This mythical New York hotel has seen its fair share of changes, both within in its walls and outside, however one thing remains constant: The Carlyle is one of the swankiest, smartest, seductive hotels in the city. The very few flaws of the hotel (for example the size of some bathrooms) can be excused by its age; otherwise there are very few hotels of this genre which can claim to offer a similar experience. Not only does it offer top notch service and facilities, but its location and commanding views are also something spectacular. Throw in a rich history, fine dining and exquisite décor and you get a hotel (literally) fit for kings. If you've got the cash, don't even ask yourself the question?
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Location
4.32/10
Accommodation
9.70/10
Overview
9.90/10
Food and drink
9.70/10
To know
The Carlyle has an enviable position on East 76th Street at Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side, just a block away from Central Park. Within walking distance of Museum Mile, you have the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, Whitney and Frick Collection just moments away. Also in the immediate vicinity are beautiful galleries and exclusive designer boutiques as well as other shopping opportunities a little further down Madison and Fifth Avenues. To get to the heart of Manhattan, you can take lines 4 or 6 from the 77th Street-Lexington subway station just a few blocks away. For other destinations you can change at Grand Central. JFK is 16 miles from the hotel, La Guardia 8 miles and Newark 17.
There are a total of six guestroom types and 11 suites categories. The spacious guestrooms are, with the exception of the tower rooms, decorated in a Louis XVI style and are beautifully furnished and upholstered with high quality materials. The tone of the room is quite sombre, with whites, creams and beiges being preferred while the hardwood floors are the hotel's originals. You'll find in the rooms a king bed dressed in Yves Delorme linens, two armchairs and a small table, a leather butler and a bar area with minibar and snacks. Amenities include a flatscreen television with DVD player, an iPod docking station, desk, safe, shoe kit and three telephones. On the walls are prints by French-American ornithologist John James Audubon, architectural renderings by the artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi and English country scenes by Kips while some of the porcelain in the room was made especially for the hotel by Limoges The bathrooms are relatively small but do feature Kiehl's toiletries, make-up mirrors and hairdryer and are fitted with marble. There are several combinations of guestroom to choose from depending on whether view (courtyard, 76th Street/Madison or city), surface area or décor (the tower rooms, conceived by Alexandra Champalimaud, are more contemporary) is more important to you.
The 64 suites, of which the smallest is 700ft², are also distributed at different heights and offer different views, services and number of bedrooms/bathrooms. Each have their own living space, while others also boast a kitchenette and bathrooms are fitted with Nero Marquina (Spanish) and Thassos (Greek) marble. Some enjoy floor-to-ceiling windows with incredible views of Central Park and guests staying the largest can enjoy extras such as the library, B&W Zeppelin sound system, antique furniture and 'objets' and original artwork from the hotel's collection. In a select number of the suites, there is a baby grand piano (Steinway & Sons or Baldwin). It's possible for the some of the suites to be connected to other bedrooms in order to make a four-bedroom suite.
As soon as you pull up to the smart entrance, flanked by plants that twist out of their pots and with a custom carpet so large that you don't even have to walk directly on to the 'sidewalk', you know you're in for something special. And the Art Deco lobby just the other side of the revolving doors (which you need not touch either, thanks to the presence of the impeccable doorman) does not disappoint. Restored in 2002 by Thierry Despont (keeping with the ideals of original decorator Dorothy Draper), it similar to several other Upper East Side hotel lobbies in its intimacy and the presence of a black and white marble floor. Split over two levels, the space contains orange upholstered furniture whose reflection bounces back off the highly polished floor, a working fire place either side of which are Jan Weenix originals originally owned by the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and an array of plants and flowers which give the space that extra homely feel. Also worth pointing out is that there is always a member of staff available to speak to whether behind the reception or concierge desks or milling around in the lobby.
