• Mandarin Oriental

  80 Columbus Circle, 212-805-8800

  Swimming in New York usually involves battling through lanes filled with goggle-eyed human sharks and enough chlorine to fade your fuchsia suit to beige. And the less said about “whirlpooling,” the better. But if that’s the gritty reality, then the Mandarin Oriental’s new pool is the escapist fantasy. An oasis of tranquillity straight out of Lost in Translation, this 75-foot, glass-encased jewel on the Mandarin’s 36th floor offers a spectacular view of the Hudson and plays soothing music through underwater speakers. This is not your everyday swim; it’s pure indulgence: Unless you’re a guest, you have to book a spa treatment (starting at $190 an hour) to use the pool. Then again, you might be the only one in it.

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine