In the city that never sleeps, it’s very hard to find a top-quality property that offers complete privacy for its guests. Well, actor/director Robert De Niro has succeeded perfectly. The moment you enter The Greenwich, you immediately feel you are in a home away from home and the hotel is a real oasis in the hustle and bustle of The Big Apple. The Greenwich is in Tribeca, still one of New York City’s most under-the-radar neighbourhoods. If you like to mingle you can enjoy an aperitif in the courtyard or in the beautiful drawing room but even then it’s possible to maintain your privacy (it’s only open to guests). The Greenwich has 88 rooms and suites, all of which are different. The furnishings draw on a wide range of cultural influences, from hand-loomed Tibetan silk rugs to English leather settees. Bathroom designs incorporate unique patterns of hand-laid Moroccan tiles or Carrara marble. Modern technology complements the hotel’s old-world charm. Be sure to check out the artworks in the lobby, drawing room and hallways as they are all by the late Robert De Niro, Sr., who also designed the menu in the hotel’s Italian restaurant Locanda Verde, overseen by celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini. During my stay, I had a hugely enjoyable dinner in the Locanda Verde, starting with perfect Blue Crab crostini, followed by an impeccable Wood-Fired Garlic Chicken. The expert sommelier, Camilo Viafara, made the excellent recommendation of a superb Passopisciaro ‘Rosso’ 2010. Without doubt, the masterpieces of this property are the sub-level Shibui Spa with a magnificent pool where you can relax under a 250-year-old wooden Japanese farmhouse and the 630 square metre Tribeca Penthouse by the famous Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt and Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki. The Penthouse’s design incorporates the philosophical values of Wabi: beauty in imperfection and authenticity; Artempo—where time becomes art; and poor materials rich in spirit. A stay in this amazing contemplative retreat has a commensurate price tag of $15,000 a night. But then again, as Robert De Niro said in The King of Comedy, “Better to be a king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime”.

Copyright 2015 Mart Engelen