Deciding where to stay in New York City can be challenging. Let’s take a look at the best hotels to stay at in New York City before exploring some of the best neighborhoods and places to stay in New York City!
The Carlyle, Upper East Side
If the Carlyle ever closed, an iconic bit of the city would be lost along with it—that’s how synonymous this storied hotel is with the soul of New York. It’s where Princess Diana stayed during her royal visit in the 1980s, and where her son Prince William returned with his new bride Kate Middleton two decades later. John F. Kennedy stayed there so much that it was dubbed the “New York White House.” After he was assassinated, Jackie lived there for three months. Bemelmans—named after Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans, who painted murals on its walls—remains the most famous bar in the city. There’s a documentary about it, books about it, and even a clothing line about it.
That doesn’t mean it’s outdated or stuffy, by the way: with interiors by Thierry Despont and Tony Chi, the Carlyle encompasses both old-world charm and the modern day. And since it’s within walking distance of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, The Frick, and Central Park, you’re at most minutes away from the city’s best cultural and leisure offerings.
The Mark, Upper East Side
You probably recognize the exterior of The Mark. Why? Because every Monday in May, it’s in the background of a million paparazzi photos as celebrities from Lady Gaga to Kendall Jenner depart from its lobby to the Met Gala.
Its inside is of equal grandeur: designed by Jacques Grange, who also did interiors for Yves Saint Laurent and the Princess of Monaco, the lobby is adorned in bold black and white stripes. (That color combo serves as The Mark’s chic calling card, plastered over everything from their pedicab, to their hotdog cart, to their custom swimsuit.) Added bonus: Its restaurant, The Mark by by Jean-Georges, is divine. Order their cheeseburger with black truffle dressing.
Like The Carlyle, it’s located in close proximity to many major museums and is half a block from Central Park—of which some suites even have an expansive view. (Remember the Duchess of Sussex’s baby shower? That was hosted in their penthouse.)
Fasano Fifth Avenue (Upper East Side)
he Thierry Despont-designed hotel rooms at the Fasano Fifth Avenue supply an air of subtle luxury with their warm beiges, crisp whites, and views of greenery-filled Central Park. Since the property only offers suites and duplexes, many guests at the Fasano stay there for weeks, using it as a posh pied-a-terre of sorts. They’re not so interested in delivering an in-your-face style statement. Instead, they want you to feel right at home. he Thierry Despont-designed hotel rooms at the Fasano Fifth Avenue supply an air of subtle luxury with their warm beiges, crisp whites, and views of greenery-filled Central Park. Since the property only offers suites and duplexes, many guests at the Fasano stay there for weeks, using it as a posh pied-a-terre of sorts. They’re not so interested in delivering an in-your-face style statement. Instead, they want you to feel right at home.
Aman New York, Midtown
The clientele of the Aman is so dedicated that they’ve given themselves a nickname—Aman Junkies. (According to a 2016 Town & Country story, repeat guests constitute 50 percent of Aman’s business.) Now, they’ve got a new outpost to visit: Aman New York, the hospitality brand’s first property in New York City and first urban property in North America.
Housed in the historic Crown building on 57th Street, designed by the same architects as Grand Central Terminal, Aman’s signature Japanese-meets-Scandinavian minimalism is present in full force: neutrals, woods, and shades of black adorn the spacious 83 guest rooms, the vast spa, and the rooftop terrace. Modern art is scattered throughout: each suite, for example, has a mural by contemporary Japanese artist Ryoko Adachi. Yet despite all the worldly influences, the property also has a local touch: a jazz club, open to the public, offering nightly performances.
The Baccarat, Midtown
It perhaps goes without saying that a hotel created by the world-famous crystal company is going to be extravagant. Over 15,000 Baccarat pieces, from chandeliers to glassware, grace its reflective halls, and its Gilles & Boissier-designed Grand Salon looks like it could be a room in a grand European palace. The location, which is close to MoMA, Broadway theaters, and Rockefeller Center, is perfect for visitors wanting to hit New York’s main attractions.