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New York City’s latest tourist attraction will be launched on Thursday (September 16th.)

‘The Ride’ will take visitors on a tour of the city in eight super-sized buses, offering a combination of sightseeing, technological wizardry and on-board performance. The engineers who worked on the buses say they’ve crammed an IMAX theatre’s worth of equipment inside them.

Guests board the vehicles at the New York Marriott Marquis luxury hotel in Times Square. That’s the starting point for a 4.2 mile journey in the tallest vehicles allowed under federal law, equipped with stadium-style seating and panoramic windows.

Along the route, the hosts entertain riders with comedic send-ups of common New York sites, created by a team of writers and producers whose credits include well-known American TV shows.

“The Ride is about experiencing the fabric of New York – honestly and unflinchingly – through the eyes of talented and truly funny people who love the city and its history and who have chosen to be life-long residents here,” said company founder Michael Counts.

Tickets for the attraction are priced from $59 (£37). www.experiencetheride.com

by Andy Moreton

If you’re going along for The Ride (and everything else the Big Apple has to offer), let Luxique help you book your luxury hotel in New York City.

The Statue of Liberty will be closed to tourists next year for security upgrades, including a new staircase.

The 22-storey structure currently has just a single staircase spiralling up to the crown. Construction on a second will begin in October 2011.

“The $26 million [£16 million] project will add fire-proof staircases, elevators and exits,” said David Luchsinger, Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

In the event of an emergency – such as the smoke alarm that went off last month – hundreds of tourists are evacuated down the single staircase, the same one that firefighters use to ascend the monument.

The additional staircase will run from the ground to the pedestal, the highest point reached by most tourists, located a little over halfway to the top.

The statue has a total of 354 steps from base to crown, but only 10 visitors at a time are permitted to make the climb up the narrow staircase to the very top – in part because of evacuation concerns.

by Andy Moreton

The Big Apple is full of ‘must see’ places. Here at Luxique we can help you plan your visit with our comprehensive city guide and, of course, our selection of the finest luxury hotels in New York.

The tongue-in-cheek attempt to segregate tourists from locals in New York City (see post last month) seems to have spread to Barcelona – one of Spain’s leading holiday destinations.

A lone protester has been out in the dead of night in the old quarter and daubed markings on the streets to separate tourists and Barcelonans into different lanes. Every day, the city hall sends out workmen to paint over the markings.

Barcelona’s security councillor, Assumpta Escarp, who also represents the old quarter, thinks the action may have been inspired by the New York City pranksters. She’s called for the mysterious protester to come forward and explain what it’s all about. “They should be brave and explain exactly why they want segregation,” she said.

It may be that, although tourism brings in much-needed wealth, it’s increasingly making native city-dwellers feel strangers in their own streets.

As Giles Tremlett in The Observer (London) put it: “Budget airlines, stag parties, a thriving nightlife, five kilometres of beach and the city’s famously liberal atmosphere have all combined to turn its famous and colourful Las Ramblas boulevard into a heaving mass of slow-moving, camera-toting or beer-swilling foreigners.”

by Andy Moreton

Despite Tremlett’s less-than-flattering description, the city remains a must-see, with plenty of stunning sights. Book your luxury hotel in Barcelona through Luxique.

A new luxury hotel in New York has opened close to the Ground Zero site, dividing opinion on whether it’s too soon for such a venture at a sensitive location.

Some of the rooms in the 169-room World Center Hotel have floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Trade Center site or the former Deutsche Bank building, which was irreparably damaged when the twin towers were destroyed and is being dismantled.

There’s a great deal of rebuilding going on in the area, including the construction of the new One World Trade Center (‘Freedom Tower’), which is expected to be completed in 2013, as well as a museum and memorial.

Cheryl Palmer, an executive from the luxury hotel, says the property “offers an accessible view of the new World Trade Center for those individuals who want to experience the rebuilding up close.” One guest said that being able to see this rebuilding was ‘phenomenal’.

However, the influential news and blog website, the Huffington Post, described the opening as shocking. “Not yet ten years since 9/11 and we have a hotel overlooking the spot where thousands lost their lives. To its credit, the hotel is steps from Wall Street and the headquarters of many companies, but who would want to stay there?”

