I am deeply grateful to Priceline for making this midweek stay at the Barclay possible. How else could we rub elbows with world dignitaries meeting here for the UN Security Council?

In spite of its birthday almost 80 years ago, the Barclay is a world class hotel, having undergone a face lift around age 75. Luck continued to be on our side at check-in, as we landed a king size room on the top floor. What more could happen? As we reached our room, there were two bodyguards and a chair in front of the room next to us, and to this day, we will never know who slept there. Secretly I was hoping to catch a glimpse of anyone, be it in the hallway, the huge reception area downstairs or at the Bar & Grill. That's where the luck ended.

What do I remember most? The incredible softness and comfort of the bed. Beats Westin, Marriott, and I don't care who else does down covers. This was the ultimate. By New York standards, where most rooms are exaggerated boxes, this was huge. Every amenity has been thought of, right down to the midget size, $7 bottle of Evian. Working? Huge desk with ergonomic chair, Internet connection for $20, wireless otherwise. Dual line phones, and a phone in the bathroom as well. Make up mirror, English soaps, shampoos etc... along side plush terry robes. Lethargic? Head to the fitness center on the third floor. Hungry? Have a bite at the Bar & Grill downstairs; we did and disappointingly, the service is S L O W. But the Mezze platter arrived with pita chips and was perfect. However, we were overcharged, and that's far from perfect. Check all tabs and bar bills.

I don't recommend you eat here, unless your rich aunt has just left you a ton of money. Breakfast buffet is $20 and I think the pancakes were $16. Across the street is a wonderful, small sandwich/grocery store with fresh bagels, muffins, scones, cappuccino, and just about anything to warm your heart and soul in the morning. Chuck also went to Starbucks one morning and came back with goodies.

As with all New York venues, the lobby is no exception for people-watching; with its proximity to the UN, the Barclay has been known to host some well respected names of the world community. It does not get much more cosmopolitan than this, when English becomes the language you hear least around you.

If you are coming with your car, the hotel has no parking, but they will send you to a lot that will charge you $35/day... actually, that's a bargain, you know. Once you park you car, leave it there, and take taxis or trains to get around.

Did I tell you about the wonderful fresh flowers, mostly tiger lilies, in the lobby? And if you look up at the ceiling, it's a marvelous work of geometry and light.

This hotel was one of the best I have stayed at. It was very fancy, and the rooms were really quite large for NYC. Four of us stayed in a room with a king bed and there was plenty of room for a roll away as well. Very very spacious! The staff always were super friendly! The concierge was very helpful. He always knew great places for us to go. I was impressed. I can't say enough great things about this hotel. Stay there if you get a chance.

My friend and I also used the fitness center -- it was excellent. It had TVs to watch and there was even a personal trainer in the room. High-end equipment too.

Oh and the hotel was in the perfect location -- midtown east.

We drove up in the taxi to a beautiful motel with all the whistles. The bellhop immediately came to the cab and took our bags. As we entered the building to the luxurious atrium we quickly were checked in and headed to our room. We arrived to our room and found a well laid out and comfy quarters for our stay. In a few moments our luggage arrived with a very polite and helpful young man. When we would return to our room in the evening, the beds would be turned down in style. When it came time for us to depart, again, the check out was smooth and the bell hops polite and very helpful, even at 4am!

The legendary Barclay Hotel is located just off Park Ave. on 48th St., across the street from the famous Waldorf Astoria. This grand hotel has offered some of the city’s premiere accommodations for over 75 years and has hosted heads of state (President Reagan, François Mitterand, and Nelson Mandela), celebrities (Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, and Ernest Hemingway), visiting NFL teams, and Miss America winners. A major renovation in 2001 updated the hotel’s public areas and guest rooms, preserving the majestic grandeur of decades past, but also giving guests a full slate of modern conveniences.

To be honest, I normally would not have stayed here. Such a hotel would normally be way out of my budget. However, my reservation was booked and paid for by a client company, whose headquarters were just a couple of blocks away. Originally they had wanted to put us up at the even grander Waldorf Astoria across the street, but given that it was Valentine’s Day weekend, the Waldorf was fully booked. Imagine my surprise when the client called to give me the reservation information and actually apologized for putting me up at the Barclay instead of the Waldorf! I politely told them that it would not be a problem and not to worry about it. I doubt that I missed very much by staying in a four-and-a-half star hotel, as opposed to a five-star one.

As the Barclay is an older hotel, most of the rooms are fairly small. Despite being slightly cramped, there was still enough room for a king-size bed, desk, armchair, and entertainment armoire. Guest rooms feature elegant furnishings of dark wood, custom window treatments, down-filled duvets, and pillow-top mattresses. Large work desks in each room were custom-designed to fit the unique floor plans of some of the guest rooms, ensuring that each room has a large work space. The wall-mounted lamps on either side of the bed, which are controlled by dimmer switches, are a nice touch. Amenities like high-speed Internet access and digital in-room movies are available. The bathroom, while very small, was one of the most attractive hotel bathrooms I’ve ever seen, with marble floors, custom faucets, and a large tub with a curved shower curtain rod. Features like a scale, bathrobe, makeup mirror, and handheld hair dryer were included, as well as a line of spa-quality amenities, including lotions, shower gel, and mouthwash.

If you’re looking for luxury and price isn’t an issue, the InterContinental Barclay is a good choice. The hotel’s services and guest rooms are quite good, and the location, near Grand Central, Park Avenue, Central Park, and Rockefeller Center, is unbeatable. However, unless I get a big increase in pay, I doubt I’ll be staying here when I’m actually paying for the trip myself!

• Hotel website: http://new-york-barclay.intercontinental.com
• Subway/bus routes: 51st St./Lexington Ave. and 53rd St./Lexington Ave. Stations, routes 4 (late nights only), 6, E, V; bus routes M27, M50, M98, M101, M102, M103.