it is smaller than most gyms in the city, it is also better equipped.
• Off the lobby, there's free Wi-Fi at Audrey, the (depending on the time of day) breakfast café/e-mail station/swanky bar.

Breakfast at Icon New York

The all-purpose café Audrey serves drinks and appetizers at night and an expensive continental breakfast in the morning. But the hotel does not a full-scale restaurant on site. The Court's restaurant, Icon, is nearby and provides 24-hour room service for guests at both The Court and The Tuscany. While the contemporary American fare is generally well reviewed, and prompt, it can be a bit pricy: entrees average about $25 to $30. More moderately-priced options include tender and juicy hamburgers and Mediterannean hummus appetizers.

What's great about the Tuscany's location, though, is that guests have plenty of dining options in the immediate vicinity. Within a block of the hotel I counted two diners, two delis, a bagel place, sushi, Chinese, Indian, Italian, and Thai restaurants. A Starbucks and a Dunkin' Donuts are both within two short blocks, and nearby Third and Second avenues are both packed with great neighborhood restaurants and tons of bars.

New York City has three nearby airports: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark (in New Jersey). Flying into JFK or LaGuardia is typically easiest and the least time-consuming. From JFK, it's a (one-hour) $45 flat-rate taxi ride to anywhere in Manhattan. From LaGuardia, it's about a (30-minute) $40 metered cab ride to Midtown Manhattan. Rides from Newark cost at least $40 (plus tolls) and can take more than 90 minutes. Don't forget to tip your driver 15 to 25 percent.

To save some cash, try the group shuttles that are available at all three airports for about $14 per person. You can also take public transit from any of the airports for as little as $7 per person, but travel can take up to two hours and involve a lot of lugging bags up and down stairs. For mass-transit directions right to the hotel, check out HopStop.com.