MIDTOWN MALAISE

It's much sunnier today in the city, from my window on 44th Street, I can see a Saturday crowd of Time Square tourists, matinee ticket hunters and New Yorkers alike on the sun-lit pavements below. Its a quintessentially NYC street scene, yellow taxis, traffic cops in their iconic NYPD uniforms, delivery trucks, sidewalk-pretzel-hawkers, the Big Apple with the works. There's even a tramp pushing a shopping trolley stuffed full of cardboard boxes.

I'm now in midtown, spitting distance away from Times Square and all the hustle and bustle below is muted by my digs in the opulent Chatwal hotel. A relatively new property on the scene, having just opened for business in September last year after a 4 year building project. But you'll understand why this hotel project took 4 long years to get right - as everything is just right at the Chatwal, in the now restored former Lambs Club, the turn of the century (20th) haunt of cultural glitterati - the second home of Broadway stars, the New York stomping ground of Hollywood A-list - think Fred Astaire and Irving Berlin. The building is a national treasure and has been lovingly restored with no stone unturned (quite literally in fact, because the restorers even tracked down the same, original marble from the now closed, underwater quarry in Italy) and the interiors updated to a high gloss, albeit slightly kitsch Art Deco splendour. The bell-hops wear full 30's inspired uniforms and the hotel lobby is complete with cocktail bar and a bartender in a white tux. The design philosophy is all about the art of travel, and its 83 very large rooms feature decor inspired by steamer cabin trunks - it's hard to describe - you'll just have to see for yourself. But its old world charm includes all mod cons and then some - I'm talking Japanese toilet technology that makes it glow in the dark, floor to ceiling bathroom mirrors with built-in TVs (an on the subject of TVs, my room has 3!), the biggest rain shower that I've ever seen and a fully stocked, 'not-so-mini' bar! It's quite a room, one you'll certainly feel inclined to spend a lot of time in, but I've managed to shake my jet lag and I'm keen to go out and explore.

And I have to tell you how I lost my jet lag. There's a special lady I need to thank - the infamous Norma Kamali. I visited her store today and had an audience with the beautiful and charming Norma herself. But what was I doing in a womanswear boutique? Well the Norma Kamali store on 56th street hides midtown's best kept secret - her Wellness Cafe. Besides being a talented designer, Norma travels the world to bring back the very best concepts in health and fitness and she gave me a shot of a special Japanese green tea that she guaranteed would energise my mid-afternoon lag, and she was absolutely right... leaving me powered up and ready to go for a night out with friends, the plan is to have a truly local NYC Friday night out. A keen host, my friend Rafael has created a surprise itinerary. All I know is that we're to meet at Vlada in Hell's Kitchen for Happy Hour... I'll give you all the gossip in tomorrow's post!