Palace hotels in New York
4 palace hotels in New York, chosen and checked by the Atlas. The grand hotels of the world: palaces on the great squares, family houses that have kept their standards for a century or more, and a few modern masterpieces.
The Plaza
The château on Fifth Avenue at the corner of Central Park, a New York landmark since 1907, with the Palm Court beneath its stained-glass ceiling.
The St. Regis New York
Built by John Jacob Astor IV in 1904, with butler service on every floor and the King Cole Bar, where the Red Snapper, the hotel's Bloody Mary, was introduced in the 1930s.
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
The Upper East Side's grand hotel since 1930, home of Bemelmans Bar and its murals by the author of the Madeline books, and of the Café Carlyle.
Aman New York
Opened in 2022 at the top of the Crown Building on Fifth Avenue, with a three-floor spa and a jazz club above Midtown.
Good to know
Book direct
The best rooms and upgrades usually go to guests who book with the hotel itself, by phone or through its own website.
Ask for the history
Grand hotels are proud of their past. Ask the concierge which suite was whose; the answer is often worth the question.
Dress for the public rooms
Bars and restaurants in palace hotels expect smart dress in the evening, and a few still ask for a jacket.