A night under the stars in New York
Print Edition
In the concrete jungle of New York City, where open sky can be hard to find, the latest luxury offering is a night under the stars Ñ or, under twinkling city lights, at least.
From terraces and high-rise balconies atop Art Deco buildings or glass-walled modern structures, this new breed of hotel offers straight-up views, with nary a window pane or curtain to impede the breeze.
And in a city where air pollution, bright lights and the dizzyingly tall skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline can obscure the stars, hotel companies say they offer travelers a unique experience.
“When we identified something we think will really delight people and give them a one-of-a-kind chance of living Ñ something that they can’t get somewhere else Ñ we quickly tried to make that happen,” said Elana Friedman, of luxury hotel group AKA.
For the price of US$1,995 a night, the AKA Central Park promises a five star “outdoor bedroom,” 17 floors up, complete with a queen-size bed, candle-lit dinner, fireplace, romantic snacks, and a giant telescope to admire the stars in the city that never sleeps.
To the strains of live jazz guitar, Brazilians, Australians, Emiratis, and even New Yorkers spend the night doing what travel agents call urban “glamping” Ñ short for “glamorous camping.”
“This experience made me never want to go traditional camping again,” guest Jennifer Semeter at AKA said.
Born of a desire to enjoy the great outdoors, without missing out on the pleasures of a comfortable mattress, the trend towards luxury camping has only recently taken hold in New York, after the exceptionally harsh winter of 2011.
“Our guests started to get that kind of cabin fever and really wanted to be able to have that outdoor experience,” explained Susana Ramos, marketing manager for Affinia Gardens, which also offers open-air luxury accommodation in Manhattan.
Affinia Gardens’ outdoor suites, which include tents on leafy terraces in the Upper East Side, run from US$309 to US$700 a night.
While there are still few hotels that offer this type of experience, they are part of a wider movement in the Big Apple to reclaim the rooftops.
For any tourist, a night under the stars of New York would be unforgettable, travel expert Michael Luongo said.
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