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By Yvonne Yorke
Photography courtesy of The New York Palace, Yvonne Yorke and Manos Angelakis
There are many luxurious, five-star hotel properties in Manhattan, but only the New York Palace has center stage in one of the most talked-about, quintessentially New York, cult television series since Sex and the City. From the opening scene at the New York Palace’s Gilt Bar in 2007, viewers of Gossip Girl have gained access into the privileged lives of teens at an elite Manhattan prep school. The main protagonist and her family live in one of the four 5,000 square foot Triplex Suites at the New York Palace while their apartment is under construction, and many of the show’s scenes are shot on location throughout the hotel.
It’s easy to see how the New York Palace serves as the perfect backdrop for glamour and high society. The hotel is part of the Dorchester Collection – an exquisite group of properties that also include The Dorchester, in London; Le Meurice and the Hotel Plaza Athénée, in Paris; Hotel Principe di Savoia, in Milan; The Hotel Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Hotel, in Los Angeles.
Situated across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of Manhattan, the landmark Villard Mansion, built in a neo-Italian Renaissance style in 1882, serves as the New York Palace’s grand entranceway on Madison Avenue to the modern, 55-story tower built in 1980 to accommodate guests. The Villard Mansion’s Drawing Room with its bronze moldings, decorative mosaics and murals, is recognized by architectural historians as one of the most beautifully preserved rooms from the American Gilded Age period. The recently renovated Mansion Rooms are a 13,000 sq.ft. venue, with seven classically designed rooms on the fourth and fifth floors overlooking the Palace courtyard. This new space was developed for hosting grand soirées such as weddings and corporate functions.
The hotel has 899 guest rooms including 86 suites. Rooms in the Main House on floors nine through 29 are decorated in elegant earth tones with traditional American furnishings. The Executive Level rooms on floors 30 through 39 offer access to the Executive Lounge which serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, complimentary cocktails in the evening and beverage service and snacks throughout the day.
For extra privacy and service, I opted for one of the rooms in the top 14 floors of The Towers section of the hotel, with its own separate reception lobby, concierge, and private high-speed elevators. The décor is either American Classic or Art Deco-Inspired Contemporary design with nautical accents. My spacious suite has a view of the Burberry building next door with a digital display of time and temperature on the outside, nearby Sak’s Fifth Avenue department store, and a seldom-seen, aerial view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and its spires. Ahh…to be in New York! Also much appreciated by me were the Acqua di Parma bath amenities in the spacious marble bathroom.
If you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury and indulgence, why not stay in one of the signature suites such as the Royal Suite with its gold fixtures and moldings, or one of the four Triplex Suites at the top floors of the Tower? The vertical design of the 5,000 sq.ft. suites on three levels offers floor-to-ceiling windows with jaw-dropping skyline views of Manhattan. On the top floor, there is an oversize private rooftop terrace with a wood-burning fireplace. Suites 5301 and 5308 face East with views that take in the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and the East River, while Suites 5311 and 5319 look out West to Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and across the Hudson River. Each Triplex Suite is decorated in an Art Deco-Inspired Contemporary design, and features two-bedrooms on the second floor with the option for a third bedroom on the first floor, three full , and three half bathrooms. Access between the three levels is by a circular staircase or by a private in-suite elevator.
If you can tear yourself from the view, check out the hotel’s 7,000 sq.ft. Spa & Fitness Center. In addition to the state-of-the-art equipment, there is also comprehensive fitness programming, and goal-oriented exercise specialists to help guests stay fit during their stay. While they are not known for their spa, I had a wonderful aromatic hot towel massage that finished with a body cream incorporating organic Chardonnay wine therapy.
Perhaps influenced by the wine cream, I decided to head next to the GILT Bar in the Villard  Mansion – a striking 14K gold-ensconced room with a large fiberglass sculpture illuminated with changing multi-colored LED lights over an oval-shaped bar. If the weather is nice, I highly recommend sitting outside at Palace Gate, the outdoor lounge in the hotel’s Italian Renaissance courtyard. Situated just within the hotel’s wrought iron gates, it is a tranquil oasis for enjoying cocktails, wine and the full bar menu of modern American selections. Star offerings include the truffle fries drizzled with truffle oil and topped with shaved black truffles, which are the best fries I’ve ever eaten anywhere in New York, or beyond. Another top-seller is the $30 truffle-laden grilled cheese sandwich, which was originally created for the Gossip Girl protagonist on the show, but has since been added on the GILT Bar menu after fans of the show repeatedly requested it.
The cocktails selection includes many seasonal choices, home-made sodas and gourmet ingredients, and there’s even an imaginative mocktail array of tropical elixirs also served in the hotel’s sister properties around the world. I tried the White Mojito which is an exotic blend of elder flower, violet and rose essences from the Plaza Athénée in Paris, while the Garden of Eden from the Hotel Bel Air is a refreshing concoction of organic honey, cucumber and lime juice. The Palace Gate is open daily from 4:00 to 10:30pm in the summer months.
 While many people avoid eating at hotel restaurants, the award-winning, two Michelin star GILT restaurant in the Villard Mansion is a destination in itself. Twenty-eight year old Executive Chef Justin Bogle showcases his innovative culinary talents with a Modern American menu, complemented by the restaurant’s 8,000 bottle cellar presided over by wine director Patrick Cappiello. The elegantly restored dining room with wood-paneled walls seats 55 comfortably, and is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday starting at 5:30pm. There is a three-course prix fixe pre-theater diner and a five-course tasting menu, but I decided on the chef’s grand seven course tasting menu.
Before the first course arrived, we were treated to an artisanal bread selection of smoked sourdough, garlic focaccia, English pea, and lemon and thyme. As tempting as everything was, I tried to refrain from over-indulging to save room for what was to come. First, there was a chef’s compliments tasting of Indian spiced foie gras with mango chutney before appetizer selections which included an ono (similar to king mackerel) ceviche in a marinade of lychee, tomato and thai basil. For me, the main courses were the standouts and I found it hard to decide which I liked better – the flavorful black cod over tandoori spiced roasted eggplant and toasted coconut or the tender squab breast with smoked marcona almonds in a sherry sauce. But who had to choose? My friend very much enjoyed the Wagyu Beef with artichoke kimchi.
We were then treated to the mouth-watering desserts by Executive Chef David Carmichael who came up with the wonderfully refreshing chilled Tuscan Melon Soup with tarragon sorbet, topped with honey funnel cake that we loved as kids, but now raised to a whole new level. The chocolate panna cotta with orange and toasted hazelnuts finished off a perfect dinner although somehow we managed to have enough room left for the petit-four selection and gold-dusted almonds.
As I retired to my suite later that evening with the lights of Manhattan twinkling back at me, I realized that every aspect of my stay was flawless – from the spacious rooms to the location, to the seamless service and culinary forays. The New York Palace – a jewel in the Manhattan luxury hotel landscape.
© September 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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