Last week, in a moment of great haste, I signed off by promising a report from New York. Next time I won’t be quite so quick on the keyboard as I’d much rather tell you about the wonderful week I’ve had travelling with my Mom in Japan.

At the time of filing this column we’re on the high-speed shinkansen heading back to Tokyo after a day of shopping in Osaka – sandwiched between meetings. Mom’s not joining in on the meetings (though this does happen from time to time) but I thought it would be great to have her tag along to my favourite city. While I zip around seeing clients, I’ve been dropping Mom off at favourite cafés, retail haunts and galleries. It’s worked well because there’s nothing Mom likes more than curious little shops and nothing I hate more than meetings that carry on just for the sake of it. Having Mom in the mix has been an excellent excuse for keeping things running to time and also having an elegant opt-out for things I’m not keen on doing.

Taking a parent on a business trip is perhaps not for everyone – but as Mom and I darted around a nation that’s starting to feel the effects of an ageing population on the economy, it made me wonder how much attention governments give not only to keeping senior citizens active and in employment, but also what provisions are being made for the next generation to care for them. It strikes me that a few too many countries are doing very little to let children care for their parents later in life. Of course there are exceptions but when I glance around the socially minded Nordic region, I feel that it’s all bit focused on the kids and not very geared toward granny and grandpa.

Anyway, as I’m supposed to return this column to New York, I think we’ll revisit this topic in detail at another date as this is an area – despite all the chatter about ageing societies – that seems to be remarkably short of meaningful initiatives and projects to keep our moms and dads, aunties and uncles part of the social and economic fabric.

I arrived in and departed from New York last week wanting two things – a faster, more pleasant route into the city from JFK (or Newark) and a new place to stay. As I’m now reflecting on New York from the comfort of a shinkansen with Yokohama blurring past, it’s perhaps a bit unfair to start picking apart the city’s rail network.

But why not? Whoever thought that passengers arriving in New York would like to board a Disney-style shuttle that connects to the subway at Jamaica station as an efficient way of getting to Manhattan had clearly never been the proud owner of a passport. Of all the global capitals, New York is now the odd one out on the rapid airport-to-city link front. I even asked mayor Michael Bloomberg if I could expect to board a gleaming Bombardier or Siemens train that would whisk me into Grand Central in years to come, and he said it was unlikely that this would happen on his watch.

So without a snappy way into the city, it would be nice if there was at least a new hotel that was focused on peerless service rather than the fabulousness of its own staff. Talk to the most seasoned business travellers to New York and it seems that most are looking for new digs to spend a night or five.

There are probably variations in what they are seeking, but as I went up to my room at my usual haunt on 57th Street I thought about what I’d really like from a Manhattan innkeeper. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Trust: If I’ve been staying with you for more than a decade, it would be nice if you didn’t put some absurd security charge on my room. Clearly I’m not going to trash the joint; nor am I going to steal anything as there’s nothing I want.
2. Minimal reception-to-room journey time: I’m thinking low-ish rise and not more than 50 rooms.
3. Wood floors and underfloor heating, rather than wall-to-wall: carpets seem increasingly unhygienic ...
4. A seasoned head of housekeeping: no one likes little surprises in places such as in the headboard.
5. A TV that’s simple to operate: an “on” button, “off” button, volume and channel control – that’s all that’s required. No one wants a video by a failed actress explaining how it works.
6. A gym on the roof, not in the basement: for mornings when it’s too chilly for the park, a view over the city would be more appealing than staring at a mini monitor playing Good Morning America. 7. A plug beside the bed: such a basic necessity, but oh-so scarce.
8. Recognition: not because you found my picture on Google but because you really do remember me from the 50 earlier visits.
9. A barista in the lobby: a proper coffee at a stand-up bar would be perfect either as you check out or as you embark on your day.
10. A bar in the lobby: a hushed, well-lit, well-staffed place to drink and meet is sorely lacking in a city that should be full of them.

So if you’ve come across a property in Manhattan that has all of this covered, I’m all ears.

Tyler Brûlé is editor-in-chief of Monocle
tyler.brule@ft.com
More columns at www.ft.com/brule