The Westin New York's GM Takes Us Inside His 'Healthy Hotel'

October 5, 2009 at 5:01 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

Welcome to our regular Monday feature, Pitch Your Hotel, where we let hoteliers, general managers and other hotel execs tell us on-camera what makes their hotels so different from all the rest. And believe us, the competition is fierce these days. So sit back, relax and listen to them explain why their hotels are worthy of your hard-earned dollars or rewards points.

We popped into the Westin New York so that we could ask Gerard Widder, the hotel's general manager, about what makes his hotel so great. But instead of just giving us a stand-up pitch, Gerard took us along on a tour of his hotel--showing off the hotel's fitness center, spa, new executive guest rooms and the lobby bar, Bar 10. (We have to give him major props for filming all of this on the fly and while running on the treadmill too!)

Westin Hotels really need no introduction but Widder wanted to show us that despite being located amidst the frenetic pace of Times Square--which is where tourists and business travelers alike converge--the Westin Times Square goes to great lengths to offer a respite from the mad world below.

For starters, guests can hit up the Westin's fitness center with views of the Hudson River then take in a massage at the adjoining spa. Or they can have the spa and fitness center brought to their room with the WestinWORKOUT rooms and the spa-inspired guestrooms (the latter comes with Kinjoy Shiatsu massage chair.)

Dining options at the hotel have an emphasis on super foods that are richest in antioxidants like berries, salmon and even dark chocolate, so you don't have to give into a cheeseburger and fries just because it's the only thing on the menu. Between the fitness center, the spa and the healthy menu options, it's not surprising that the Westin New York was named one of America's Healthiest Hotels by Health Magazine and AOL City Guide.

Adding to the "get away from it all" mentality are the guestrooms which are undergoing another renovation to give guests a more "homey" hotel stay. Most of the guestrooms have been renovated but the hotel is going to unveil a new renovation of its Executive Rooms in January which come with large flat-screen TVs and iMacs at the desks. These rooms look and feel more residential than your average Times Square hotel room and they offer up way more space. We'll have a sneak peek at that tomorrow but for now, take a tour with Gerard Widder.

Rates at the Westin New York, a category 5 SPG hotel, start at around $350 a night.

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