The third floor houses Sense, the hotel's luxury spa, open to guests and as well as the general public. The modern face of the hotel, it has been designed with a black grey and white colour scheme throughout and the public spaces boast features such as luminous lacquered walls, charcoal faux leather floors and chandeliers from England. You'll also notice around the spa, prints of the photographer Kenro Izu as well as, in the relaxation area, velvet sofas, white damask upholstery and polished nickel fixtures, also from England. The stairs going down to the lower level of the spa are barrel-vaulted and are covered in dazzling platinum mosaics. In all there are five treatment rooms, including one with a state-of-the-art Vichy shower which combines water, sound, light and steam treatment. Separate male and female locker rooms each boast their own rain showers and steam rooms while the Carrera marble clad salon by Yves Durif, coiffeur to the starts, offers a full hair and make-up service. The spa itself offers a wide range of specialised cures including anti-age treatments combining scrubs, massages and facials, rejuvenating body sense treatments and individual massages as well as masks, waxing and aesthetics. A small fitness room with top-of-the-range machines is also available to guests 24 hours per day and provides complimentary towels and headphones.
The hotel's public spaces are immaculately kept and smell delightful. Getting to your room is quick and simple via the lifts which are some of the very few left in the city to still be manned by operators. You'll notice as you walk out of the lift on any floor that there is always a sideboard in front of you with a large bouquet of flowers. Another nice feature is the original mail shoots beside the lifts, while the corridors are wide and easy to negotiate and the walls dressed in suede.
The hotel has several eating and drinking options, all of them having a reputation for themselves quite apart from that of the hotel. The main restaurant, The Carlyle Restaurant, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and, on Sundays, brunch. The setting is that of an English manor with suede covered walls, beautifully laid tables with custom crockery (Eschenbach) and cutlery and, at the room's centre, a tall flower arrangement rising from the chintz-covered banquettes. The artwork adorning the walls is a mix of English hunting prints by Fore and Liliacae engravings by Redoute. The breakfast menu comprises fresh patisseries, cereals and cakes, a range of hot plates such as lobster omelette and poached eggs on smoked salmon, reduced calorie options, fruit, juices and a buffet with a little of everything. The lunch menu features choices from the raw bar, starters such as jumbo lump crab and terrine of Hudson Bay Valley foie gras and mains including a tuna burger and sumac rubbed Amish chicken. There is also a three-course prix fixe option with a free glass of wine thrown in. The dinner menu is slightly different with sunchoke velouté available as a starter and the restaurant's famous Dover sole.
Café Carlyle opened in 1955 and has been an institution ever since welcoming a host of stars for cabaret evenings most days of the week, including Woody Allen every Monday. The main feature of the room, aside from the entertainment of course, is the restored murals by Marcel Vertès, art director on the original Moulin Rouge film. The menu, served evenings only, features a selection of dishes from the hotel's main restaurant. The intimate venue is perfect for shows of this kind where one feels a part of the action?and history.
Famous for its afternoon teas which include Devonshire cream flown in especially, the two tiered Gallery was designed by Renzo Mongiardino and is based on the sultan's dining room at the Topkapi Palace in Turkey. Featuring hand-painted wallpaper and velvet chairs and representations of Venice and Istanbul, this cosy retreat also serves a continental breakfast and lunch.
Bemelmans Bar, named after the creator of the Madeline children's books who painted the murals in the bar, has been the meeting place for the rich and famous since the hotel opened. Restored by Despont in 2002, it features a gold leaf ceiling, black granite bar and brown leather banquettes. Light snacks are served from midday until late and there is live music every night of the week. On Saturdays, bring the kids along for a sing along where they can also enjoy their own Madeleine's menu or afternoon tea!
Purpose built and completed in 1930, The Carlyle is still the tallest building on the Upper East Side, meaning that it has unrivalled views of Central Park, one of its many assets. The hotel has seen many a VIP guest in its day, including every American president since Truman, several European royals (Charles and Diana amongst them) and the likes or Richard Rodgers (the hotel's first tenant) and Ingrid Bergman. The hotel, which is named after the Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle, employs over 400 staff members ? that's over 2 per room!
Q. What do you get when you take $150 million and put them into the hands of one of the world's greatest architect/designers? A. The Mark. Be under no illusions, what Jacques Grange and co have conceived in the leafy surroundings of the Upper Eastside is now the yardstick against which all other hotels will now have to measure themselves. After over two years under renovation with some of the most sought after names in the creative fields working on the project, The Mark has transformed itself from a decent hotel to a hotel of superlatives. Everything is top draw from the design to the staff, from the food to the wellness centre. This all, of course, comes with the price tag that its quality demands, however rest assured that no other hotel can come close to what The Mark has to offer.
