The Standard, High Line

To capitalize on the popular, elevated High Line park that opened in the summer of 2009, Standard hotelier Andre Balazs pulled off a design feat: He propped his 338-room hotel up on huge concrete stilts so that it straddles, and hovers above, the park. For this, the Standard has garnered the praise of architecture critics, who marvel at how, from inside the building, one seems to be floating in the air.
The interior design is just as striking as the architecture. Hip, compact furniture references the mid-20th-century designs of Eero Saarinen. Open bathrooms with deep soaking tubs or huge rainfall showers, surrounded by clear glass panes instead of shower curtains, create the impression of bathing beside the Hudson River. There's no artwork or vintage photos of the city hanging on the walls because there's no need -- the floor-to-ceiling windows offer stunning views of the real thing. (The windows also offer views from the outside in, making for some interesting exhibitionism.)
The hotel's common areas are just as eye-catching as the rooms. Illuminated by a striplight going down the center of the room, the lobby's mirrored ceiling offers two perspectives on the same space. The elevators feature a video installation that represents heaven (when going up) and hell (when going down).
The hotel is also a stylish base for exploring the nearby art scene (Chelsea galleries and the Whitney Museum of American Art) and the excellent shopping and nightlife of the surrounding Meatpacking District. Indeed, each room is equipped with a pamphlet of recommended art galleries, restaurants, museums, and clubs. (The staff is skilled at scoring hard-to-get dinner reservations and guest-list club passes.) Though the often hardest entry comes on-site at the popular Le Bain, a rooftop nightclub where access is at the discretion of bouncers. Expect to see guests and non-guests alike shuffling to all of the very popular restaurants and bars on-site.
Balazs' Standards all embrace a holistic approach to the hospitality business -- multitasking as stylish places to sleep, nightlife and dining destinations, and gateways for urban exploration. This property succeeds on all fronts.

The Standard sits in a unique location: It is literally propped up on concrete stilts above the elevated High Line park in Manhattan's cobblestone-paved Meatpacking District. This neighborhood, made up of the far northern and western blocks of the West Village and bordered by Chelsea to the north, used to be home to hundreds of slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants and, more recently, a disproportionate amount of the city's illicit sexual activity. In the past decade it's been transformed into a trend-conscious enclave full of bottle-service clubs, bistros, and designer boutiques like Allsaints, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jeffrey.
The Standard's location is ideal for exploring the neighborhood clubs. Because of the heavy nightlife traffic, the area is a safe place to roam, but expect weekend nights in particular to be packed with boisterous and sometimes inebriated partiers. During the day the neighborhood is much mellower -- perfect for window-shopping and people-watching from the High Line or one of the many bistros and cafes with sidewalk seating. Chelsea Market, a well-trafficked marketplace with grocers, shops, and some restaurants is a four-minute walk away.
The nearest subways to the Standard are the L, A, C, and E at 14th Street and 8th Avenue, about three blocks from the hotel.

Rooms at The Standard, High Line have a hip, midcentury-modern design and wall-to-wall windows that flood them with light and allow panoramic views of the city or Hudson River. Amenities such as comfy beds, gigantic minibars, and Bluetooth speakers add up to fabulous rooms. They are decorated in mostly white, and the wooden slats behind and over the bed, along with the railing-like wooden accents along the wall, make them look a bit like stylish ship cabins. Unfortunately, some are small like ship cabins, too. Also be aware, High Line walkers can easily see into many rooms.
All rooms include:

• Open-plan bathrooms: the showers and tubs are separated from the rest of the guest rooms only by clear glass panes (some rooms have privacy blinds, but not all). Bathers can see out; voyeurs can see in. Happily, the toilet gets its own narrow stall with opaque walls.
• Swish toiletries, including shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, and lotion (though note that the shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel come in large, wall-mounted pumps, not individual containers)
• Pillow-top mattresses are swathed in 300-thread-count Italian sheets and a 100-percent-cotton duvet.
• Large flat-screen HDTVs offer dozens of channels and a free HDNet movie channel, pay-per-view movies, and an extensive adult-entertainment pay-per-view selection (seriously, they're organized by bestsellers and award winners).
• Hooded bathrobes
• Free Wi-Fi
• Hefty supply of art and fashion magazines (think V and Paper)
• One of the city's biggest, most tempting hotel minibars: two cabinets and a fridge worth of mixers, snacks, and spirits, including both small and large bottles of Patron

Celebs and foodies alike head to dinner at the back room of the Standard Grill, home of the extraordinary penny-tiled floor (literally, 460,000 coins went into it). The menu is filled with steakhouse standards and seasonally focused dishes: classic dry-aged rib eyes, pork chops, and bacon-cheddar burgers. Plan ahead, though, as same-day reservations can be hard to get. The airy Grill Cafe, meanwhile, is open all day and has an extensive menu and a sidewalk seating area popular in the warmer months.
The more informal, all-weather Standard Biergarten serves giant draft beers, oversized pretzels, and several kinds of wurst, while a mostly casual afterwork crowd tries out the free ping-pong tables. The lobby's 20-hour Living Room is a hip, casual space where visitors can order a variety of drinks and appetizers. Sometimes there's a DJ.
The 24-hour room service menu offers a small list of basic breakfast options (Irish oatmeal, granola, bagel and lox) and dinner entrees (salads, sandwiches, the classic Standard burger).

The Standard has several bar options, most notable of which is the nightclub Le Bain. In addition to a plunge pool and roof terrace, it has DJ-led music and stellar vistas. However, guests of the hotel do not automatically receive entrance and access is up to the bouncers -- expect to only get in if you're dressed to the nines. Equally, if not more, exclusive is the rooftop Top of the Standard (also known as the Boom Boom Room), a celebrity hot spot lounge which is open to the public only at certain times. After it closes to the public, it becomes a members-only club with a "pre-made list." It's a popular spot to grab a daytime drink in the summer when the weather is warm due to its fabulous vistas. Live jazz is occasionally available here.
The casual beer-hall-style Biergarten is a hot spot, particularly for an after-word crowd. Ping-pong, a long beer menu, pretzels, and bratwursts are all available here.

The Standard, High Line has a lovely and free 24-hour fitness center located on the 17th floor, allowing for great views of the Hudson River through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The 1,500-square-foot facility is equipped with Technogym cardio and strength-training equipment, and free weights. Unfortunately, there is no spa here.
Multiple meeting and event spaces holding varying numbers of guests are on-site, including The Garden Rooms off the Biergarten and Standard Grill. The Wine Room, The High Line Room (overlooking the park), and a couple of suites can also be booked, in addition to the rooftop areas.
There is no formal business center, but Guest Services will set up phone calls, fax retrieval, and laptop rental. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and guests can print for free from their rooms and pick up their printouts at the front desk.
Pets are allowed for free, with no weight limit.