Refinery Hotel, New York

_Location:Situated a couple of blocks south of Bryant Park and the stunning New YorkPublic Library, the Refinery Hotel offers a fantastic location for exploringmidtown Manhattan and is just a five-minute walk from Times Square. Beingsituated in midtown has obvious pros and cons – don’t book this for a tranquilretreat – but the property’s location and nods to its history ensure it offersa quintessentially New York experience.

_{First impressions:}The property’s exterior is understated and the interior is dark and cool. Abackground soundtrack charting the history of jazz from trad through bebop tocontemporary sets the scene, and the wooden panelling and hardwood floorsreflect the owners’ desire to draw inspiration from the building’s heritage,including its early life as a hat factory.

_{The facts:} Amember of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Refinery has 197 rooms whichbenefit from high ceilings and continue the ‘factory chic’ style favouredelsewhere in the property. The hotel has a signature Parker & Quinnrestaurant and a cosy ground-floor jazz lounge and bar, but without a doubt itspiece-de-resistance is the Refinery Rooftop, boasting incredible views of theEmpire State Building and serving some outstanding cocktails. Guests luckyenough to have a south-facing room will enjoy a similar outlook, with thoseclosest to Fifth Avenue having uninterrupted views guaranteed to make you wantto sleep with the curtains open. Also worthy of note are the bathrooms, withcrisp white tiling, Noir bath products and a huge walk-in shower creating theperfect place to rinse and rejuvenate between long days enjoying the city’ssights and long evenings sampling its legendary nightlife.

_{A good base for:}A weekend in the heart of Manhattan for those for whom sleeping isn’t necessarilythe priority. For those visiting the city for the first time, must-seesincluding Times Square, Grand Central Station, the Rockefeller Center and theEmpire State are within easy walking distance. And for those more accustomed tothe city, the Refinery offers a great location to explore the east and westsides in more depth, including the fantastic High Line public park and thejaw-dropping Hudson Yards development, the largest private real estatedevelopment in the history of the US which is due to be completed by 2025.

_Wow: With aretractable glass conservatory leading out to a terrace in the shadow of theEmpire State Building, the Refinery Rooftop is a true New York gem come rain orshine. During the day, you can kick back with an extensive cocktail list whilethe sounds of the city rise from below, and in the evening the lights of one ofthe world’s most iconic buildings create a spectacular backdrop for a nightwith the coolest of clienteles. We visited in spring, but it was easy toenvisage the rooftop on a steamy summer night or on a chilly winter’s eveningwhen the cosy fireplace would come to the fore.

ROBIN SEARLE