The Lowell
The Lowell, built in 1924, is the best hotel to stay if you want to feel like an affluent New Yorker. More than any other hotel in this city, this discreet address has a residential feel to it and the aura of the an uptown mansion. It is also one of few hotels in New York that trusts guests with working fireplaces. Consistent service and luxurious accommodations are The Lowell’s hallmarks, although the afternoon tea in the Pembroke Room will impress even Anglophiles. In addition, The Lowell is the most pet-friendly hotel in NYC.
The Lowell one bedroom suites have been recently redone and most have the aforementioned fireplaces.
The small public space is filled with fine antiques. The demure lobby with its Lilliputian sitting area is rarely used for anything other than checking in and out and waiting for a taxi.
Breakfast and brunch are served in the Pembroke Room, an inviting second-floor salon full of chintz and mahogany. Tea here is among New York's most refined, served on hand-painted china by a lovable European-centric staff.
The Lowell’s own well-regarded Post House steak house has an entrance from the lobby. The neighborhood offers many fine restaurants. Le Bilboquet, the tiny French bistro across the street, continues to extend signing privileges to hotel guests.
Halls of a creamy mushroom hue lead to luxurious guest quarters of which no two are alike except in refinement. Beige and soft mint tones predominate, bolstered with fresh flowers and foliage.
The units on floors 7 through 16 have been spruced up with new carpeting, paint, flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi. The updated decor blends new contemporary accents into the accommodations' standout traditional finery. The new marble baths also sport mini-TVs.
Standard appointments in all rooms include inlaid TVs with DVDs or VCRs, multiline phones with private numbers, data ports, high-speed Internet access and fax machines.
The elegant baths at the Lowell come with soothing cream-tone marble, mostly combination baths (the new baths are equipped with stall showers and WCs), phones, scales, magnifying mirrors, robes, piles of extra towels and milled Bulgari soaps.
All units also have granite-topped pantries with Sub-Zero refrigerators and other fine appliances. Some dishes and cutlery are included, along with a tasty array of snacks in the oversized minibars.
The suites are among the finest in New York, featuring sitting rooms, dining areas, kitchens and one or two baths. The newly renovated one-bedroom suites wear chic designer appointments and have art and book collections, working fireplaces and large leather-topped desks. Butlers are on call around the clock; there's nothing like having a white-gloved attendant to build the fire.
Bedroom walls are often stenciled, and a fountain graces one terrace. The Manhattan Suite is a spacious redoubt with a pair of terraces, and the bath is equipped with its own steam room. The Lowell draws many Hollywood celebrities, for whom it created the Hollywood Suite, a three-room extravaganza with a living room, entertainment room, bedroom, kitchenette and two full baths.
The living room is an exceptional abode with an antique desk that harbors Lana Turner's diary, celebrity books, a large fireplace and rare photographs. The entertainment room comes with a big-screen TV, VCR, CD player, and a library of CDs and videos. Traditionalists may find 14B the most captivating choice, as it is abloom with two gorgeously planted terraces that change with the seasons.
Room service never stops. Handicapped-accessible, smoking and pet-friendly rooms are in the mix. Service is generally flawless, with turndown nightly, flowers replenished daily, complimentary newspapers and overnight shoeshine.
Moguls, Euro-celebs, solo women travelers, and upper-echelon business folk who value calm and elegance over wide-ranging facilities and Gotham ruckus continue to swear by The Lowell. Thanks to the owner's recent investment and improved staff training, this small select hotel is operating at the top of its game.
The Lowell is a member of exclusive Virtuoso travel network. Book online or contact our Virtuoso Travel Advisor [email protected] for more details.
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