The hotel describes itself, on its website, as ‘groundbreaking, stylish and modern.’

by Andy Moreton

If you’re thinking about a vacation or just a long weekend in the Big Apple, Luxique can help you find the best of the luxury hotels in New York City.

In New York City, open-top double-decker buses are a great way of seeing the sights, and tourists love them.

But the feeling’s not shared by the people living in landmark neighbourhoods who say they are driven to distraction by the commentaries coming over the loudspeakers.

The City Council has now passed a law requiring the buses to replace loudspeaker systems with headphones, starting from July next year.

New York City’s sightseeing bus fleet has grown rapidly since the vehicles first appeared on the streets in the early 1990s. Efforts to quieten their loudspeakers have persisted for years, particularly in more residential neighbourhoods like the West Village, SoHo and Chinatown in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.

“It’s a constant, pervasive, persistent noise,” said Barbara Backer, whose apartment faces the major tour bus corridor of Bleecker Street. “Some people wear earplugs in their homes.”

Thomas Lewis, President of Gray Line New York Sightseeing, insisted his buses did not violate the city’s strict noise code. Besides, he said, New Yorkers were subjected to many other sounds: garbage trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles, for example. “It’s one of the consequences of living in the city,” he said.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique can help you book some classic luxury hotels in New York City – at the best possible rates.

Any newspaper or hotel booking search will offer plenty of boutique hotels in New York City, but if you fancy somewhere a little different, somewhere chic and off the beaten track for a romantic weekend break, where do you begin?

Inn at Irving Place
Gramercy Park is a private park tucked away between East 20 Street and East 21st Street in the Union Square district of the city. Tucked behind an unassuming front door is this New York boutique Hotel jewel offering great charm in each of the individually furnished rooms. The two 1834 townhouses perfectly capture a bygone era in the furnishings, service and genteel atmosphere of this secluded hideaway. Take afternoon tea in Lady Medl’s Tearooms on the ground floor, where antiques and china set the scene beautifully.

The Library Hotel
The very name conjures up a log fire, big armchairs, a favorite over-sized sweater and a good book. Conveniently located between the Morgan Library and the New York Public Library, this boutique hotel is a great escape for bibliophiles. Devoted to a discerning clientele, each level of the Library Hotel has a different theme such as poetry, mystery or eroticism, giving a hint of what hand-picked delights are just waiting to be revealed. The furniture, pictures and accents all reflect the theme, along with a selection of well-chosen books in every room. The perfect choice for readers and writers alike.

Carlyle Hotel
Continuing to thrive on its reputation as the luxury hotel in New York where JF Kennedy had a tryst with Marilyn Monroe, this classy uptown hotel is still painfully discreet. With antique furnishings and Audubon prints it exudes the ambience of a luxury town home, belying the fact that it actually has 190 guest rooms offering the ultimate in comfort. Mini larders replace the usual minibar and together with its luxury spa, pet-friendly policy and in-house shops, it is hard to find a reason to leave.

Dylan Hotel
The best of the best is the Dylan’s trademark. Located in Midtown Manhattan within walking distance of Grand Central Station, Times Square, Central Park and some of the best restaurants, this beautiful boutique hotel in New York is situated in a fabulous 1903 Beaux-Arts structure. Beneath the 11 foot ceilings, interior designer Jeffrey Beers has redefined opulence with his timeless décor. Carrara marble bathrooms and American walnut furnishings turn these understated rooms into something truly classy for the perfect romantic weekend break.

The Wales
Located at the better end of town, the Wales is a well-kept secret in the Upper East side of the city. Quiet walks in Central Park are just a block from this charming boutique hotel in New York, while the Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum of Art are close by, on what has been dubbed ‘Museum Mile’. Enjoy views of the city skyline from the delightful garden or relax in sumptuous comfort amidst goose down comforters, fresh flowers and rich mahogany furniture.

By Luxique Luxury Hotels

A New York City cab driver made two round trips totalling 200 miles to return more than $21,000 (£13,000) left in his taxi by an elderly Italian tourist.

