A NEW YORK STAYCATION

Book a room at the Mandarin Oriental, New York and get ready to explore. Culture hounds will be delighted by the shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the modern art next door at the Museum of Arts and Design. Right across the street, there’s the main entrance to Central Park, one of the most dazzling green spaces in the world, created in the 1800s for New Yorkers to escape to nature.

And of course, there’s no better urban escape than The Shops at Columbus Circle itself, which is one of the city’s most-visited locations, with more than 16 million visitors passing through its glass doors every year. Rain or shine, it’s a destination where you can cool off, shop, eat, play, rest, and take in spectacular views of treetops and cityscape.

Want to pick up an outfit that will help you fit right in on Manhattan’s glamorous streets? The shopping here is unrivaled, with over 50 trendsetting boutiques. From the sleek designs at Hugo Boss and Ted Baker London to the effortless looks at J.Crew and Michael Kors, you’ll find it. And you definitely need a pair of sunnies to complete the outfit from Morgenthal Frederics.

And that’s not all: You’ll find books shopping, home shopping (Williams-Sonoma), luggage shopping (Tumi), beauty shopping, shoe shopping (Stuart Weitzman). You name it. There’s even grocery shopping downstairs at Whole Foods Market, where New Yorkers come to stock their kitchens.

Thirsty? Grab cocktails at Center Bar or Ascent Lounge New York. Hungry? The sky’s the limit with New York’s most impressive collection of restaurants all under one roof like Porter House Bar and Grill, an upscale steakhouse. This is also the place for Michelin-starred restaurants like Masa and Per Se. And then when you’re done dining, you can work off all those calories at Equinox Fitness Club. It doesn’t get much better than this.