I recently stayed at the New Yorker Hotel in (yes, you guessed it) New York City. It was a spectacular surprise; I had thought I had a room at the W, but fumbled my bookings. So there I am, in NYC, needing a hotel for the night. I fired up my Hotels.com HotelsNearMe app on the iPhone while I grabbed a bite to eat, and it showed me The New Yorker Hotel. Location good, price great, reviews good. OK, I'm in. I arrived very late, having been out with clients all night. The lobby was great: very deco and modern, all at the same time. Evokes classic NYC without feeling old in any way. The desk clerk was very nice, and checked me in. We chatted a bit, and he smiled, then said, "Sir, I'm going to upgrade your room to one with a balcony." I thanked him, a bit bemused why a balcony made all the difference; after all, most hotels I stay at have the sliver of a cement slab they call a balcony. But I was tired, and appreciated his enthusiasm. I took my key, and headed up to the...
A Tretakoff view of the world.