As New York continues its recovery, 2 iconic hotels will soon reopen

New York City is opening back up at a rapid clip.

After weeks of sustained declines in COVID-19 case rates and widespread distribution of vaccines, the city's leaders are ready to begin welcoming tourists back to the Big Apple. Case in point, Broadway, a pillar of New York's economy that's been shuttered since March of last year, will reopen on Sept. 14 of this year.

Another sign of the city's rebirth comes in the form of high-end hotels. There's been a steady stream of luxury properties throughout the city that have reopened their doors over the last few months, including the Park Hyatt New York, Four Seasons New York Downtown and the Mandarin Oriental New York, to name a few.

Now, two more premier hotels in New York are set to reopen their doors to guests in the coming days and weeks. First, The Plaza, perhaps the most iconic New York hotel, will welcome guests once again as of May 20. Shortly after, The Peninsula New York, one of the most exclusive properties in the city, opens on June 1.

The Plaza will have been closed for more than a year by the time it's ready to reopen its doors, but guests can expect the experience to be as perfect as ever. An integral part of the city since 1907, the 282-room hotel has impressed celebrities, dignitaries and other well-heeled guests for well over 100 years. If you are considering a stay, don't miss a glass (or a few) of Champagne during the afternoon tea service at The Palm Court, indulgent treatments at the hotel's Guerlain Spa and so much more.

And to celebrate the reopening, The Plaza will offer complimentary transportation to and from the hotel (up to 100 miles) for anyone staying in any of the property's 29 Legacy Suites.

Nearby, The Peninsula New York opens in June after being closed for 14 months. When it does reopen next month, it will have a few new things to show off to guests, including a new "Life en Route" art installation specially curated to inspire "a feeling of wanderlust and cross-cultural impressions;" a female DJ series that will take place on the hotel's rooftop between June 3 and July 29 and an Artist in Residence program with Dutch artist Peter Riezebos.

The Peninsula will also offer two special reopening packages:

• Rediscover Manhattan: includes daily breakfast, complimentary parking and tickets to a cultural experience like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) or the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center
• Suite Escape: includes daily breakfast, a "New York-themed welcome amenity" and either complimentary parking or round-trip airport transportation in the hotel's Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan

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Urban hotels coming back to life

Many hotels around the country -- and the world -- have been open for the duration of the pandemic, but on balance, most of these properties are found in places where people can reach by car. Think beach destinations in the Southeast or Florida and ski destinations in the West that offer plenty of wide-open spaces.

City hotels, on the other hand, have suffered massively during the pandemic. People simply haven't been visiting crowded urban environments, which meant that numerous hotels in cities across the country have either been closed temporarily or have closed their doors for good.

For hotels located in cities that survived the pandemic, spring 2021 is a busy period for reopenings. In New York, more marquee properties are set to reopen (opening dates based on the earliest day you're able to make a new reservation) this season. Top hotels like the Conrad New York Midtown and The Ritz-Carlton, New York Central Park will open once again on May 24 and June 2, respectively.

Chicago had a number of temporarily closed hotels that have already reopened their doors, including The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago; the Park Hyatt Chicago and the Four Seasons Chicago.

Elsewhere, guests will be able to check-in to hotels including the Conrad Chicago, Four Seasons Palm Beach; Four Seasons San Francisco and San Francisco at Embarcadero; Four Seasons Bora Bora; Four Seasons Bogotá; The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco and The Ritz-Carlton, Boston by early June of this year.

All of these properties join other high-end hotels that have already reopened in markets around the world, such as the Four Seasons New York Downtown; The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel; the W South Beach; Four Seasons Buenos Aires; Four Seasons Westlake Village in California; Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina and Rosewood Baha Mar.

Bottom line

New York is coming back to life in a big way, and the imminent reopening of two of its most storied hotels makes the recovery all the more exciting.

As we continue to see millions more Americans receive a COVID-19 vaccine each day, we can only imagine that this trend will continue as we move to the summer.

As always, before you make any firm travel plans, consult the hotel you're considering booking to make sure it will be open on your travel dates and which amenities you can expect to take advantage of while you're staying there.