How does early morning yoga in Central Park sound? Or a chat with an artist in residence? How about a direct line to Tiffany & Co. from your guestroom to get that someone special that just-perfect gift? At The Quin, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, these quintessential New York City experiences, says Jacqueline Cox, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, are the norm rather than the exception.
“The goal,” says Cox, “is to make sure our guests have a quintessential New York City experience, and we strive to do that through a number of special ways.” She adds that also of utmost importance for The Quin is adhering to their “authentic and intuitive approach to luxury hospitality. We very much focus on those pillars—authenticity and intuitiveness in every action. We want our guests to feel like they’ve come home. We are genuinely welcoming our guests that way.”
And when you step through The Quin doors on 57th Street, right off Sixth Avenue—like we recently had the opportunity to do—you do indeed feel like you’ve arrived home. The ambiance is relaxing, never stuffy; and the service is top-notch, with smiles all around. This Midtown property’s intimate lobby feels like your private living room, if your living room had cutting-edge art on full display, and if you had housekeepers serving you hand and foot.
Take the elevator up to the accommodation, and step through the door—in our case we had a suite on the 15th floor—and what you find is an inviting set up with hip, comfy furniture; great art; gorgeous views; a very spacious bathroom with a rain shower and a separate tub; and the pinnacle of comforts, a Duxiana bed with Sferra linens. It truly does feel like you’ve arrived at your own NYC apartment.
Your clients could, of course, spend their days luxuriating in these restful accommodations, sipping coffee in the cozy drawing room, which is adjacent to the lobby, and appreciating the many art pieces displayed throughout the hotel (more on that later), but this is New York City, so your clients are going to want to step out and enjoy the city, and that’s where those quintessential New York City experiences Cox mentioned come in.
It’s so “Quin”
Let’s start with the fabulous partnerships the hotel has with Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany & Co.; these are no ordinary partnerships. “In The Quin’s accommodations, our telephones have two very special buttons that are a direct dial to these iconic stores,” which, incidentally, are located within walking distance of the hotel. “You can make an appointment to see a personal shopper, something that takes months to secure otherwise.
“We also leverage our location to Central Park, which is located two blocks away. We offer year-round running and seasonal yoga classes (spring, summer and fall). For yoga, we provide the mats, the water, the towels, and guests leave from the hotel, walk to the park with the yoga instructor and do the session outdoors. For the running class, the instructors take you on a tour through the park and you get to learn about Central Park’s history. The instructors tailor to participants so all levels are welcome.”
Now, about that art I’ve been pointing out. “That’s also a quintessential New York City experience,” says Cox, “and the reason it’s so important to our DNA is that before our property was The Quin, it was actually known as the Buckingham and at that period of history a number of famous artists made their residence here, including Marc Chagall and Georgia O’Keefe. When we came along we wanted to honor the heritage and history of our building and knowing that the art was such an important part of the building’s history we came up with this program called Quin Art. It includes a beautiful permanent collection that you’ll find in the guestrooms and the landings of every floor, and it also includes an artist in residency program where an artist will come and stay at The Quin. We showcase their art in our lobby and our drawing room, and then we strive to make that art and the creator of that art accessible to our guests via intimate chats or varied events such as walks in Central Park.”
Complementing this art vibe is the hotel’s close proximity to the MoMA and the Met. In fact, the hotel’s location is one of its best features as it’s right across the street from Carnegie Hall with Fifth, Madison and Park avenues just a stone’s throw away. And, of course, subway stations are in close proximity, so New York City is in the palm of your client’s hand.
Home Away from Home
Let’s circle back to those guestrooms and suites, why don’t we, because we wanted to hear from Cox what her favorite accommodations in the entire 208-room and -suite property were. “There are two room types that I love. One is the Terrace Suite on the 17th floor—there is nothing like this room category, especially for New York City. It has a generously sized terrace, and you can look at either 57th Street or Sixth Avenue and have your morning coffee with breakfast, or a glass of champagne in the evening. The room itself is residential in style, so you can really feel like you are a New York City resident; and on the 17th floor there are only six rooms, so it’s very quiet. My other favorite room category is in the mid-tier and it is a Corner Premier King—that’s the room that’s in the corner of the building on every floor facing 57th Street and Sixth Avenue. There are windows on all of the corners, and I love sitting on the sofa and looking out at all of the traffic and the pedestrians going by—I think it’s a quintessential New York moment.
“No matter which room category your clients choose, though, from the entry level to the penthouse, all of them have Duxiana beds and a number of amenities with our compliments, including a Nespresso machine, bottled water, and comped Internet.”
Cox stresses that from the moment a travel agent makes the reservation for their client, the guest’s experience begins. “We like to know why they are traveling; what we can do to elevate their stay that is a surprise and delight. We like to do something unexpected, but something that makes sense for the guest.”
You can book your clients a stay at The Quin via the GDS code LX. For more information on The Quin, visit slh.com/thequin or thequinhotel.com.
