PHOTO: Andrew Moore | The Carlyle

Fodor's Expert Review The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

Name: The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
Address: 35 E. 76th St., between Madison and Park Aves.,, New York, New York, 10021, USA
Telephone: 212-744–1600
Price range: $$$$

35 E. 76th St., between Madison and Park Aves.,, New York, New York 10021, USA See on Map Fodor's Choice

Jessica Colley Clarke

On the well-heeled corner of Madison Avenue and 76^th Street, the Carlyle is an elegant hotel that evokes the spirit of old New York. Everything about this Upper East Side landmark suggests cultivated refinement: rooms are decorated with fine antiques, views from higher floors are vast, and white-gloved operators work the elevators 24 hours a day. It’s all overwhelmingly grand, almost to a discomforting degree--but grand, nonetheless.

room

The rooms are each individually designed and include a range of styles from modern spaces with antique accents to neutral-toned rooms in a classic English-inspired style. All feature luxurious fabrics (of course).

bathroom

Bright and spotless, bathrooms have Kiehl’s bath products, terry cloth robes, and slippers.

Some rooms feature separate soaking tubs and rain showers; if a bathtub is high on your wish list, make a request when reserving a room.

Photo: Andrew Moore | The Carlyle Hotel

lobby

With sleek marble floors and glowing chandeliers, the lobby has the prestige and elegance of another era.

Photo: Andrew Moore | The Carlyle Hotel

Photo: Andrew Moore | The Carlyle

dining

The Carlyle restaurant continues to give the ladies-who-lunch clientele something to chew on (Dover sole, Cobb salad).

Photo: Andrew Moore | The Carlyle

drinking

Cabaret luminaries hold court at the Café Carlyle (Woody Allen performs regularly) and Bemelmans Bar is one of the greatest old-school cocktail spots in New York City (and maybe, even, the world).

YOU SHOULD KNOW Prices for cocktails and meals here are high--even by New York City standards.

LOCATION

Getting Around

Located on Madison Avenue, this hotel is in prime shopping territory and offers easy access to the leafy paths of Central Park. The restaurants and movie theaters of 2^nd Avenue and 3^rd Avenue are within an easy stroll. Subway access is a bit limited, with the 6 train at 77^th Street. Taxis and Uber are widely available in the neighborhood.

Restaurants

The Italian café Via Quadronno (4-minute walk) is a charming spot for all appetites; coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and pasta are all served. The team behind hit Downtown restaurant Estela opened an Upper East Side spot called Bar Flora (2-minute walk) within the Met Breuer. Much more than a typical wine bar, this refined restaurant is the place to bring an appetite and order widely from the menu including dishes like the lamb ribs with mojo verde to the lobster and crab dumplings in yuzu broth. Sant Ambroeus (2-minute walk) is a polished Italian restaurant focused on Milanese cuisine.

Bars

With an attractive black-and-white color palette and a solid menu of classic cocktails, Bar Pleiades (2-minute walk) is an ideal place to begin a romantic evening. From May through October, one of the most desirable places to raise a glass in the neighborhood is the Roof Garden Bar (8-minute walk) on top of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Central Park views.

WHY WE LIKE IT

Perhaps home to the best Central Park views from a hotel, the Carlyle is rightfully a neighborhood institution. We love the old world glamor, from the white-glove service to the martinis at Bemelmans. But, all of this luxury comes with a real steep price tag.