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Gansevoort Park Hotel

Gansevoort Park Hotel 1 Bars Hotels Lounges Rooftop Bars Murray Hill Nomad Rose Hill

Gansevoort is an uber-luxury hotel offering sleek and sexy high-end service to travelers. Adjoining restaurants include Ristorante Asellina and The Windsor, a Lacoste shop, Exhale Spa, Cutler Salon, and a welcoming pool, bar and lounge on the rooftop. The lobby, full of zigzags, sharp contrasts and checkering, might as well be the parlor of the Mad Hatter’s house. Perhaps this IS a wonderland.

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Gansevoort Park Hotel 1 Bars Hotels Lounges Rooftop Bars Murray Hill Nomad Rose Hill
Gansevoort Park Hotel 2 Bars Hotels Lounges Rooftop Bars Murray Hill Nomad Rose Hill
Gansevoort Park Hotel 3 Bars Hotels Lounges Rooftop Bars Murray Hill Nomad Rose Hill
Gansevoort Park Hotel 4 Bars Hotels Lounges Rooftop Bars Murray Hill Nomad Rose Hill

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Spin New York

Many months ago, I gathered a group of friends and family to celebrate my husband's birthday. No one had ever been to Spin, so it was the perfect opportunity for everyone to have a terrific night taking turns playing a sport most of us adore, and sharing in conversation, drinks and appetizers. As we walked down the steps into the dimly lit lobby we were greeted by a friendly hostess in a chic black outfit, and it felt as though we had entered any other swanky Manhattan club. And yet, as we turned the corner we saw immediately that this was not the case. Instead of the usual dance-filled floor, at this club we were presented with rows of ping-pong tables and couples in heated competition. The diversity of the crowd was vast and only became more so as the night went on. Businessmen off from work, their white collared shirts glowing in the black light, rallied next to serious athletes there for a workout in gym shorts and sweatbands. Young couples looking for a quirky date played next to groups of older friends there to enjoy the nostalgia of this classic game. Everyone is welcome at Spin. Serious ping pong players make the circuits, challenging worthy opponents to games while casual paddlers compete in a more leisurely game. It has never been easier to enjoy ping pong, as Spin has eliminated the frustrating need for constantly picking up stray balls - staff with fascinating contraptions collect all the balls and reload the buckets regularly. Perhaps even more exciting, servers come by to the tables with what could be described as high-class bar food - some of our favorites were the alcoholic mango slushies, the fried rice balls, and the truffle mac and cheese. The delicious food and drink are honestly worth a visit on their own, and as the club often hosts championship ping pong games, even those who do not want to grab a paddle themselves can fill up a plate and watch the action. Originally opened by ping pong enthusiasts Franck Raharinosy, Andrew Gordon, Jonathan Bricklin and Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, Spin has quickly become a hot spot both in other parts of the US and abroad.

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American Bartender's School

Approaching almost fifty years, the American Bartender's School, owned by Joseph Bruno, has been teaching mixologists the ‘ology of mixing. Having moved in the ‘80s from their original location on Madison Avenue, the school offers forty-hour courses, with students leaving as certified bartenders with a license issued by the New York State Board of Education. Joseph contends that a bartender’s success is determined by conversation, “no matter how good the drink is. ” That being said, technical skill is far from lacking at this institution. Combining lectures and a “lab” portion, we witnessed students attentively toiling over drinks for phantom customers in a room designed to look like one giant bar. The difference, however, is that unlike a culinary school where one might sample their own creations, students do not imbibe here. In fact, there is no alcohol to be found at this bar. Everything is in the correct bottles and the colors all match their potent potable equivalent. What was explained to us is that everything is about measurements. Students are given a recipe to follow, and provided they do it correctly, they can rest assured that it will taste exactly right in the real world. After decades of experience bartending in and managing drinking establishments, Joseph has seen a new devotion to the craft of mixology. Up-and-coming bartenders have tested innovative flavors, homemade syrups, and the “farm-to-table” use of fresh ingredients. He has taken particular pleasure in the resurgence of drinks not popular since the Prohibition era. Perhaps it is a sign that we still have a chance to relive some of the best aspects of the Roaring Twenties.

