When thinking of New York, it is often a feeling, sense, an abstract nostalgia that comes to one’s mind. New York most certainly has its aesthetic, the kind that does not necessarily come from national backing. It is more of a blend: the blend of cultures, history, and an unstoppable drive to innovation and growth. New York is constantly changing, yet it forever feels the same.
With this romantic sense of something very familiar, which you can probably blame on every Hollywood movie of the 90s, we seek a hotel that would reflect and visualize our inner feeling. We want a New York stay that makes us experience this city’s character without leaving the premises.
Here are the five hotels that most impressively and closely executed the idea.
The neutral colors of the Park Hyatt decor may suggest a calm and soothing setting, yet the character lays strong in the materials of the interior. Large tiles covering the walls and pillars, marble floors, and tasteful use of stone and metal give an aesthetically pleasing hint of brutality. The blend of light neutral, and dark colors gives a feel of earthy and metropolitan at the same time. The hotel may not feel comfy in one’s typical perception, but if scale and solidity are what comforts you, Park Hyatt is your cup of tea.
The classic rooms are not exactly extraordinary; they sort of stay within the “comfort zone” of simple, clean, and minimalistic. The suites, on the other hand, are a more successful continuation of the hotel’s lobby interior, softened by cozy pillows, inviting fabrics, and gentle colors.
LFA Tip: We believe that the smells are the strongest connection to your favorite experiences. If you are into luxury niche perfumes and would like to keep a souvenir from your trip, we suggest you have a look at the Hyatt fragrances offered at the hotels' locations.
Image Source: Park Hyatt Hotel New York website gallery
The New York Edition makes the minimalistic interior sing a different kind of song - an elegant and intimate one. The delicate stainless-steel marquee outlining the lit-up concrete stairs in the lobby is perhaps the most sensual detail of the hotel interior. Overall, it is an aesthetically clean and elevated atmosphere, where nothing comes unnecessary. The lobby feels quite empty yet satisfyingly complete at the same time - elegant simplicity at its best.
While the rooms and suites might be not the perfect reflection of the city’s character, it is a pleasant fusion of a modern Manhattan apartment style with some clear interior lines inspired by the Japanese aesthetic.
The real show stealer is the restaurant. And while Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton is celebrating British cuisine by spoiling us with the refined recipes of some of the most beloved food, we cannot help but focus on the interior. It is truly everything you hope to see in a New York establishment. It is dark, heavy, intimately cozy, contrasting, sexy, and charismatic.
Image Source: The New York Edition website gallery
The more, the better. The more crystal chandeliers, gold, gilded moldings, marble pillars, extravagant prints, wallpaper, painted ceilings, and rich colors, the more The St. Regis this is.
Staying in any room in this over-the-top hotel is an experience worth having.
If modern minimalism is what you prefer, you might find this hotel quite overwhelming. However, if extravagance and old-school “rich” please your eyes, this is the kind of hotel worth returning to every once in a while.
While the classic rooms are kept in the same interior, which, you best believe, would not disappoint, the suites will challenge your imagination. They scream old money with their splash of animal prints and contrasting colors. There is a suite to please any mood and interior preference within The St. Regis character. From deep Bordeaux and passionate red to playful green and smooth cappuccino, there is a room in every color and wallpaper pattern you can dream of. And if royal white is what you want, to truly feel the generous space of the room (because when in New York, it is twice more appreciated), The St. Regis has got you!
Like famous American desserts, The St. Regis New York is a lot. Perhaps, it should be enjoyed in sensible portions. Nevertheless, this hotel is undoubtedly one of the sweetest treats the city has to offer!
Image Source: The St. Regis New York website gallery
“Feeling like home” could be the one sentence to describe your experience at The Mark Hotel. If “home” is an over ten million priced estate located in Manhattan. The lobby and hallways of The Mark Hotel feel like a modernly refurbished Upper East Side apartment with lots of light and refreshing energy. The Mark Lobby, with its black and white striped floors, statement furniture pieces, and enrapturing art, sets the mood instantly.
Owners since 2006, Izak Senbahar and Simon Elias breathed the new life into The Mark Hotel by hiring the French star of the interior, Jacques Grange. According to the hotel’s press release, aimed to create an absolute interior masterpiece, Jacques Grange invited such industry giants as Parisian antiquaire Pierre Passebon, artist Ron Arad, Vladimir Kagan, Karl Lagerfield, Paul Mathieu, and a number of other influential artists and artisans across the world. This powerful creative alliance resulted in an incredible aesthetic consistency. Each interior detail is somehow connected with another. Completing each other, these exclusive designer pieces create a true style symphony.
The Mark suites delightfully continue the Upper East Side motive. The eat-in kitchens, custom-equipped by Piero Lissoni, shift the luxury hotel stay towards a more personal and warm experience. While the black and white grand marble bathrooms, modernized a notch with heated towel racks and mirrored flat screens, are quite an aesthetic masterpiece themselves. However, when it comes to the suites, one cannot help but mention The Mark Penthouse - the largest hotel suite in the United States. Along with The Mark Five Bedroom Terrace Suite and The Mark Three Bedroom Terrace Suite, it is a proud design legacy of Jacques Grange.
Image Source: The Mark Hotel website gallery
The ultimate New York dream. Even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, The Royal Suite Collection of The Towers at Lotte Palace is worth saving all your money for.
Like an elevated penthouse from a movie scene, each suite, with its unique character and a very different style, achieves one goal - placing you in the middle of New York with the to-die-for view and the “on top the world” interior. Taking two floors and overlooking the city with its panoramic windows, the scale of each suite delivers a truly surreal experience.
To really get that reaching-for-the-stars experience, we recommend splashing some extra on The Champagne suite and The Jewel suite by Martin Katz.
While the classic rooms may have a much more down-to-earth interior and size, their view is most certainly far from ordinary. The Cathedral View and Skyline Cathedral View rooms are perhaps the most impressive ones.
Image Source: The Towers at Lotte Palace website gallery
P.S. If our list of the best hotels in New York left you fancying some more international sort of travels, make sure to have a look at our list of Aman hotels worldwide.