The Hotel Nantucket — Chapter no 10

10. Last Friday of the Month: June

Lizbet, Edie, Adam, and Alessandra are crowded into Lizbet’s office at 11:55 a.m. on June 24 so they can refresh their Instagram feeds right at noon.

Adam is the first one to see Shelly Carpenter’s post. “It’s the Isthmus in New York City. Four keys.”

“Kind of boring?” Alessandra says. “Although she hasn’t done New York in a while.”

“She reviewed the William Vale in March of last year,” Edie says.

“It’s scary that you know that,” Adam says. He swipes through the pictures while Lizbet, Edie, and Alessandra click on the link. Frankly, Lizbet is relieved that the Hotel Nantucket wasn’t chosen; they’re nowhere near ready.

Hotel Confidential by Shelly Carpenter

June 24, 2022

The Isthmus Hotel, New York, New York—4 KEYS

Hello again, friends!

The Isthmus Hotel chain has been synonymous with luxury and sophisticated service since the flagship opened in Panama City in

1904 to cater to visitors coming to view the man-made wonder of the canal. The Manhattan outpost, located on the very desirable southeast corner of Fifty-Fifth and Fifth, has long been a top choice for discerning travelers, especially those from Central and South America, who appreciate the bilingual staff.

The hotel underwent a soup-to-nuts renovation in 2019 with all rooms given a much-needed makeover. They’ve opted for a clean, modern look—the rooms feature a lot of ivory and pearl gray and may be the teensiest bit generic. The lights of each room are all on a master panel inside the door and offer three choices: Festival (every light in the room on), Romance (low mood lighting), and Nighty-Night (every light in the room off). I tried to figure out how to beat the system and turn some lights off and some on (the one next to my bed, for example). It seemingly can’t be done without a degree in electrical engineering.

I wanted to check the concierge’s knowledge of the area, so I requested the name of a salon where I could get an inexpensive pedicure within ten blocks on a Sunday. The concierge found me a place right away, but when I went to write down the address on the notepad next to the phone, I found the hotel pen was dry.

Readers of this column may feel this is a tiny detail—and make no mistake, it is—but if a hotel is providing an amenity such as a pen, it should work.

The other aspects of my stay at the Isthmus were top-notch.

The bedding was delicious, the comforter as fluffy as a mound of whipped cream; the toiletries in the sleek marble-and-chrome bathroom (which was massive by New York standards) were scented with sandalwood, and the water pressure in the shower

was strong but not painful. My bags were delivered only two minutes after I arrived, and when ice was requested, it came within five minutes. Room service exceeded all expectations. The Isthmus in-room-dining menu includes some Panamanian flair with the additions of sancocho de gallina and chicheme, both of which I ordered and both of which were better and more reasonably priced than standard room-service fare.

Overall, I award the Isthmus Hotel in New York a solid four keys with a plea to any hoteliers reading this review: Put an individual switch on each lamp, one that’s easy to find and

preferably with a dimmer. Thank you!

Stay well, friends. And do good.

—SC

“Our lights all have individual switches, and the table and floor lamps have dimmers!” Edie says.

“I can’t believe she complained about the pens,” Adam says. “I would never have thought to check the pens.”

“Ms. English has the staff check every pen,” Alessandra says.

“Yes,” Lizbet says. The Hotel Nantucket pens are Uni-Ball Jetstream—the best—and they write smooth and dark. She’s proud of their pen game. But the fact remains that no detail escapes Shelly Carpenter’s notice. Their lighting and pens are up to snuff, but there might be a dozen other things Shelly could find fault with.

When—if—she comes.