Review of The Greenwich, by Isabel Clift

It seems appropriate one of the latest in a line of luxurious, eclectically-influenced modern hotels - on a par with Kit Kemp's Firmdales or Andre Balazs' empire - has sprung up in cool Tribeca. The Greenwich is impressive from the outset, with a fun yet grown-up feel and its own luxe-retro-rustic take on contemporary design. All this and young and friendly staff too - it's a serious contender as one of Manhattan's best hotels.

Clichéd as it's become to describe a restaurant as 'buzzing', Locanda Verde really is, well, very buzzy - reservations are a must. Tuck in to rural Northern Italian fare and drink up from an expansive wine list. The restaurant's low lighting, oak panelling and stained glass gives it feel of an Italian library crossed with a Manhattan drinking dive, and very pleasant it is too. If you're after something more low-key, the drawing room is full of velvet couches, decorative bird cages and papers to read and the courtyard garden is well-kept and pretty.

Shibui, the subterranean Japanese spa, is just for guests. Its focus-piece, a 250-year-old Japanese farmhouse roof suspended over the pool and lounge area, somehow manages to be unostentatious, and the rest of the spa is similarly attractive. Pool-side yoga, Japanese massages and a gleaming wood-panelled gym will help keep you feeling tip-top.

Bedrooms are elegant and individual, like the interiors of a particularly tasteful friend's house. Reclaimed and refurbished furniture sits beside simpler contemporary pieces, and tech bits are sensitively integrated. Our Superior Greenwich room's wow-factors were a period Italian armoire and an oak king bed with a crest carved at every post. The marble bathroom with double rainfall shower was snug but sumptuous, and the novelty of watching HBO on a huge HDTV didn't wear off too quickly. Wi-Fi and all non-alcoholic minibar items are free - hand-made cookies and pretzels providing The Greenwich's spot-on touch in a most delicious form.