Take in Hudson Yards and revel in a new type of hospitality.
On the banks of the Hudson River is a new neighborhood that has breathed life into a formerly desolate part of Manhattan. This is Hudson Yards, the site of the 100th Equinox club and the first-ever Equinox Hotel. Designed to challenge traditional notions of cities and connections, Hudson Yards is a nexus of commerce, culture, and community. The area is also home to luxe residential buildings and a number of innovative developments including The Shed, a cultural hub for performing and visual arts, Vessel (TKA), an interactive artwork made of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs, and The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards, a seven-story luxury shopping center.
Here’s how to experience New York’s newest hotspot and what The Wall Street Journal dubbed “the fittest hotel on Earth.”
Where to stay
The 212 rooms (48 of which are suites) of the Equinox Hotel were designed to provide the ultimate in sleep and regeneration, with medical grade filtered air and water, a proprietary blackout shade system, and a curated RoomBar of over 70 products to appeal to “health and hedonism.” Sleep coaching is also available to hotel guests through Equinox’s Tier X coaches. The sleek interior design by Rockwell Group and bespoke amenities from Grown Alchemist turn the temperature-controlled rooms into sanctuaries above the bustling city.
Day 1
Begin your morning with a beverage from your RoomBar. Consider the Power Up Tea, an energizing blend with ingredients like green tea, lemon verbena, cinnamon, and rosemary or the Torii Awake adaptogenic herb blend. Before the day ahead, take breakfast in your room, perhaps while lounging on your chaise. Start with a cold-pressed Vita-C juice with orange, grapefruit, and lemon followed by the Wild Hive seven grain porridge with mushrooms and soft-poached egg.
Choose your afternoon adventure:
Option 1: Fitness
Staying at the hotel provides an exclusive opportunity to exercise on Vessel. Join one of the Equinox group fitness classes available on this iconic structure. There is the 45-minute Vessel Run, where you’ll race to the top, developing speed and endurance with strength-training circuits along the way, or Vessel Up, a 45- or 60-minute cardio-forward class that focuses on core and mobility.
Option 2: Culture
Traverse the High Line, a 1.45-mile-long walkway along Manhattan’s West Side. It was built on a former New York City Central Railroad in 2009 and has become a destination in its own right. Begin walking at 34th Street, right near the hotel, and make your way down to its start at 14th Street. Stop for fresh fruit popsicles at La Newyorkina or a coffee at Hungry Ghost and enjoy them on the sundeck between 14th and 15th streets.
After a morning of exploring and/or exercise, dive into chef José Andrés’s Mercado Little Spain back in Hudson Yards. If you feel like grazing, visit the kiosks in the market for bites like empanadas, paella, and cured Spanish meats and cheeses. If you prefer a sit-down lunch, head to Leña, where grilled fare inspired by the Basque country is the order of the day. Try the bone-in rib eye cooked over oak, grilled artichokes with romesco sauce, and whole roasted turbot. For a marine experience, go to Mar, where you can sample fisherman’s stew, octopus with smoked paprika, and gambas al ajillo (a classic preparation of garlicky sautéed shrimp).
To combat jet-lag or low energy, consider booking an IV vitamin drip in your room or in The Spa’s Drip Lounge. Choose from options like the Power Up (“an instant energy boost”), the Power Down (which fights adrenal fatigue), the Regen (for athletic recovery and performance), and the Jet Lag (to detox, replenish, and energize). Alternatively, visit the infrared sauna or try a sound and harmonic resonance therapy session on the Wave Table in The Spa, which purportedly gives the benefits of three hours of sleep in a 30-minute session using low-frequency alpha waves.
For dinner, book at Electric Lemon, the Hotel’s restaurant from acclaimed restaurateur Stephen Starr, showcasing Mid-Atlantic cuisine and local ingredients. Appetizers feature a bevy of crudo dishes like red snapper tartare with horseradish and lemon snow, garden-inspired starters like “somewhat simple salad” with eight different vegetables, sunflower seeds, and lemon vinaigrette, and a “warm and soulful” selection like doughless flatbread with roasted Lamoka potato, peas, and pickled beets. Try entrées like yellow zucchini with lemon basil and heirloom tomatoes or grilled black bass with herbed pistou, nasturtium, and tomatillo salsa.
Afterwards, decompress with a warm milk with turmeric and ashwagandha. If you need even more lulling, try the Nue Co. sleep kit with magnesium and valerian root drops.
Day 2
Luxuriate in your room before heading to breakfast downstairs at Electric Lemon. Select from items like the chia seed bowl with cacao, Brazil nuts, and dried fruit or grilled avocado with smoked salmon, crunchy seeds, and market herbs.
Choose your afternoon adventure:
Option 1: Fitness
A stay at the Equinox Hotel includes a complimentary membership to the Equinox Fitness Club for the duration of your visit. The 60,000-square-foot gym (the largest Equinox to date) boasts classes like Pilates, cycling, and Precision Run from morning to night. There are also a host of personal training experts available to lead you through your workout. Finish your session with a swim in the 25-yard salt water lap pool or the 50-yard outdoor pool. On your way out, recharge in the steam room and take a dip in the cold plunge pool to increase blood flow.
Option 2: Culture
Secure tickets to experience one-of-a-kind performances and visual art at The Shed, an eight-story cultural center that features a moving outer shell that expands and retracts. On the second floor of The Shops at Hudson Yards, you can find a “Floor of Discovery”, which includes Snark Park, an exhibition space with rotating immersive installations and a KITH cereal bar. Lost and Found, an interactive maze, is the debut installation.
Before lunch, rejuvenate with a visit to the hotel’s 27,000-square-foot spa. Try an integrated circuit treatment like the OVERDIDIT, which blends massage, hot and cold therapy, quantum harmonics courtesy of the Wave Table, and full-body cryotherapy.
For a bold, Korean-influenced meal, enjoy a midday repast at Kāwi, a new restaurant from the Momofuku group. Executive chef Jo Park’s daytime offerings include lunch sets like cured fluke and mixed greens with ginger and sesame, and grilled mackerel with steamed rice, soup, and a crispy vegetable nest.
For some shopping, look no further than The Shops at Hudson Yards. High end retail like Cartier, Dior, and Fendi is on offer along with unique spots like The Conservatory, a distinctive concept store, and the 16,000-square-foot Forty Five Ten, which pairs art installations and architectural details with clothing and accessories. As you stroll through, keep an eye out for OFF THE WALL, a collection of work by influential artists curated by Culture Corps. Take a picture with “OY/YO” by Deborah Kass, or admire Rachel Feinstein’s “Romeo and Juliet, 2019”.
A few steps away is your dinner location: TAK Room. Here, James Beard Award-winning chef Thomas Keller serves elevated takes on steakhouse staples. Start with a classic Caesar (prepared tableside) or a seafood tower, before moving onto wild Dover sole Meunière, grilled lamb chops, or New York strip from Snake River Farms.
Return to the hotel and visit the 8,000-square-foot outdoor terrace on the 24th floor, which features an original Jaume Plensa head sculpture (the only Plensa female face in the world). Take in the unparalleled views of the Hudson River and the city while you sip on classics—a Negroni or Manhattan perhaps—or an antioxidant-infused cocktail.
