The Sanctuary ★★★★

Some New Yorkers and even people that frequent this gigantic City will probably tell you that they know of all the best places to visit, like where to buy the best hotdog from a street vendor, which is the quickest route to skip traffic down Broadway when it’s busy, or which bar has the best live music on a weekday. Listen, good advice is good advice. But the thing I like most about New York City is that this magnificent place has so many sides to it they are practically uncountable. On every corner there is a song waiting to be sung, a poem waiting to be written, a blank canvas waiting to be painted.

Before you embark on uncovering the wonders of this vastly superb city, allow VeryChic to present The Sanctuary Hotel New York, an authentic Manhattan boutique four star hotel that provides five star service and is situated only 30 metres away from the place that gives New York City the title ‘The city that never sleeps’ – Times Square. This bustling square is best known for its Broadway theatres, cinemas and electric billboards, whilst being regarded by many as New York’s most famous attraction. So picture the scene, you’ve landed in New York and you get to stay only a stone’s throw away from all this! Wait, it gets better. In 2011, The Sanctuary Hotel New York became the “Winner of the International Hotel of the Year” at the European Hospitality Awards. Located between 6th & 7th Avenue, this luxury lifestyle hotel has only 111 rooms! Isn’t it impossible to have a hotel with such an intimate atmosphere in the centre of New York? Not so, according to the Sanctuary. Furthermore each one of the well-appointed rooms is richly decorated with a warm palette that includes deep orange, chocolate brown and cognac. The glamour and luxury thankfully doesn’t stop there. Each room has an over-sized leather headboard accompanying luxurious sheets, duvets and a white chandelier, just so there is no chance of you escaping its warm and inviting ambience.

So you’ve dropped off your luggage and showered up ready to go explore. Now I know from experience that the main tourist hotspots in New York, although a must do, can easily be found in any tour guide you get your hands on. Let me tell you then, about some of the lesser known treasures that New York has to offer. Why not take a trip to the City Reliquary Museum? This tiny Brooklyn storefront is devoted to New York History, with a collection of trinkets from the World Fair in 1964. This is a city-focused museum where you can find hand-drawn illustrations of the city’s landmarks alongside other ephemera, including a scale model of the USS Monitor (the Civil War steamship). To truly realise what distinguishes this from other museums in the city you simply need to stand outside its unmistakeably unique shop-like frontage.

Most of your stay in New York may be spent looking up towards the mountainous skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the United Nations Headquarters, to name but a few. However, though some people opt to go up these enormous structures to take in the view, there is a slightly more unusual vantage point over the city, which is also a little less well known – some of the most beautiful gardens in New York – hidden hundreds of feet above the ground at the roof-top garden of the Rockerfeller centre. Originally designed by English landscaper Ralph Hancock between 1933 and 1936, the Rockerfeller maintains five spectacular roof gardens. Though officially closed to the public since 1938, a small venture up to the top of the rock observation deck reveals three of these beautifully kept gardens where you can also witness the city’s spectacular skyline. I think we can call that the best of both worlds.

As the afternoon wears on you’re probably going to want to walk back to the hotel to freshen up and be looked after. At The Sanctuary Hotel, they have taken what we call “being looked after” and completely blown it out of the water. The S.T.A.R. “Service Tailored to Any Request” is a service that runs on a simple, straightforward principle: the staff at the Sanctuary hotel will do anything and everything to ensure the best possible experience for its guests. Let me guess, you are starting to hear the faint sound of Frank Sinatra just singing that famous chorus at the thought of this. Whether you need directions to a show or hotspot, warm cookies and milk, or even firsthand advice on the latest exhibitions or places to dine within the city, the S.T.A.R team constantly have their fingers on the pulse.

Before hitting the bright night lights, it’s time to take the private elevator up to the top floor of The Sanctuary and indulge yourself at the rooftop cocktail bar, The Haven. With breathtaking views of the city, this is the ultimate retreat from the hectic streets below. The rooftop is fully heated and tented with clear glass walls offering spectacular views of midtown Manhattan. Once sat up here, things can’t get any better - there is a DJ setting up a fantastic vibe for the evening and a French-inspired cocktail menu that will have you licking your lips, whilst blissfully planning what to do next.