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Ladies Rooms and Lobbies
A guide to the best in NYC
by Helene Galek
Everyone knows locating a rest room in NYC is a challenge.  Of course, every “tomato” knows that a polite inquiry accompanied with a warm smile will gain her entrance to any establishment; even ones with the proverbial, ‘Restrooms for Customers Only”.  There have always been department stores and most recently, Starbucks but……. what if you want a bit more luxury and comfort and well, room ?!

Hotel restrooms are the perfect place to do that extra primping, change your shoes, whole outfits and spread out those shopping bags! And lobbies are the perfect place to sit down and warm up or cool off, check your Blackberry, sip your cup of coffee and gather your thoughts.Great meeting place too.

Because I work with hotels, I am happy to share a few of my favorite restrooms and lobbies in various neighborhoods!  And how to head directly for them !

(HINT: Trying to catch a cab during rush hour or in the rain ? Head directly to the front of a hotel as guests will be arriving and departing at the hotel all day and most will have a doorman who will “whistle” one to your attention! It’s a nice touch to tip them a dollar!)

THEATRE DISTRICT (Avoid the lines at the theatre restrooms!)
1.WESTIN HOTEL – 43RD ST/8TH AVE
Go up the escalator and make a wide swinging right turn toward the back (away from front desk) through lobby.
Very nice lighting and mirrors all around.
Very nice, quiet comfortable lobby too.

2.PARAMOUNT HOTEL – 46TH ST/BWAY & 8TH AVE
Go straight towards the back of the lobby bearing to your left.     Great bathroom mirrors to check out how you look from the back! (Next time, when I add some highlights to my hair, I will remember to cover ALL areas!) Lobby has a lively, fun vibe with creative furnishings, fusion music and great people watching!

3.W TIMES SQUARE – 47TH ST/ WEST OF BWAY
Go to 7th floor and make 2 right turns. Then if you are looking for a drink to go with your people watching, they have an extremely sleek and upbeat yet comfortable bar and lounge just to the right of the concierge desk.

MEAT PACKING DISTRICT
1.HOTEL GANSEVOORT – 9th AVE/13TH ST
Walk straight through lobby bearing to your right and past the concierge deske.  Two very spacious single restrooms with terrific lighting and Moltan Brown soap and lotion!  Great lobby too- people watching is fascinating!….. and “soon to open” lobby bar outside!

CENTRAL PARK SOUTH
1.RITZ CARLTON CENTRAL PARK – CPS/6TH AVE
The Grand Dame of them all!!! It was awarded the highest honor of bathroom designs!
Walk in and turn right to elevators, take them down one floor, head right and then around a small curve.
There are actually 3 different rooms so plenty of space to primp, spread out and luxuriate! The roomy stalls are almost as big as what passes for NYC bedrooms! Lobby is rich and sophisticated and harks from another era, and in the evenings, harp playing soothes the nerves! Tea service and drinks are also served there.

GRAMERCY PARK/UNION SQUARE AREA
1.GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL – LEXINGTON/22ND ST (across the street from the famed key-only Gramercy Park)
Go through lobby heading left past fireplace and front desk. Very distinctive architecture that breaks the rules of what a restroom can be! Lobby is eye-catching too and produces real fire in the fireplace for those cold days!

UPPER WEST SIDE
1.EMPIRE HOTEL – BWAY/63RD ST
Walk through doors and turn left either to elevators to the mezzanine floor or up the grand sweeping thickly carpeted staircase. (I love descending on those stairs – very Scarlett O’Hara!)  And keep going left until the end of the hall. Great mirror too!  Plus, the added bonus of small private- like couches scattered on the “mezz” floorjust outside the restrooms in case you are looking for some discretion about who you are meeting and what needs to be discussed. (hey… no judgment!) Great for avoiding the lines at Lincoln Center!  The actual lobby on the main floor mixes in animal prints with its brown/gold décor and is in the hub of all the activity.

