The Carlyle, New York

We recently returned from another stay at the Carlyle in New York, which really is the most charming old school hotel, with delightful staff and very comfortable bedrooms. I was trying to think what made it so special and I suppose a key ingredient is the hotel still having lift attendants, who are all really charming and welcoming. It’s such a pleasant start and finish to your day, to chat with these great people. The bar is of course world famous and even though Bobby Short and Rosemary Cluny are long gone, there is still a real buzz in the evenings and new entertainers have filled their shoes. The hotel is not hip & trendy and does not cater to this crowd. It’s a product of a bygone age and in these uncertain times, we found that rather reassuring. They welcome you back with great charm and we are always sad to leave. What more do you want?

The location is brilliant (Madison and 76th Street) for work appointments, Christmas shopping and social engagements.  We found a great cafe up the street Sant Ambroeus, which served the best hot chocolate and pastries. Swifty’s on Lexington and 73rd is also a wonderful local place for dinner. New York felt more subdued than usual and the Christmas decorations were more restrained, which is of course understandable. There were definitely less Brits in the shops than I had previously seen but sadly this didn’t stop us from bumping into our ex-PM in the hotel lobby. Fortunately we were on our way out the door to spend the weekend at the wonderful Inn at Stoneridge in Upstate New York, where we joined friends for the evening, having spent the afternoon touring the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park and lunching at the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck. The fall colours had passed but it was still pretty magical!  Andrew Loyd, LTR.  andrew@ltr.co.uk Tel. + 44 (0) 1573 229797.