HotelChatter

We stayed one night only, the Sunday of the three-day weekend, in part because the cheap rooms (cough, under $600,) were already booked up. Also, I was wanting to see how hard it would be to get a free upgrade since I've been reading so much about it lately. One bit of advice I heeded said hotels like to upgrade people who are only there for one night. To improve our chances even more, I spent an extra $40 at booking to get one level better than their cheapest room. We paid for a $450 Mercer room. In the comments on their booking page, (through Tablet Hotels) I noted that we'd be there for our wedding anniversary.

However, I never let on that I run a New York travel site or that I have friends at HotelChatter.com. When we arrived to check in, they'd not only bumped us up two levels, but there was a bottle of champagne on ice in our room, fresh flowers and a hand-written note welcoming us to the hotel.

Though staying at The Mercer doesn't feel like a hotel at all. It's more like house-sitting for your coolest friend who happens to be off filming a movie or freeing hostages for the weekend.

We stayed in Room 514, a deluxe studio overlooking the neighbors, back yards and terraces, with a classic New York water tower a few buildings away. Around 400 square feet, the dark-food furnishings looked straight out of a West Elm showroom. Two huge mirrors that nearly reached the high ceilings, a table and two chairs arranged across from the couch, built-in cabinets in the closet, an armoire with interior lighting, a flat-screen TV and King-size bed. The DVD and CD players came with an extensive list of ordering choices; just call the front desk and they'll bring up anything you want for free. Among the DVD choices:  All About Eve, The French Connection, Breakfast at Tiffany's, On the Waterfront, Manhattan, The Seven Samurai, Powerpuff Girls: The Movie, and porn.

There were two sets of French doors that opened onto wrought-iron mini-balcony. It wasn't deep enough to actually stand on the balcony, but gave the appearance of more freedom.

The bathroom was a little odd. The shower didn't actually have a door. One end looked like a regular shower -- though the temperature knob actually had the temperatures marked in Celsius in a pretty black font -- and the far end had extra pinhole-sized spray jets. Both ends of the shower had a glass partition separating it from the rest of the bathroom but there was no actual door to the shower.  There was a gap about three feet wide  requiring an extra towel on the floor in addition to the bathmat. Stocked with shampoos and such by The Face of Stockholm, condoms by Trojan.

The minibar offered up quite a selection as well. Everything from Dean & Deluca milk chocolate raisins ($5.25) to the $39 scented candle. You could take the cashmere blanket home for $600, or stick to the $18  Pratique Guide to shopping and dining in SoHo and Nolita.

Great room, great service all around. After we checked out the next morning we had brunch in the lobby, which is attached to the Mercer Kitchen. Apparently only hotel guests are allowed to eat at the tables in the lobby. I think my scrambled eggs with cheese were made with heavy cream a delicious conclusion befitting our indulgence at The Mercer.

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·   Viewlicious: Room 514 At The Mercer [HotelChatter]