Deluxe spa with a New York view

Starting Nov. 15, New York visitors will be able to spend the night in one of the largest private developments in the nation: the $1.7-billion Time Warner Center, which some are comparing to Rockefeller Center. That’s when the project’s 251-room Mandarin Oriental, New York hotel plans to check in its first guest.

The twin-towered Time Warner Center, under construction at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, will eventually house the headquarters of the media giant; CNN studios; the new home for Jazz at Lincoln Center, seating nearly 2,000; scores of condominiums, offices, shops and restaurants; and a 504-car parking garage.

Although its guest rooms and super-luxe spa and fitness center don’t open until Nov. 15, the Mandarin Oriental is already causing a buzz. The spa is booked through November. This week the hotel’s public areas, such as the Lobby Lounge (with views of Central Park), the French-Japanese Asiate restaurant and the MObar cocktail bar, are scheduled to make their debut. The ballroom was to have opened last week. They are the first facilities to open at the center, which broke ground in 2000.

A focal point for the hotel, which occupies floors 35 through 54 of the center’s north tower, is the 14,500-square-foot spa area. It includes a tea lounge, an infinity-edge pool beside floor-to-ceiling windows, and separate men’s and women’s lounges. Spa-goers will be encouraged to book blocks of time rather than individual treatments. A counselor will then prescribe treatments based on the client’s goals, a spokeswoman said.

There will also be a 650-square-foot Spa Suite designed for couples. It includes a fireplace and dual massage beds. The cost for three hours for two is $975, with a two-hour spa treatment.

Staying overnight in one of the hotel’s guest rooms, although not cheap, will cost considerably less than a trip to the Spa Suite. Introductory room rates, subject to availability, start at $429 per night. A “Special Opening Offer” provides one night free for those who pay room rates starting at $595 per night.

All rooms include soaking tubs, most with picture-window views of the city. (800) 526-6566, www.mandarinoriental.com.

The rest of Time Warner Center is scheduled to open in phases during the next year.