Female Talent: The Recap

What a week! Who knew that our little poll experiment would draw so much attention? Certainly not us, but we aren't complaining. We though a nice way to end the week would be to recap some of our favorite comments and emails. Nifty idea, right? Right.

I think you left out a very key and important place..... Upstairs, how could you even have any of these places and not mention the Upstairs. by far it is much better than any of these other venues.

sincerely,
Richie A.

one who loves the highest quality female talent

Sorry Richie A. We will try harder next time. Promise. One reader thought:

I guess it all depends on what you like. If you want boring, vapid pretty girls with no personality, too much makeup, and priorities that revolve around blowing their way to the top, you can head to 1oak or upstairs, or marquee, or tenjune. But if you want girls that are actually capable of having a conversation, and our hot in that fresh faced, college type of way, I'd much rather head to a spot like Studio B. Shtooping dumb pretty girls has it's benefits, but some of these places just overdo it.

Tell us how you really feel. Finally, our favorite response came from our winner, Rose Bar, who responded to the great news by saying

This is NOT a confirmation.

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We have received your reservation request; thank you for considering the Jade and Rose Bars at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

If we are able to accommodate you we will reply with a confirmation email within 24 hours.

Both bars begin daily service at 12 pm, with lunch being served until 3 pm.

Reservations are required after 9 pm.

Please note that the Rose Bar is closed on Sunday nights after 8 pm. Service is available in the Jade Bar only.

Thank you,

The Jade and Rose Bars at The Gramercy Park Hotel

New York City everyone. Catch the fever.

Getting In: Submercer vs Rosebar

The return of Submercer, the private lounge beneath the Mercer Hotel, downtown has yet another impossible door. How impossible? Well, the Grub Streeters tried to get a reservation and received this response:

Thank you for your interest in the subMercer. Due to limited capacity, the subMercer is reservations only. Kindly let us know the time and date of your requested reservation, the number of people you wish to bring, your full contact information, and your relationship to the subMercer. Unfortunately we are not always able to accommodate requests, but we will notify you within 24 hours if it is possible to confirm your desired reservation.

Thank you
subMercer

We aren't sure how anyone is related to a lounge, but it seems fair enough. But what strikes us is that this simple response goes way beyond what the reservationists at Ian Schrager's Rose Bar offer up. We can't tell you how many emails we get, begging us on tips to get inside the Gramercy Hotel's lounge, including this oldie but goody:

Any tips on scoring a reservation at rose bar? They never seem to respond to emails.

See, Submercer isn't that tough - at least they give you a fighting chance to make your case. If you haven't gotten inside Rose Bar, chances are, you just won't.

State of the City's Hotels

Last night, we had the pleasure of attending the Urban Land Institutes's panel discussion on the current state of the hotel market. Why? Well, because we find it interesting. Especially when Ian Schrager's partner and right hand man, Michael Overington and the force behind the Dream Hotel, Jay Stein, are on the panel. While there wasn't much gossip, they had plenty to say about the New York City hotel industry. Below, a paraphrasing of what we heard.

Michael Overington: At Ian Schrager, hotels are about giving the customer a personal experience. Their hotels have a soul, and design and service are their key to success. The company is currently looking for new opportunities in the City, but the insanely high prices [more on this below] has kept them from signing any deals. Neighborhoods under consideration: Hudson Yards, Lower Lower Manhattan, and somewhere in Brooklyn.

Jay Stein: We have three star and four star properties. Our three star customers, we could really care less about. The three star guests don't matter. Our four star guests are the ones we like and need to keep as repeat customers. Repeat business is key. People don't want cookie cutter hotel rooms anymore. After many years of practice, we are ready to open big with the new Dream Hotel in the Meatpacking District. The cost of building was close to $1,000,000 a key.

That kind of attitude about 3 star customers drives us crazy. If we pay, treat us right, and make sure we want to come back. How can you trust the same person to know how to treat you at a four star level if they don't know that every paying customer deserves high quality service? You can't. As for Schrager, we don't know if that service commitment means the same thing to us that it does to them. As for new properties, Ian and Co. have always searched for bargains in hotel properties, and they are always willing to go far from established neighborhoods knowing his name will bring customers. But at $1 mil a room, even he can't find a place to go. For now. Lenders are still willing to lend, and with that Marriott deal all locked up, you can be sure he won't be sitting out for long.