Garbo Walks: The Grand Hotels

Image to the left: The Waldorf=Astoria. Main entrance. Park Ave.

When the Palm Court of The Plaza Hotel reopens in December, I expect to re-enter the charmed space in full regalia – a little black Chanel dress, pearl necklace and earrings, white gloves, and my nicest pair of kicker boots. If the Palm Court does not live up to my memory of it as the very epicenter of New York elegance and style then I will be sorely disappointed.

Once upon a time, I dated a fun boy, eager to play Scott to my Zelda, who worked hard at spending his financial aid check for the entire semester on the two of us during the course of one glorious afternoon at the Palm Court. I have no memory of the details of my education that semester, such as the substance of Microbiology and You, but I remember how we drank scotch on the rocks and talked and how the violins played in the background and the moment when the maître d' came over, held our hands, and told us that we made him jealous because he wanted to be young again.

Greta Garbo would sometimes walk from her building at 450 E. 52nd St. to The Waldorf=Astoria to meet a friend for lunch. She didn't have that far to go, as it's a quick stroll from her place to this grand hotel. With the main entrance located at 301 Park Avenue, the 2,000 room hotel sprawls in its Art Deco splendor over an entire city block. Guests staying in suites in the hotel's skyscraper towers access their rooms through discreet elevators.

As a fan of the grand hotel, I'm sad to see so many of the classic spaces refashioned for private purposes - The Mark and The Stanhope, among them. However, we still have The Waldorf=Astoria, The St. Regis, The Carlyle, The Four Seasons, and The Pod.

The what? Yes. I wandered into the former site of the Pickwick Arms at 230 E. 51st and greeted the new groove thing, so play a little house music with me now while I give you the break down on this plugged-in pod. A hotel designed for your IPod and your laptop, and maybe you, The Pod features small cute rooms with all the needed hi-tech accessories and larger public spaces. I think they should take the concept of docking stations further, however, and furnish a device that you can plug directly into your body so that you can recharge it, too. Unlike the aforementioned palaces, The Pod may be affordable for the budget-minded traveler.

Remember WOTBA's motto of vacation planning is "Lodge Low, Drink High."

If the Palm Court is not fabulous, but I am optimistic, I'm coming back and having a chat with management, bringing along my nanny, my turtle Skipperdee, and Weenie, the dog that looks like a cat.

See complete Garbo Walks.