Felicia Lettieri, aged 72, took a trip in 28-year-old Mukul Asaduzzaman’s cab on Christmas Eve, but left her wallet behind. It contained travelling money for her and six relatives.

Police said she shouldn’t get her hopes up of seeing the money again, but they’d reckoned without the honesty of Mr Asaduzzaman, who’s a medical student originally from Bangladesh.

The cabbie drove about 50 miles to a Long Island address he found in Mrs Lettieri’s wallet. No-one answered the door at the house, so he left his phone number and drove back to the city. Hours later, he received a call from the family, turned around and drove back with the money.

Mr Asaduzzaman refused a reward. He told the New York Post:

“When I was 5 years old, my mother told me, ‘Be honest, work hard and you will raise your station.’”

by Andy Moreton

If you’re thinking about a vacation or just a long weekend in the Big Apple, trust Luxique to find you the best of the luxury hotels in New York City.

“These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York”.

So sings Alicia Keys on Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind. And with that hit preceded by Paloma Faith’s wonderful song New York, it seems the city is currently ultra-hip.

The Big Apple’s certainly had a relatively good year as far as tourism is concerned. With 45.2 million American and foreign visitors in 2009, New York City was the leading tourist destination in the US.

That figure represents a decline of 3.9 per cent from 2008, but the fall had been forecast to be 10 per cent.

And NYC also remains the most popular American city for overseas travellers – 8.6 million last year, twice as many as its nearest rival, Los Angeles.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said:

“Over the past eight years, our efforts to make New York City an even more exciting place to visit have helped produce a record number of tourists and create thousands of jobs.”

“Last year, while tourism declined significantly in cities across the country, we fared far better than most. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, we were the most popular tourism destination in the country, surpassing Orlando.”

by Andy Moreton

See what all the fuss is about – let Luxique help you book a luxury New York City hotel.

I didn’t know whether to rejoice or hold my head in my hands at the news that the plane maker Airbus has sold the first two 840-seater airliners.

My first thought was: I hope there are enough toilets.

The two planes are all-economy versions of the giant A380. They’ve been sold to Air Austral, the flag carrier of Reunion in the southern Indian Ocean. The island is officially part of France, and the airline has nine flights a week to Paris.

The configuration of passengers, euphemistically known as ‘high-density’, has been certified for use by civil aviation authorities after a fire test in which 873 passengers and crew were safely evacuated in under 80 seconds.

Airbus’s Chief Operating Officer, John Leahy, said that far from people being crammed in, it would be more comfortable for them. He said the plane’s size meant there would still be wider seats, wider aisles and more space for each passenger than on its competitors.

The standard A380 recently made its maiden transatlantic flight. Air France took one of the airliners from Paris to New York with 538 passengers, 380 of whom were fans of the super-jumbo and had bid for the seats on eBay.

by Andy Moreton

I’ve just spent a week in New York City and I was interested to see that alongside the familiar tourist attractions, there’s also a scramble to visit the locations where TV shows are filmed.

Whether it’s the exterior of Carrie Bradshaw’s Greenwich Village apartment in Sex and the City or the Bada Bing club made famous in The Sopranos, TV location tours are big business in the Big Apple.

More than 15,000 people from 40 countries have taken The Sopranos tour since it was launched in 2001, and at least a thousand people a week board buses to see the locations featured in Sex and the City. Younger fans are also heading in numbers for the trendy Upper East Side where the popular TV series Gossip Girl is set.

“We keep our eyes on shows that feature New York City prominently,” said Meagan Hess, Online Marketing Manager for On Location Tours. “For Sex and the City, people considered New York to be the fifth character,” she added.

As many as 70 per cent of the tours are made up of international tourists who know the shows and their characters well, according to Ms Hess. “I think people like the escapism nature. We do some celebrity spotting on the tours. It feels as if they have some connection with the celebrity and the lifestyle.”

by Andy Moreton, with acknowledgements to MSNBC

If you’re thinking about a vacation or just a long weekend in the Big Apple, Luxique can help you find the best of the luxury hotels in New York City.