If you're staying downtown, the Ritz is your top luxury choice. The hotel provides the expected personalized service—you'll be greeted by at least one staffer each time you walk into the hotel or enter the lobby from your room—and big rooms with sweeping views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. West-facing rooms all come with telescopes. The hotel is an oasis of fine living; the luxurious, large rooms and suites with plush fabrics and furnishings seem more like expensive living rooms than hotel rooms. The superlative staff includes a bath butler who can fill your deep soaking tub with anything from rose petals to rubber duckies. There's steak-house fare at 2 West and a hopping post-work scene at the outdoor Rise Bar on the 14th floor. Pros : NYC's only waterfront luxury hotel; best base for downtown exploring; pet- and kid-friendly; Liberty views. Cons : removed from Midtown tourist sights; limited nighttime activities and few neighborhood options for dining and entertainment.
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