The Best Of The Best: The Peninsula Hotel New York Is Offering A Complimentary Upgrade This Summer

ROOMS & SUITES GIFT CARDS OFFERS RESERVATIONS   Upgrade Your Stay on Fifth Avenue Enjoy a complimentary room upgrade when you book online   Whether you enjoy a picnic in Central Park, a stroll on the Highline or a trip to Yankee Stadium, experience the magic of New York City with our Summer Online Exclusive Offer. Reserve a stay at peninsula.com through September 28 and receive a complimentary upgrade plus the ease of arriving and departing at your convenience. Benefits: Upgrade to the next available room category Flexible check-in and check-out times Complimentary daily American breakfast for two (suite bookings only) Rates from $645 BOOK A ROOM

Ring In 2018 On The Rooftop At Salon De Ning At The Peninsula New York

New Year's Eve Rooftop Party Toast to 2018 under a chic sky-lit marquee 23 stories above Fifth Avenue at Salon de Ning! Join us for an evening of dancing, premium open bar, delectable canapes and live music by The Chip Shop Boys, regarded as the UK's best rock and pop cover band, plus a Champagne toast at midnight. 9pm to 2am | $425 per person More Details > Enquires or Reservations: (212) 903 3073 | holidaypny@peninsula.com

The Peninsula New York 700 Fifth Avenue at 55 Street, New York, NY 10019 (212) 956 2888 | pny@peninsula.com | peninsula.com/newyork

Survey: Mandarin Oriental And Ritz-Carlton Are The Most Expensive Luxury Hotels In The USA

The seven priciest city hotels in the United States are all located in Manhattan. A recent survey conducted by Luxury-Hotels.com Luxury-Hotels.com has put The Ritz-Carlton and the Mandarin Oriental at the very top of the rankings among these luxury establishments.

The survey compared luxury hotels based on their cheapest available rate for a double room during the month of October 2015. The website select October as its comparative basis because hotel rates in the majority of U.S. cities, including New York City, reach their highest average levels during that month.

The Ritz-Carlton and the Mandarin Oriental, both located one block from the United States’ most visited urban park, Central Park, share the top of the rankings. A minimum nightly rate of $995 for a double room put them in the survey’s number one spot. The Baccarat Hotel, also located in Midtown Manhattan, takes the third spot, at only five dollars cheaper.

The most expensive city hotel outside of NYC is located in Los Angeles. With a minimum nightly rate of $800, the Montage Beverly Hills ranks eighth most expensive overall in the nation. Just one dollar cheaper per night, the SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand is Las Vegas’s most expensive hotel.

The following table shows the 10 most expensive city hotels in the United States. The prices listed indicate the cheapest available rate for a double room during the month of October 2015.

1. Mandarin Oriental (New York) $995
1. The Ritz-Carlton Central Park (New York) $995
3. Baccarat Hotel & Residences (New York) $990
4. The St. Regis (New York) $945
5. The Plaza Hotel (New York) $893
6. The Peninsula (New York) $845
7. Park Hyatt (New York) $834
8. Montage Beverly Hills (Los Angeles) $800
9. SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand (Las Vegas) $789
10. The Lowell (New York) $785

For the full rankings of the survey and for more information about its methodology,click here.

Fashion Butlers, Porsche Test Drives, And Other Over-The-Top Hotel Perks

Baccarat Hotel New York 

This opulent Midtown hotel offers guests who book the Prestige, Harcourt, or Baccarat suites complimentary hair blowouts from 5–7 p.m. daily. Suite guests also receive a complimentary package of La Mer beauty products from the hotel’s La Mer Spa, the first of its kind for the luxe skincare line.

Courtesy Baccarat Hotels

Four Seasons George V 

Guests of this iconic luxury hotel in Paris can learn to make expertly crafted cocktails during a private lesson by head barman Grégory Hazac. During the one-hour course, held once a month, Hazac demonstrates how to make both classic and modern cocktails such as Cosmopolitans and Dry Martinis, along with a few of his own personal recipes. The cocktail course is available to guests and diners at the hotel’s Le Cinq restaurant.

Courtesy Four Seasons

Mandarin Oriental Miami  

When packing and unpacking seems like too much trouble, guests of this Brickell Key hotel can simply call up the “Fashion Butler.” The butler will arrange clothing in whatever order the guest prefers, or if a new outfit is needed, can coordinate a personal shopping experience in-suite with Miami boutiques such as The Webster, Joanna Paige, and The Weekender.

Courtesy Mandarin Oriental

Peninsula Hotels  

By the end of the year, all Peninsula hotels will offer Beats by Dre items to guests during their stay, including the Studio Wireless headphones, Powerbeats Wireless earphones, and a Beats Pill speaker. Concierges hand-deliver the items to the room and offer a quick tutorial—though no word on whether they suggest playlists.

Courtesy Peninsula Hotels

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa  

Guests in the hacienda-style rooms of Rancho Valencia near San Diego have the chance to test drive three different Porsche models during their stay: a 911 convertible, a Panamera Hybrid, and a Cayenne GTS. The speedy cars are available for up to four hours a day, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests can then consult with the Porsche-certified concierge on site if they want to drive one home.

Courtesy Porsche

The Connaught, London  

"At The Connaught in Mayfair, the wardrobes in every suite come stocked with Burberry trench coats free for guests to use throughout their stay," Krisanne Fordham reported for Traveler. "'The weather in England has been known to feature rain, wind, cold, or all three,' reads the tag on the coat. 'Fortunately, this country is also home to the classic Burberry trench coat. Here is one to use during your stay.' If the coat provided isn't the correct fit, guests can call reception and the perfect coat will be personally fitted in-suite."

Courtesy Maybourne Hotel Group

Cordis, Hong Kong  

Cordis, a new brand from Langham Hotels aimed at business travelers, gives every guest complimentary "handy"—in name and use—smartphones, with free local service to use during their stay. The phones are also pre-loaded with several apps, including a currency converter and MTR train maps, and are equipped with 3G data connectivity, enabling guests to hop onto Wi-Fi networks anywhere in Hong Kong.

Courtesy Cordis Hotels

The London West Hollywood  

Guests who book the stunning bi-level penthouse suite at the London West Hollywood, designed by fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, will receive his and her leather wallets, each packaged in their own box and delivered in a Vivienne Westwood shopping bag. An hour of private shopping at the designer's West Hollywood boutique with special discounts on purchases is also included.

Courtesy The London West Hollywood

Atlantis, The Palm Hotel & Resort, Dubai  

Splurging on an Underwater Suite at this Dubai resort not only gets you floor-to-ceiling views of the Ambassador Lagoon, which contains more than 65,000 fish and other sea life, but also includes a dining room for six, butler service, a complimentary connecting room, airport transfers, two head-neck-shoulder massages per stay, two 30-minute personal training sessions, two Dolphin Encounters at Dolphin Bay, and unlimited access to Atlantis’ Lost Chambers Aquarium and Aquaventure Waterpark.

Courtesy Atlantis, The Palm

From www.cntraveler.com