Although no longer associated with its Parisian namesake, the Plaza Athénée New York continues to offer one of the most refined hotel experiences in the city. Its style may not be as subtle as some of its competitors and thus some many find it a little overwhelming, but there is no getting away from the fact the hotel is a class act from top to bottom. It boasts capacious, well-appointed and recently renovated rooms (January 2010), a fine wellness centre, a celebrated restaurant and bar and an impeccable service from a smart, professional staff. If you're after that classic European opulence the other side of the Atlantic then the well-located Plaza Athénée is one to consider.
This is a hotel of distinction in an area of distinction. A relatively small property by New York standards, it exudes European class from the front door to the fitness room and everywhere else in between. The Lowell, while boasting a rich history (and the furniture, antiques and objets d'art to go with it), has all the modern amenities you'd expect from a top class hotel. Every detail has been painstakingly considered and if you manage to find one single flaw we take our hats off to you. Couples or small families will find in The Lowell an extremely comfortable, well-located hotel with the best of services and a staff to match. A hearty thumbs up from easyvoyage.co.uk.
Just as the Affinia Dumont markets itself as a fitness suite hotel, the Affinia Gardens thinks of itself as a tranquil suite hotel. And just as the Dumont justifies its status with corresponding 'kits', the Gardens offers 'tranquility', 'meditation', 'city gardens' and 'rejuvenation' kits. This property is made up entirely of suites, so again, as with the other Affinias, space is not lacking. Similar to its sister hotels, it won't win any design awards but it is a smart, clean, decent base for exploring the city whether you are a couple, family or group friends. Perhaps a little off the beaten track, but then again if it was in the mix of things in New York City it wouldn't be all that tranquil!
A good hotel located in a quiet residential area, close to Central Park and Museum Mile. It offers quality accommodations, and access to a beautiful sport club.
The Pierre has always been a landmark hotel in New York City?and we are glad to report that after its latest $100 million renovation following its takeover by Taj Hotels, it is still very much one of the hotels by which others must judge themselves. It is true to say that it may not have some of the facilities of some of the other top hotels (no spa, smaller rooms), but when it comes to service, style and sophistication, not to mention history, it is untouchable. With a location that would make most hotels weep with envy, fabulously appointed rooms with an Asian touch and a new, top quality restaurant, The Pierre is back on top of its game and ready to welcome once again all types of traveller, no matter their motive for visiting the city. All this comes, of course, at a price, but if you had to choose a place to spend your hard earned cash, this has got to be near the summit of your shortlist.
An historic property two thirds of the way up Central Park on the Upper East Side, the Hotel Wales is ideal if you are searching for a calmer location than Midtown in a leafy neighbourhood setting. It is true that some of the guestrooms are in the pokey side and certain bits of furniture could do with being replaced, but the place retains a certain charm with some original features and a pleasant communal lounge on the first floor. It is ideally located for those requiring access to Mount Sinai Hospital as well as those wanting to be close to Museum Mile and the high end shops of Madison Avenue. There are no wellness facilities on site but there is a branch of the chain restaurant Sarabeth's next door.
Unless you are specifically looking for the hottest, trendiest hotel in town, there is very little to reproach The Sherry Netherland, a throwback to the Golden Age of travel. It boasts enormous rooms and suites for this part of Manhattan which are extremely well appointed and decorated, a superb and professional staff and of course a high class dining experience in the form of Harry Cipriani. Everything at this luxury property is done with the utmost care and attention and whether you are in the city as a tourist or on business, The Sherry Netherland will meet and exceed needs and expectations. A unique hotel with the perfect location - you'd be a fool not to consider it!
We were quite simply blown away by this hotel. Rare are the occasions where there is nothing to fault, but staying here was one of those - it just couldn't put a foot wrong. Generously proportioned, impressively appointed rooms are complemented by a relaxed yet top class Italian restaurant, while the spa is a sight to behold. You'll have a tough job finding a property where the service is paralleled and don't even get us started on the views! A magnificent, modern and memorable hotel, we recommend the Trump Soho to all kinds of traveller, newcomers or old hands, couples or families. A huge thumbs up.
