Starwood Grand Opens New Westin Hotel in New York

Starwood has grand opened the Westin New York Grand Central.

The hotel, formerly the New York Helmsley Hotel, and located just blocks away from both Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations, has undergone a US$75 million renovation.

The brand's second Manhattan hotel features a complete redesign of the hotel's interior including 774 guest rooms equipped with Westin's signature amenities, more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space with the latest technology, a 3,000-square-foot WestinWorkout fitness studio and the upcoming addition of THE LCL: Bar & Kitchen, NYC, the first bar and food concept from Gerber Group in a Westin property.

"This is a great day for Westin Hotels and Starwood - some of the biggest names in our city's growing hospitality industry," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who cut the ribbon to open The Westin New York Grand Central. "Even when New York City was struggling to recover from the last national recession, Starwood was very bullish about our future. Their investments here have turned out to be smart ones, because a record number of tourists are flocking to New York City, and now this renovation gives them one more reason to visit."

Each of the 774, 300+ square-foot guestrooms, including 11 one-bedroom suites and one three-bedroom presidential suite, feature eco-friendly materials such as energy-conserving LED and CFL lights, water conserving low flow plumbing and recycleable carpet pads, low VOC finishes for casegoods and GreenGuard certified solar shades.

The renovation also extended the hotel's lobby to 42nd street to include THE LCL: Bar & Kitchen, NYC. Once open, THE LCL: Bar & Kitchen, NYC, will be the first bar and food concept in a Westin property from leading nightlife proprietor Gerber Group. Located on the ground floor of the hotel, THE LCL will offer an extensive selection of local small-batch spirits, regionally brewed craft beers, as well as, organic, sustainable and biodynamic wines. The signature and seasonal cocktail selections will feature house-made infusions and market fresh ingredients. THE LCL will also a menu of locally sourced items such as Roasted Beets and Coach Farm Chevre Cheese Salad, LCL Flame Grilled LaFrieda Burger and Great New York Cheddar Cheese and Mac. In addition to locally sourced food, THE LCL will serve Stumptown Coffee, Organic Avenue juices and fresh grab-and-go options in the morning for guests on the move.

With more than 12,000 square feet of renovated meeting and event space, including four new break-out rooms and an expanded 4,100 square-foot ballroom with sweeping city views, the hotel is an ideal host for everything from intimate business affairs to large-scale corporate meetings accommodating up to 450 guests. As part of the overhaul, all event spaces are now equipped with teleconferencing capabilities, fiber optics and some of the highest bandwidth in Manhattan.

In celebration of its Grand Opening, The Westin New York Grand Central is extending a special limited-time offer available from 1 October 2012 - 31 March 2013, which includes 10% off best available rates and daily complimentary in-room breakfast for two. Hotel rates start at US$269.

See other recent news regarding: Travel News Asia, RevPAR, Interviews, Pictures, Sports Tourism, Videos, Westin, Starwood, New York