Check into Le Parker Meridien New York for a roof over your head and a pillow under your neck, but stay—as in, never even walk outside into midtown Manhattan—for all of the unique facilities within the main hotel. The guest-room accommodations are supremely lovely. Many rooms in the sky-high tower portion of the hotel overlook Central Park, a view which will likely both take your breath away and earn the jealousy of all your Instagram followers (Le Parker Meridien provides guests with free Wi-Fi). But after you’re finished ogling the scene from your window, rinse off in the bathtub shower, turn off your 46-inch flatscreen TV, and go explore the rest of the hotel’s offerings.
Adjacent to the concierge counter, find a single, easy-to-miss neon burger sign that’s cheekily half-hidden behind a floor-to-ceiling curtain. Approach the sign and turn a corner to transport yourself from the swank and modern Le Parker Meridien lobby into a wood-paneled dive from yesteryear: the Burger Joint, which, unsurprisingly, serves classic burger-joint fare (single or double cheeseburgers with “the works” of toppings, fries, shakes, beer, wine). For a nightcap, head to Nave, the bar near the hotel’s north entrance with high ceilings, red-velvet curtains and candles that give it a moody feeling, perfect for nighttime cocktails or a morning latte. And after that latte in the morning, if you don’t have brunch at the iconic Norma’s, you’ve made a grave mistake. Here, quantity doesn’t compromise quality, as a huge portion of the crunchy French toast—accented by warm caramel sauce—or the almost-too-pretty-to-eat egg-white shrimp frittata is likely to join the ranks of your all-time favorite daylight-hours meals.
For more stellar views, this time from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the park, head to the covered rooftop pool, which also features an outdoor sundeck. While day passes are available to purchase for the pool and the underground gym, entry is gratis for hotel guests. The gym, Gravity Fitness, not only includes a comprehensive range of machines and free weights, but it also offers personal-training sessions and a selection of free daily group workout classes. Also, the men’s and women’s locker room each has a sauna and a steam room.
There are several other service purveyors on the underground floor of the hotel: Moonshine is a spa that offers facials and massages; Tenoverten is the on-site destination for manicures and pedicures; Drybar serves up a menu of blowouts; Blushington does professional makeup application in addition to brow and lash services; and Skin Laundry specializes in laser and light skin treatments. Back up on the main lobby floor, dapper dudes can enjoy an old-school barbershop experience at Sharps.
TIME OUT TIP: At less than a block away from the renowned Carnegie Hall, it couldn’t be more convenient to enrich yourself with whatever world-class performance is on the calendar at this institution.