Gramercy Park Hotel

The Scene

In a city famed for its beautiful public parks, nothing says exclusive quite like Gramercy Park. It’s the only private park whose key can command asking prices for surrounding real estate that are ludicrously high yet perpetually in demand. And you, lucky guest, will be permitted to walk inside the hallowed gates with one of the previous few keys that exist. The neighborhood is particularly suited to strolling with sophisticated boutiques and hole-in-the-wall eateries. Should you ever wish to leave the quiet, townhouse-lined blocks of Gramercy, you’re within walking distance of Union Square and a host of fabled delis scattered amongst 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Hop on the Metro just around the corner from the hotel to make an easy trip of Midtown, Central Park, Soho, and Chelsea.

The Concept

Long a hotel on the map for the rich and famous, Gramercy Park Hotel vaulted itself out of a semi-decline with hotelier Ian Schrager (no longer associated with the hotel) and artist Julian Schnabel at the helm. Schrager’s sense of what makes people congregate in common spaces and Schnabel’s opulent artistic sensibility swirl together sensually, creating a come hither sort of atmosphere (enhanced by moody lighting, of course) that’ll keep you in its coils for hours. Not that you’ll mind, of course---you could be sipping on an Italian Job cocktail in the Rose Bar & Jade Bar while an unexpected musician plays a set, all the while gazing periodically at the 20th-century masterpieces gracing the walls from the likes of Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, and of course more. Perhaps you’ve a hankering for Roman-style Italian food; Maialino’s got you covered (for any meal, really---it’s open for anything).

The Look

Something of Renaissance meets the modern day, the rooms at Gramercy Park Hotel are exceptionally-designed treasure. It’s nothing short of aspirational, calling to mind Marco Polo’s dream space with sumptuous jewel-toned velvet and antique Chinese furniture. Modern art from the likes of Bottero and more have a way of popping up in the perfect place on the walls throughout the hotel. It’s a very organic feeling, not at all like so many hotels that are painstakingly designed only to come off as sterile. Truly, no two rooms are alike; even the most basic room feels like a special jewel box, but the Penthouse does not fail in the slightest to invoke a sense of wonder and care (in large part thanks to its views of Gramercy Park, the city at large, and its custom light art fixture). Enjoy a range of amenities from Aesop to Le Labo and a luxuriously comfortable feather bed (among others).

In Short

Gramercy Park Hotel remains a grand dame of New York not because of its history but because of its present. We primarily credit Schnabel for crafting the spaces that we never want to leave that have revived this illustrious institution and count the days until we can once again check in at the Gramercy Park Hotel.