- Ishtar's Rating
On specific request of the Royalton, we were asked not to show photos.
The Royalton sits on West 44th Street in a totally recessed fashion, sandwiched between two buildings. Its façade bears no number, and its name is etched into the stone which frames the entrance, so that if you’re not looking up, you’ll never know where you are. I recognized the hotel by its two massive doors with miniscule portholes, so as if to give the visitor a preview of the extreme privacy within. I remembered having been here 5 or 6 years ago to meet customers for "drinks" during one of our industry’s trade shows.
When the main doors were out of the way, the long and narrow vista immediately became familiar: the white cloth covered chair with exaggerated backs, the dim lighting, the patina of the woodwork on the right which appeared to be a solid wall, only to be broken to reveal a registration area and the elevators. At the very far end of the long corridor was the dining room with a podium to the left and the bar to its right.
The Royalton is apparently a great meeting place for the after-five yuppie crowd, and the beautiful people that might grace the pages of a magazine like "W". It is the ultimate urban oasis, the "in" place to cozy up after dark.
To get the flavor of the ambiance, take a look here as there isn’t much of a website. The flashing photos reveal cutting edge design at all the Schrager locations.
Pauline checked us in and gave us a room on the 15th floor, which is only one away from the Penthouse. The elevator can barely fit three people, and I challenge anyone to read the numbers of the floors on the right hand side panel. Corridors are tunnels of dark blue. Room 1508 is immediately to the right as you exit the elevator; hey, we had real keys! As we entered, the pure white of the bed, love seat, larger than life pillows created instant calm; an ocean liner comes to mind; rather than flank night tables at bedside, there are two portholes cut from the polished wood which frames the bed. Inside either you will find telephone, notepad, a digital clock so tiny that it practically disappears on the glass shelf. The lighting in the room is generally hazy and is supplemented by a single tapered candle on a wall sconce. We loved that idea so much that we used the bathroom candle as well. There is a small desk where everything on it is for sale. We amused ourselves looking at the various articles in a Filipino straw basket which included a disposable camera. A well stocked snack bar, and a small refrigerator filled to the brim will handle all of your urges at a price: Lifesavers anyone?? Only $3.50.
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