SOHO
1.TRUMP SOHO – SPRING ST/VARICK AND 6TH AVE
Walk through lobby and take a left turn to go down the stairs!
Only a week old, it still has that “new hotel” smell of rich wood! While the design is almost “business setting” in its rich browns and no nonsense modern design – the “pearl” of the restroom is the many stalls! You and 5 friends can walk in  - no waiting!
Lobby has that same design but still a good place to do business and get crackin’ on that deadline!

TRIBECA
1.TRIBECA GRAND – 6TH AVE/WHITE ST
Dramatic architecture instantly sweeps you away from NYC into some mini vacation to anywhere else!
Go through doors and walk straight back bearing right until you see the  staircase on your right (right before the concierge desk), Descend and turn left and that takes you to the stylish  restroom area on a quiet floor. Also has an amazingly spacious  lobby on main floor which also doubles as a bar.

LOWER EAST SIDE
1.HOTEL ON RIVINGTON- RIVINGTON/ESSEX ST
Go through door and take stairs or elevator to 2nd floor and turn left, right, left down hall. Cozy but cool and great small lobby just right off the front desk. Right across the street from Economy Candy too!

MURRAY HILL
1, W TUSCANY – 39TH ST/LEXINGTON and 3RD AVE
Go through lobby, bearing left straight to back – lots of stalls!
Small but cozy lobby is cooling with its smart black and silver décor hightlighted by fresh floral arrangements.   There are usually fresh apples and minted water at desk.

GREAT LOBBIES – (but restrooms are nice too!)

1.  MARRIOTT MARQUIS – BWAY/45TH and 46TH ST
8TH FLOOR – walk away from the front desk and there is a huge seating area!  Shhhhhhhh!-----I can tell you I have had many a meeting and coaching there! The biggest “secret” in NYC space!

2.REGENCY HOTEL – PARK AVE/61ST (FREE seasonal drinks in tureens by elevators!) Compact but comfortable seating in the heart of the lobby where all the activity is happening!

3.CARLYLE HOTEL – MADISON/76THST
Enter on 76th St, walk pass concierge desk to main floor and turn left to a plush drawing room of a lobby! The design of the couch/chair in golden mustard may look stiff but it was one of the most comfortable chairs I have sat in, assisting keeping my posture straight! My back, after a long day of walking, was very thankful!

4.ACE HOTEL- BWAY/29TH ST
It’s right there as you walk through the door! It’s a most eclectic combination of homey and hip!  Large, full of artsy people and so happening!! Plus Stumptown coffee off the lobby.

5.CARLTON ON MADISON – MADISON/29TH ST
A beautiful lobby with plush seats and a mesmerizing triomphe l’oeil painting where you can watch the snow “fall” over a “brownstoned” street. Very zen… but it works!

6.ROGER WILLIAMS – MADISON/31ST  ST
Colorful lobby with a playful vibe and surprising quiet corners with sunlight streaming into the large windows.  Thoughtful pads of paper on tables too.

7.70 PARK AVE – PARK AVE/38TH ST
A lobby employing classic clean lines and adorned with  lemony/floral fragrance, it’s especially a cool respite in the summer. Also has apples and sometimes wine tastings around 6 pm!

8.CROSBY ST HOTEL – CROSBY ST/SPRING and PRINCE
Talk about eclectic design – and soooooo Soho! From wire sculptures, to paper mache (the dogs by the concierge desk and my favorite – made from the Sunday comics!) amidst comfortable drawing room furniture, your senses are totally tweaked when you come in from the narrow concrete crowd! Separate drawing room off lobby too. Very English!
















Helene Galek recently became a "Tomato" last fall when she met these lovely ladies on a wine tasting trip to Long Island.
She is an actor and has worked extensively in theatre, film and sketch comedy.  She also wears the hats as assistant producer and casting director at Manhattantheatresource, one of NYC's top Off-Off Broadway theatres.  Helene is fortunate that she also loves her "day job", where she is on the regional sales team of China Grill Management... and gets to excite people about the great food and ambiance in the several restaurants she represents! She likes to do watercolors, jog, dance and sing and is also known for her knack of throwing great parties while raising money for local charities.  Helene thanks the Three Tomatoes enthusiastically for allowing her to also revive a writing passion!