Whether it’s a staycation or a first-time visit to Manhattan, it’s worth splurging on your hotel room. In fact, some of the swankiest hotels in New York are as famous and storied as the city’s landmarks that surround them. A few of our favorites are listed below, including an Upper East Side spot known as Princess Diana's New York home-away-from-home. Another Uptowner is popular with the fashion set, while those who want sky-high and Central Park views will want to hit Midtown West for one of our top picks.
Read more about the swankiest spots below.
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
Upper East Side
If it’s not the most famous hotel in all of New York, it’s certainly the most famous hotel on the Upper East Side. The Carlyle Hotel is pure, undiluted essence of old-world Manhattan sophistication, and has been since the days when it was JFK’s “New York White House.” It’s played host to too many famous charachters to list; it’s said that Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs once shared an elevator here. When you’ve got that reputation for timeless elegance and faultless professionalism, you don’t worry about innovating — you can leave novelty to the downtown boutiques and focus on classic hospitality.
Casa Cipriani
Financial District
Lower Manhattan’s iconic Battery Maritime Building, a 1906 ferry terminal in an ornate Beaux-Arts style, is the venue for Casa Cipriani, a members’ club and luxury boutique hotel by the legendary Italian restaurateurs and hoteliers. Inside is probably the purest dose of contemporary Italian luxury design available this side of Milan; the rooms and suites are remarkably restrained in their opulence, in contrast with the building’s exterior ornament, and those that face the river offer a view unlike any other hotel in town.
Mandarin Oriental New York
Uptown
Located in the north tower of the $1.7bn Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, the Mandarin Oriental brings Far East hospitality to America’s hottest hotel market. The Asian influence is apparent at a glance, with wood paneling, marble everywhere, and clean Zen-influenced design. And even the hotel's placement, occupying twenty stories near the top of a mixed-use skyscraper, mirrors the situation of Tokyo’s grandest luxury hotels — the Mandarin Oriental New York is directly connected to the Time Warner shopping center, and piggybacks atop office and retail spaces to maximize views of the Hudson and Central Park.
The Mark Hotel
Upper East Side
It’s about as far as you can get — both figuratively and literally — from the funky downtown boutique hotels of lower Manhattan. The Mark is the very picture of classic, timeless Upper East Side poshness, and in its present incarnation it’s proof that old money doesn’t necessarily imply old-fashioned.
The St. Regis New York
Midtown
New York’s cutting-edge boutique hotels get a lot of well-deserved attention. But it’s worth remembering that there’s a classic side to this city as well — alongside the funky downtown boutiques, this town is also home to some century-old gems, among them John Jacob Astor’s landmark St. Regis, on 55th between Fifth and Park.
Hero Image: The Carlyle