Let's not mince our words; The Peninsula is quite simply one of the finest hotels in New York, even more so now it is the other side of a renovation. From the very first moment you enter the hotel you'll have no doubt about the quality of experience that awaits you. There is very little to pick holes at here where excellence comes as standard: the large rooms are finely furnished, the restaurants of the highest caliber, the spa one of the most beautiful and complete in the city and the service faultless. Like all top class hotels this all comes at a certain price, however if there was ever one hotel which could justify the cost it would be this one.
Q. What do you get when you take $150 million and put them into the hands of one of the world's greatest architect/designers? A. The Mark. Be under no illusions, what Jacques Grange and co have conceived in the leafy surroundings of the Upper Eastside is now the yardstick against which all other hotels will now have to measure themselves. After over two years under renovation with some of the most sought after names in the creative fields working on the project, The Mark has transformed itself from a decent hotel to a hotel of superlatives. Everything is top draw from the design to the staff, from the food to the wellness centre. This all, of course, comes with the price tag that its quality demands, however rest assured that no other hotel can come close to what The Mark has to offer.
We're going to stick our necks out here and say that of all the hotels we have stayed at in this city, the Setai probably takes top spot. Of course there are many different types of hotel in the city and not everyone is looking for what the Setai has to offer, but as on overall experience, it can't, in our opinion, be bettered. The rooms are not only some of the biggest in the city, but they are likely to be the best appointed in terms of amenities too. The stunning, contemporary spa is as luxurious as it is spacious and in its restaurant the hotel has one of most memorable dining experiences to be had. But what impressed us most, and where the hotel rises above it competitors, is the consistent attention to detail and impeccable service the likes of which we've never seen. Although new (November 2010 opening), this is right up there with the old masters and the best thing is that it can only get better!
Although no longer associated with its Parisian namesake, the Plaza Athénée New York continues to offer one of the most refined hotel experiences in the city. Its style may not be as subtle as some of its competitors and thus some many find it a little overwhelming, but there is no getting away from the fact the hotel is a class act from top to bottom. It boasts capacious, well-appointed and recently renovated rooms (January 2010), a fine wellness centre, a celebrated restaurant and bar and an impeccable service from a smart, professional staff. If you're after that classic European opulence the other side of the Atlantic then the well-located Plaza Athénée is one to consider.
Take a step back in time (through a passage lined with suede and leather, of course) to the golden age of travel and the magnificent new Art Deco hotel The Chatwal. Opened recently in August of 2011, it has quickly become one of the places to stay in New York and to be honest, it isn't difficult to see why: a dream location in the heart of Manhattan, superbly appointed, world ?class accommodations, a luxury spa and a fine restaurant. Marrying both old world glamour and modern day luxury, this 'baby grand' hotel will appeal to those looking for good old fashioned service in a romantic setting with everything that makes this a great city within reach.
The Pierre has always been a landmark hotel in New York City?and we are glad to report that after its latest $100 million renovation following its takeover by Taj Hotels, it is still very much one of the hotels by which others must judge themselves. It is true to say that it may not have some of the facilities of some of the other top hotels (no spa, smaller rooms), but when it comes to service, style and sophistication, not to mention history, it is untouchable. With a location that would make most hotels weep with envy, fabulously appointed rooms with an Asian touch and a new, top quality restaurant, The Pierre is back on top of its game and ready to welcome once again all types of traveller, no matter their motive for visiting the city. All this comes, of course, at a price, but if you had to choose a place to spend your hard earned cash, this has got to be near the summit of your shortlist.
You may be coming to the United States to see New York, but the St. Regis is a destination in itself. The most sumptuous hotel we have visited to date in the city, its beautiful Beaux-Arts interiors are a sight to behold. It's (rightly) famed for its unrivalled service and King Cole Bar (more in 'Food and Drink') as well as its beautiful, spacious and well appointed rooms, however it does lack some of the high tier amenities of its rivals, such as a swimming pool, and the views are not quite as good. That said it can boast an Alain Ducasse restaurant and original antique décor. It's true to say that some may find the hotel's opulence a little overbearing, but let's not lose sight of the fact that this is nonetheless a true masterpiece. Even if you don't have the means to stay here, come and take a look around as the property has some unique features. Couples, friends or business travellers will all find their calling at the St. Regis.
Amy Adejokun
Section editor
