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.
Take The Carlyle. Since 1931, this iconic property has hosted presidents (President Kennedy had a suite here for ten years), celebrities (George and Amal Clooney lived here for three months) , and royalty (Princess Diana was a regular). Stepping into the Art Deco lobby designed by the great Dorothy Draper is like entering another era, and a glamorous one at that. This Upper East Side property is a bastion of glamour, full stop. It’s worth the price of a dirty gin martini to slide into the banquet at Bemelmans Bar where Ludwig Bemelmans’ illustrations adorn the walls and a convivial crowd listens to live music—everything from jazz to Cole Porter. (Don’t worry. The little bowls of snacks are complimentary.) The 120 rooms with their lacquered paneled walls and mirrored hallways feel more like stylish pied a terres than hotel rooms.
Every spring, the lobby of The Mark Hotel turns into the world's most famous red carpet as the guests of the Met Gala (held just a few blocks away) check out of their rooms here and head to the museum. Even on quieter days, this hotel designed by Jacques Granges evokes old-world European glamour: the main restaurant is helmed by Jean-Georges; there’s Assouline, a luxury book shop; Caviar Kaspia, an outpost of the fashionable Paris institution serving caviar and foie gras; and at the top of the lobby's grand staircase, a Fekkai flagship salon.
Just off Columbus Circle, the Mandarin Oriental (which spans from the 35th to the 54th floors of the Time Warner Center) seems to float above Central Park, offering a bird’s eye view from some of the best suites. The elevated lobby bar, with wraparound views and minimalist Asian style, is an excellent place for a post-work drink, while the spa is one of the most luxurious in the city, boasting a 75-foot lap pool that overlooks the Hudson.
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