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Hyatt Herald Square

All my assumptions about the Hyatt Herald Square were dashed upon entering the lobby. I assumed that the Hyatt Herald Square, as part of such a well-known, far reaching hotel brand, would be a reasonably generic, glamorous hotel like one would find in any other major city. I could not have been more wrong. As soon as I stepped inside and saw the fascinating art pieces, chic espresso bar, and unique layout, I realized that this was something special. The concierge is hidden at the back of the lobby, rather than the front, which invited me to explore the lobby’s many treasures before speaking to the staff. A series of clocks on the wall, inspired by Salvador Dali and echoing the shape and color of gourds, displayed the time zones of all the major fashion capitals. Plug ports were located by every seat so that guests could easily rejuice phones or work on laptops. Winding my way to the back, I met Nina Jones, the director of sales and marketing. She explained that all the main Hyatt hotels try to draw inspiration in their décor from the surrounding area’s history and culture. For the Hyatt Herald Square, that means drawing on the publishing and fashion worlds. Nina pointed out that the front desk was made from layers of old newspaper, and the brightly colored books creating a rainbow on the back wall were influenced by media and fashion. Nina went on to say that “Herald Heart, ” the spiraling mobile at the entrance, is made up of 151 sentences, carved from wood, representing the past and present of Herald Square. Having spoken with executive chef Gunnar Steden at Up on 20, I knew that the cuisine at the Hyatt uses local ingredients as much as possible and that even the snack counter around the corner stocks mostly treats from the Tri-State area. As I sipped on a Double Standard Sour in a classy pink hue at the lobby bar, Nina wowed me with the fact that most of the surfaces in the lobby are made from repurposed water tower wood. I left the Hyatt that day feeling like I had received a lesson in the history and culture of New York, as well as having been given a dose of highly-honed hospitality.

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Up on 20

Where the Hyatt Herald Square has taken inspiration from the publishing and fashion worlds, its bar, called “Up on 20, ” seems to take its inspiration from the sky and cityscape. With clean metallics, greys, and glass, the rooftop bar mirrors its surroundings and emphasizes the sleek beauty of Manhattan. I learned a lot from speaking with Gunnar Steden, the executive chef, and Jordan Cook, the food and beverage manager. Jordan explained that both the food and the décor tried to seem as natural and organic as possible. He spoke about the flowers and plants that would soon be brought up to the bar and about the food that was all locally sourced and made in house. Gunnar explained that most of his ingredients come from no farther than Long Island and Brooklyn, and even the hotel snacks and the morning coffee come from within a very small radius. Gunnar has a significant amount of experience working as a chef for Hyatt, as he has spent time in the empire's German, Australian, and DC hotels. He proudly spoke about the balance in cuisine that he has created, thanks in part to his worldliness. Despite his emphasis on local ingredients, he also caters to more mainstream and international tastes. He used drinks as an example: Whereas he has beer brewed just across the East River on Long Island, he also carries Blue Moon and Shocktop, and he has brought in Kolsch from his native Germany to satisfy European taste buds. Gunnar and Jordan both expressed pride in the menu, and were quick to say that if something does not work, or if available ingredients change, they will change the menu overnight. This is especially helpful in a hotel as new as the Hyatt Herald Square, which had opened only six months before our visit in the spring of 2015. The rooftop bar itself had only just had its soft-opening the day before we arrived. As we wandered to a smaller terrace at the back of the roof with a view of the Freedom Tower, Gunnar explained to me that Up on 20 is not supposed to be a night club or a hot spot. Then he used one of our favorite phrases: “We want to be a neighborhood gem – we want to be small place where you can go and enjoy a beer. " Jordan added, "Our emphasis is on customer experience, not the bottom line. ”

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Cloud Social

“You can’t really get much closer than that, ” Tom, our photographer said, when we were surprised by the enormous view of the Empire State building looming over us. We were on the roof of the Nyma hotel on one of the first warm days in the spring of 2015. Fun, bright orange outdoor seats, the same color as the cozy heat lamps, greeted us next to zebra striped tables topped with little grassy ornaments. Unlike many of the more luxurious rooftop bars, Cloud Social felt more like a good friend’s well-decorated garden patio, unintimidating and intimate. This is exactly how Frank and Maya, the couple who own the bar along with VU at the top of La Quinta, want guests to feel. Frank told us “We don’t want to be pretentious – you don’t need to pay at the door, and there is no dress code. You can come in your shorts! ”Rooftop bars are Frank’s passion. He started working with hotels when he opened a small bar on the second floor of the Hotel at Times Square. He explained, “Hotels like the way I operate. ” He recognizes that when he rents space from a hotel, he must respect the guests. For example, it is essential that his staff be considerate to those on the top floor and control the noise level. Frank was sure to mention, however, that most of his patrons do not come from the hotel, but rather from the surrounding neighborhood. “We attract many young professionals, partly because we keep our prices reasonable. ”Maya is responsible for the décor. “Certain colors are soothing to the eye, ” she said, when we mentioned how much we enjoyed the orange. She continued to explain that she wanted to create a zen feeling with her design. Both Maya and Frank are proud of the fact that the bar is open year-round, and that people take advantage of it. “Even when it’s cold, many people will come outside, take pictures, have a smoke, and then go back, ” they told us. The bartenders made us a couple of Cloud Social’s most popular cocktails: A paloma (Mexico’s best loved drink), made with raw sugar around the edges and “On the Roof, ” which immediately transported me to the Caribbean with its flavors of Malibu and peach schnapps. Both drinks furthered the feeling of being at a friend’s classy pool party, and were delivered by very attentive, friendly staff. Frank explained that he puts a lot of emphasis on service. He believes it has been one of the main reasons why he has been successful. “A drink is a drink: you won’t remember a bad drink, ” he said, “but you will always remember bad service. ”