Description: Himself and Yours Truly stayed in the Millennium UN Plaza in October 2006 when we traveled to New York to visit a friend who was seriously ill. We booked the room online for two nights, and decided on the Millennium in order to provide easy access to the hospital. As a 4-star hotel, we thought it would offer a level of comfort that would allow us to concentrate on one another and our friend without having to be concerned about our surroundings. We got a sizable discount by booking online and at the last minute, but even so the room ran about $190 per night (plus taxes and assorted fees).
The Millennium UN Plaza proved to be an immaculate high-rise hotel with a perfect location. It served us well for our particular mission, but most guests will be more impressed by the local attractions—which include the Headquarters complex of the United Nations in New York, located right across First Avenue from the hotel. The Trump World Tower is just down First Aveune, and Times Square is merely blocks away.
Our room on the 21th floor had a stunning view to the north--a view that took in Roosevelt Island, the Queensborough Bridge, the East River, and the Trump World Tower. Otherwise, our generously sized room included a comfortable bed with crisp white sheets, sofa, small round coffee table, combined chest and desk unit, upholstered chair, television, and bedside table. Furnishings were simple and vaguely Scandinavian in character and tended to maximize space while facilitating their design functions. Similarly, the en suite was clean and modern—not overtly fancy, mind, but altogether practical and well suited to our needs. Colorful (and thoroughly unnecessary) cushions on the bed and sofa were the only concessions to the generally functional furnishings of the unit.
The building in which the hotel is housed is of the post-modern design school, with an exterior composed of black/green-tinted plates of glass bound together with narrow strips of aluminum—all supported by steel beams. Two polygonal towers are joined are joined by a multi-storied base and by two bridges between the towers. The austerity of the towers is softened by angled setbacks that make them appear to be more like a cluster of buildings than the two towers of one building. The lobby is decorated in chrome and glass and hung with tapestries representing member nations of the UN.
Facilities include an indoor pool on the 27th floor, a fitness center with views of the East River, and a full-sized indoor tennis court on the 39th floor. We didn’t use any of these, but the idea that they were there was appealing nonetheless. We did take cocktails in the Ambassador Lounge, which had only a few patrons at the time and provided a relaxing and quite atmosphere—which we needed.
The staff at both reception and the concierge desk proved efficient and courteous. In each case, they made us feel as if we were their only guests and thus their highest priority—a rare accomplishment in the hotel industry. After check-out and before heading for our train at Penn Station, we left our bags with the concierge so that we could visit the UN for a couple of hours. The small fee for the baggage hold was pleasantly waived.
We stayed in the Millennium UN Plaza more for its location than its amenities, but we were highly impressed with the quality of the accommodation and the professionalism of the staff. We would happily return. If not for our friend’s illness, our time at this hotel would have only pleasant associations. As it was, it made a difficult time easier.
- BawBaw/LovesTravel
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