New York's SoHo hotels are so good

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  Drawing room at The Greenwich Hotel

If you’re planning a Christmas shopping trip to New York and want a little haven to retreat to with your haul after the hustle of the city, head downtown to The Greenwich, Robert De Niro’s hotel in Tribeca (377 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013, 001 212 941 8900, www.thegreenwichhotel.com).

With its little courtyard oasis, cosy drawing room with cushion-stuffed sofas and artwork by De Niro’s father the talking points on the walls, the hotel is a real find. There are just 88 rooms, so it’s certainly not the biggest hotel in New York nor is it in the most buzzing area. You have to go a few blocks before you hit the heart of SoHo, but there are plenty of little retail treasures scattered here and there along the way – and all that makes the hotel and the area feel a little more like a hidden treasure. Tribeca is ‘yummy mummy’ territory and peacefully escapist, with the Hudson a short walk away – although the pace on the riverside track is full-on, with walkers, joggers, mums-with-strollers, roller-bladers and cyclists. Like the morning rush hour on the London tube, it’s exhausting to be a part of and woe betide those who can’t keep pace.

De Niro is obviously big news in the Tribeca area, with his film festival (April 21-May 2, 2010), restaurants and now this hotel, while his friend Nobu’s restaurant is just round the corner, as are Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto boutiques. The Shibui Spa and pool at The Greenwich are also suitably Japanese – designed by Mikio Shinagawa and with plenty of lanterns and bamboo - and a Sunday-morning swim in the dimly-lit pool felt like something from a De Niro movie, with just a vague sense of foreboding.

Even if you don’t stay at the hotel, visit Locanda Verde, where my Saturday night dinner of authentic Italian cuisine was eaten amidst a buzzing crowd. As a guest I slipped in the side door and acted optimistically like I deserved a table, and got one, but the queue was out the main door for people waiting for a table. Even the stools at the bar were all taken with diners tucking into to hearty authentic Italian fare and contributing to the friendly din. It sounds like a New York cliché too, but with pavement tables and all the door open, a lone saxophonist was playing across the street – all that was missing was a crazed taxi driver…..

Also try...

New York is obviously packed with great restaurants serving a global menu, but one of the best Thai restaurants is Kittichai (001 212 219 2000, www.kittichairestaurant.com), cosseted away in SoHo’s 60 Thompson hotel. There’s a small in-and-out bar at Kittichai and good-looking barmen are of course on hand to mix cocktails while you wait for your Thai table. The staff are wonderfully helpful, the atmosphere warm and friendly and the food delicious and impeccably presented.

Don't forget...

Check out a couple of newcomers on the New York hotel scene, the Crosby Street Hotel in SoHo- the latest instalment from Kit Kemp and her international debut - and the latest opening from Thompson Hotels, Smyth on the corner of West Broadway and Chambers in TriBeCa.

By April Hutchinson

Location: New York