If you’ve made it past the hubbub at street level and escaped into W New York – Times Square’s lobby, you’re in for a treat: When you first enter, you'll be encased in glass with calming water running all around you. Then, you’ll reach the elevators and head upstairs to reception, where you’ll find concierge, a bar decked out with a massive Pop Art-style mural and a dance/live music area towards the back, complete with a rotating DJ booth shaped like the New Year’s ball outside nearby. The hotel boasts 509 luxurious rooms (43 suites), a beautiful fitness center and two in-house restaurants to choose from: Blue Fin and Dos Caminos—each with a distinct feel.
Depending on how you're feeling, you can dress up and head to Blue Fin for seafood or stay casual for modern Mexican fare at Dos Caminos. Standouts at the Robert McKinley-designed Blue Fin include the Rocket Man Roll ($16) which combines spicy salmon, shrimp, avocado, mango and dill and covers it all with a red "nuclear sauce" and the Affair cocktail ($16) which mixes gin and prosecco with the perfect amount of St-Germain Elderflower and gives it an extra tangy kick with some orange marmalade.
Adventurous cocktail aficianados definitely don't want to miss the A-Z Cocktail from the seventh floor Living Room bar. The drink, new for 2019, is made with 26 ingredients that each start with—you guessed it—a different letter of the alphabet. The end result is surprisingly balanced and tasty, and is available complimentary in the hotel suites.
For the ultimate hotel experience, book the W’s Extreme Wow Suite for gorgeous views of Times Square (perfect for a New Year’s celebration). It comes complete with amenities like a circle-shaped bed with stunning city views, two large bathrooms, a conference/meeting area, a living room, three flat screen televisions, rain-style showers, a soaking tub, Bliss bath products and top-of-the-line Crestron electronics (for shades, lighting, TV—assuming you can figure out how to work those).