Listen to Story (NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today Spice edition July 2024) Move over fluffy, shimmery, decadent, luxury! Hospitality history is being re-written. It’s a pioneering, toned and tanned, fit and fab version of luxury, which is being redefined. It has soul-cycle powered itself into the cacophonic world capital city that never sleeps.
Welcome to the Equinox hotel, the ticking heart of New York City. Ironically, sound sleep is at its core, exercise its heart beat, nutrition at its gut and high-tech massages, regeneration therapy for the mind (and body) too. I am a hotel and spa junkie, I love them, live in them, study them; review them in my columns, books and TV shows.
Hotels are my abiding passion: From iconic palace hotels to cutting edge boutique ones, each hotel has a life of its own and can make or break my experience of a city. I’ve been here, stayed there, done that. And I put on record that Equinox is unique - gutsy and revolutionary, it reflects significant investments of money, thought, foresight and, yes, hope by its founders.
My three days experience of movement, nourishment, sleep and regeneration is served up with friendly service as I’m guided through the on-site fitness Club, restaurants, the Spa and of course the unparalleled in-room experience. It’s the world’s first hotel born from an upscale, globally renowned fitness brand that has built a loyal following. “Creating an atmosphere where your best night’s sleep is possible is the future of luxury hospitality,” says Chris Norton, the dapper and fit CEO of Equinox Hotels who walks the talk.
“We have all stayed in a hotel room where there is an annoying blinking light or scratchy linens. We worked with sleep scientists to design rooms that function as ‘sleep chambers’, so sleep is built into the hardware of our rooms.” He is particular about every last micro-detail.
SLEEP OVER THIS It’s serendipity! Having flown in from a super hectic and nonstop eating and drinking week of attending the World’s 50 best restaurant awards in Las Vegas, checking into this unique luxury hospitality leader provides the perfect balance. First of all, it works magic on my frazzled, jetlagged sleep cycle. I had no idea that this handsome, dark Equinox Hotel standing tall in the newest neighbourhood of Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson river would be such a sanctuary of sleep and rejuvenation.
However, I must confess at the outset that finding my way up and down the many lifts and 15 floors of this building is a bit disconcerting. But once in my room, magic happens; scientific magic—a high-grade sound transmission classification creates a quiet, calming sleep chamber “free from sound and light pollution”. ‘Dark.
Quiet. Cool’ is the button to click. Optimal sleep environment: Beds layered with temperature-regulating natural fibres.
The room bar is stocked with herbal sleep-inducing teas, tinctures and high performance eye masks. Even the In-Room Dining menu has sleep-inducing snacks, which produce natural melatonin. I go through the meditation and breath-work programme to help me unwind before bed.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT “It’s all about providing nourishment with a healthy dash of naughtiness” explains the charming Ara Patterson as we eat our way through flavourful, low-fat dishes. Even the Room service menu is well rounded with not just nourishment (energising bowls, smoothies with functional ingredients, and superfood lattes), but also naughtiness (grilled cheese sandwiches to grass fed beef burgers.) All delivered in a compartmentalised tiffin box in an insulated bag.
A detailed guide and glossary informs us about what goes into their recipes-and ultimately our bodies. From Melatonin smoothies, Ashwagandha, charcoal lattes and warm Golden milks carefully developed with ingredients aiding in the natural production of magnesium, melatonin, and targeted adaptogens, all of which promote restful sleep, and support regeneration. Of course, the menu goes beyond traditional food and you can opt for an IV vitamin drip, with formulae for sleep, recovery to full jet lag recovery.
A Gut Health section with gut friendly foods that help in the production of pre and postbiotics is a huge part of the menu too. I love the way there is connectivity in all their offerings and seamless choices for wellbeing. THE SOUL TICKER—SPA AND GYM I am a spa-junkie, but this is my first time experience of the science-backed, results-driven spa menu: From high tech, multi-armed icoone Roboderm (for lymphatic body-sculpting) to the Spa Wave Table with its immersive sound and harmonic resonance therapy for deep restfulness (supposedly the equivalent of three hours of sleep in 30 minutes).
The rest pods with windows overlooking the Hudson yard and river are restful but the spa itself is a bit too dim and dark for me. I must point out that I’m not a gym-regular but took a shot at the state of the art equipment with a session of group fitness classes and personal training in its 60,000 square feet of Club space accessible for guests and members of the Equinox gym members too. Did a session of the rigorous soul cycling power, my knees creaked and the immediate rescue with high tech cooling helped immediately.
As did many laps in the indoor saltwater lap pool, hot and cold plunges. And what a sublime experience to warm up in outdoor barrel saunas and then to swim in the expansive outdoor heated pool with a wraparound terrace offering 360 views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. But no, I did not opt for the Board certified plastic surgeon, Dr.
Lara Devgan’s Gold Collagen Facial so have come away as old and saggy as always. ELECTRIC LEMON I love that name “Electric Lemon” by restaurateur Stephen Starr, as much as I do the balance of the indulgent and health-forward menu. The uncomfy chairs, however, could do with some improvement for oldies like me.
A rise and shine breakfast of buckwheat pancakes and smoothies with Jeff Rednour, the super-efficient General Manager, to get a heads-up and then a vibrant lunch of their specialties -prawns over heirloom rice, ginger spiked crab and plenty of vegetarian masterpieces -with the super helpful Adrien Nortan are the highlight meals. I check out on the same morning in time for the T20 cricket world cup being held in NYC where India vs Pakistan is the talk of town. For me, The Equinox is as much of a winner as India proved in the world cup.
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