Who's Going
Marc Jacobs, Winona Ryder, Sienna Miller
Reason to Stay
Historic Hotel, Interior Design, Celebrity Scene
Hotel Type
City Hotel
It's probably not the only gilded palace in Gramercy Park, but it is the only hotel offering keys to NYC's last remaining private residential park. It's also Ian Schrager's official departure from the utterly successful, and now utterly overdone, boutique hotels he once mastered. Philippe Starck and artist Julian Schnabel collaborated in the redesign of this once tattered gothic hotel favored by '40s jazz greats and created a crystal-encrusted design palace with regal woodwork and dramatic upholstered furnishings. A million-dollar art collection includes numerous Warhol's, Basquiat's and yes, Schnabel's throughout the hotel's Jade lounge and Rose Bar. The bar simmers with some of the world's hottest names from fashion and indie-film, lingering past 4am for piano solos and the occasional star performance on better nights. A private roof club opened shortly after the hotel and is one of the best lounges in NYC with equally unfriendly guest list on busy nights.
The Room
A grown-up hotel with its wood-paneled walls drizzled in auction art, accommodations feature heavy wood furnishings and thick velvet drapery in rich shades of emerald and raspberry. Some rooms feature little more than a bed and oversize wingback chair while others offer more formal living accommodations with plush sofas and ornate drinking cabinets. Mini-bars are stocked with top-line beauty products, gourmet chocolates and take-home size candles at $100-a-pop. Bathrooms are more familiar of prior Schrager territory with modern chrome fixtures and shallow sink set in protruding lacquered-cabinets that require rotational movement be kept in the shower-stall. Rooms facing the park should be aware of street noise and construction that’s common in the area, if available go for on off-street room on a higher floor.
Preferred Room
Deluxe Loft
Special Features
Key to Gramercy Park, Butler Service, Car Service
Amenities
Gym, Restaurant, Lounge, Bar
