The creation of super-hotelier Andre Balazs, The Standard, High Line hotel is a glorious glassy high-rise, with witty minimalist interiors, cheekily exhibitionist bathrooms and unbeatable views over the Hudson (especially at sunset). Towering on concrete stilts above its namesake High Line, the hotel benevolently lords it over the West Village – a gentle but impeccably groomed giant.

The stark concrete glass and brick exterior floating above the High Line.

Roman & Williams, the team behind the ACE Hotel in New York was also in charge for the Standard Hotel. Unexpected, with cool white in the ground floor and warm wood colours in the rooms, this hotel is a must visit any time of the year.

If you have visited the brand's website, you can see that they're so into art and design and will offer some great ideas of where to go and what to visit while in NY. Even if you're not staying with them, if you are flying in NY even for a few days, do look up their events and recommendations, you will not be disappointed. This time of the year especially, you are looking at some great parties with their resident DJ.

Andre Balazs, wanted the interior design team to translate a sense of being transported through eras as one moves through the various spaces and floors of the hotel.

Rooms that exude a sense of warmth,

in contrast to the concrete shell of the building

Need to know

Size: 338 rooms including 4 suites

Prices: Double rooms from £143.06 ($215), excluding tax at 14.75 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of $3.50 per room per night on check-out.

Insider tip by Mr and Mrs Smith: The views get better the higher you go, so plump for 8th floor and above if you can. The Standard Room 11.20, for example, has fabulous views of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty, but if you prefer looking out of the Manhattan skyline, any room ending in .25 looks out to the north and .24s have corner windows.

The Standard Suites are far and away the most glamorous, with three walls of floor-to-ceiling glass, so you can gawp at three-way sunset views from the free-standing bath tub. All the Standard High Line’s rooms feature either deep-set bath tubs open to the living area or exposed glass-walled showers, so this is not a hotel for bashful bathers. The top-floor club stays lively into the earlier hours, so ask for a room on the lower floors for a more peaceful night's sleep.

Photo credits: Roman and Williams

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