Four Seasons New York Downtown hotel review: Why you should stay in the revitalised financial district

There's more to Downtown than Wall Street, finds Cathy Adams

The rooms and suites are dressed in elegant browns, golds and petrol blues (Four Seasons New York Downtown)

In a nutshell: Polished, unapologetically modern luxury hotel in New York's constantly evolving business district.

The neighbourhood

Downtown New York, the city’s bombastic financial district, is no longer deserted when the markets ring the closing bell. In the past five years the neighbourhood has been almost entirely revitalised: first with the glossy One World Trade Center, a swaggering skyscraper with the best views in town, which stands at the site of the former Twin Towers and towers over the powerful 9/11 memorial; then with the subterranean Westfield shopping mall, underneath the highly Instagrammable bleached-white Oculus. Just opened in 2018, a short walk along Fulton Street is the new South Street Seaport district, full of shop-lined cobbled streets and Pier 17, which overlooks the lights of Brooklyn.

The Four Seasons New York Downtown is ideally placed for the financial companies of Downtown, but it's also on the cusp of trendy Tribeca. A short walk away are the ferries connecting Manhattan to outer islands.

The look

Although the building looks old, it’s actually a super-modern skyscraper in the style of a 1920s grand one, designed by postmodern architect Robert A.M. Stern, who is behind a suite of skyscrapers in Manhattan. That’s the outside. Inside are high ceilings, the odd piece of important-looking sculpture and lashings of warm gold, silver and brown – this is very much a Four Seasons property.

The Robert A.M. Stern-designed skyscraper houses the Four Seasons New York Downtown (Four Seasons New York Downtown)

The vibe

Calm, professional, chic. The downstairs bar, attached to Wolfgang Puck’s CUT and designed by Jacques Garcia, makes things lively after 6pm; but for the rest of the time the atmosphere is as muted as its elegant decor.

Bed and bath

The baths fill in two minutes (Four Seasons New York Downtown)

Rooms and suites are vast (for New York standards) and suitably plush, with leather banquettes and cosy armchairs decked out in tasteful browns, golds and petrol blues. Sleek wooden desks (when you're on) are next to smart bronze glass cabinets holding the minibar and Nespresso coffee machine (when you're off). Crisp linens deck the king-size beds – this is where you’re supposed to have a good night’s sleep before a hectic day of meetings, after all.

The bathrooms are almost as vast as the rooms themselves. But the jewel in the crown are the deep baths, overlooking the windows, which are a real treat after a long day.

Some of the swankier suites come with outdoor balconies with spectacular views over Downtown Manhattan.

Food and drink

Wolfgang Puck’s celebrated steak restaurant and lounge CUT is downstairs – the chef's first outpost in Manhattan – and unsurprisingly is popular for business lunches and breakfasts. Breakfast for hotel guests is taken in-room, which is far more enjoyable than it sounds, given how spacious the rooms are.

Pools, spas and public areas

The 75-feet lap pool at Four Seasons New York Downtown (Four Seasons New York Downtown)

The extremely well-kept (but also extremely shallow) 75-foot-long pool opens at 6am and even at that time there will usually be a few guests getting in their morning laps. Not a swimmer? Relax on one of the surrounding loungers, draped in comfy towels and in close proximity to stacks of magazines.

The fitness centre is open 24 hours, while the in-house spa has three resident healers, who can curate a number of mindful experiences, but the real treat is the 5.5 hour "Royal Ritual", which includes champagne and a caviar facial.

Nuts and bolts

Room count: 189 rooms and suites. There are an additional 157 residences attached for longer-term guests.

In the bathroom: A generous supply of toiletries from Florence-based perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi.

Wifi: Free of charge

Minibar charges: N/A

Disability access: Yes.

Pet policy: Dogs and cats that weigh less than 11kg are welcomed.

Bottom line

Best thing: The deep baths, which take only two minutes to fill entirely. Plus, they come with eye-popping views out over the architectural oddities of the Downtown skyline.

Worst thing: Hard to find one – if pushed, perhaps the slightly muted atmosphere.

Perfect for: Second- or third-time leisure guests to New York, who want to explore a different area to the traditional Midtown; or business guests looking for something a little more polished.

Not right for: Don’t come at the weekend expecting it to be raucous – it’s at its heart a swish property catering to the Wall Streeters.

Instagram from: The CUT bar, which at night glows a very classy neon red to light up the terrific selection of expensive spirits.

Room rate: From £327 in a superior room.

fourseasons.com/newyorkdowntown