Leona Helmsley is for sure the queen of mean when they say she runs a tight ship and gets things done to please her. She shouldn't have it any other way either, because a stay at the Helmsley Hotel has always been one of the most comfortable stays that I can remember in my ten years of flying and almost living in hotels at times.

Located in Manhattan on the corner of 42nd and 2nd, you can easily find just about anything you would like to do in the area.

When you enter, you know you "have arrived", so to say when you see the huge portrait of Leona on the wall. I personally think she has it there as a constant reminder to her employees!! As you know, she is famous for dismissing you for the least little thing. It is a very tasteful lobby, and the staff is very professional and you can tell their performance is well rehearsed to please the most discriminating of guests.

The rooms are heaven, in that I mean they are lavishly decorated with two full beads with wonderful feather pillows covered with perfectly starched pillowcases. They don't have the typical uncomfortable mattresses that you find in most hotels--the beds are truly very comfortable. The bathrooms have tv's and phones, and they have the best "hotel loot" I have ever taken, such as bubble baths, lotions, and soaps that come in their own fancy little plastic compacts engraved with the Helmsley seal of excellence!!

I will say that being located in New York, you don't have the quiet country atmosphere at all. You just take the horns and noise as seasoning for the experience. The drapes are custom, (of course), and lined well so you can make the room pitch black, which was so important to me after arriving after working the red-eye from San Francisco.

The bar caters to the high roller businessmen (and women), and the prices are high. She did honor her husband and name the bar after him!! I can't comment on the restaurant much, because we always go to a Chinese joint around the corner that gives flight attendants free wine! I have had room service for breakfast quite often and the pancakes are great. There is always a round vase with a beautiful rose floating in it on your room service tray. I guess this is a signature Leona deal also.

I always do look forward to New York trips and staying at this hotel. I have gotten my little taste of the queen of means staff myself though. Our crew was waiting in the lobby waiting for our transportation to JFK, and we always ran next door to the coffee shop next door to get our coffee for the ride to the airport. I must tell you that the staff despised, and probably still does, the flight crews. We aren't seen as important guests, basically just nobody's that they are bothered with and forced to endure our "second class" presence. They were always looking for reasons to terminate the contracts with the company by complaining about us. Moving right along, I was standing there enjoying my cup of coffee from next door, and was approached by one of Leona's security bulldogs with walkie-talkie in hand......I thought I was in serious trouble or something. He informed me that Leona could not have me standing in her lobby with a "paper cup", that it just didn't fit the standards of the hotel. He offered to take it and dispose of it for me, and after flatly refusing him three times he finally gave it up. We all got and still do, a huge laugh out of this one! I still love you Leona, and hope the beds in your cell were as comfortable as the ones you have always provided me!!



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