The Carlyle

This is a review for the Woody Allen performance.
Everything was delightful. The host who asked us where we were from, we told him Mexican, he said he was Mexican too. The waiters were great, good vibe. One of the bests nights of my life. To see Woody Allen after all the gossip, I always loved his films. Hypnotic, a captivating performance. Every person in The Carlyle was a character from a Woody Allen movie. It was a movie set. You feel in Paris.
I had the Seafood Salad, a lobster salad, nothing special. But who cares? A few feet was Mr. Allen playing his clarinet. An exquisite night. Elegant girls. A Russian young couple next to us started as a romantic couple in love and ended in the girl drunk and talking like crazy. A cheesecake for dessert. Jewish ratatouille. The best 700 dollars.
That night we lived the best of New York, magical. Next day I watched his movie Manhattan. I heart Woody.

Super extreme expensive for mediocre food. The place was next to empty, however the bar area was packed with people. It seemed like even the waiters were surprised we were there. I
The service was nice, our waiter was very nice, but the funny thing about being in a restaurant with no people is you see a lot of bored waitstaff. And they talk to each other. And then sometimes it’s hard to get their attention.
I ordered the chicken and my guest ordered the mignon. Both were like something you’d get at the fancy restaurant in the small town you grew up in. Bland, uninteresting, and my chicken was lukewarm.
brought someone from out of town here because I thought it would be an interesting experience, but it was uninspired, and I was embarrassed to have brought them.

Worst service ever! My parents, husband and I sat down for Coffee, and after ordering inquired about tonight’s performances. The waiter barely answered and left mid conversation — strange! He returned with 4 cups and we immediately saw that it didn’t fit on his tray. One of the $ 9 cappucino’s had spilled. Hè put it down in front of me anyway– wiped the spoon on my napkin and left both next to my cup. Moreover, hè lifted the cup from the saucer, put two napkins on the saucer and put the cup back down on top of the, now dirty napkins, and walked away. Leaving the dirty cup, spoon and napkins on the table…

What I wouldn’t give to be in NYC at this very moment. Rather I’m in a ridiculously long line at In-​n-​Out with time on my hands to write a review of my stay at the Carlyle. After a couple days in the thick of midtown, it was a welcome change to three nights at the Carlyle where things slowed down, got quieter and became more luxurious. I loved the location! With Central Park so close, it made for some perfect walks. Madison Avenue and 5^th Avenue shopping were also in walking distance and a subway entrance was just one block away.
The room itself was quite lovely. I found the older flooring and furniture to be charming and fit the personality of the Carlyle very well. A terrible view of a brick building, but I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the space (for a NY hotel room). If we hadn’t needed a cot to accommodate our third guest the king room would have been quite spacious with TWO walk in closets and an updated bathroom well-​stocked with Kiehls products! (Still using the lip balm and shampoo/​conditioner at home!). Admittedly I felt completely under-​dressed in my street clothes, but the staff made a point to make us feel like we belonged. There also aren’t very many spots to lounge besides your own room and a small lobby. The free wifi in the lobby was convenient but the lobby itself, though elegant, was a little unwelcoming.
I found it hard to adjust to the elevator attendants but I understand it’s a nice touch that keeps the classic Carlyle feel alive! I found that the more you engaged with them, the more they engaged with you. Otherwise there wasn’t much interaction. I wish I was better with names but there were a few people who really stood out. One elevator attendant, an older gentleman, made a point to make us feel extremely welcome. The valet at the entrance had an incredible personality and offered us lots of advice for where to eat and how to get where we wanted to go. I think his name started with an E? Ernesto or Eduardo or something along those lines (sorry!). There was a young woman at the front desk who who went above and beyond when we had difficulty printing our boarding passes. A Jet Blue website issue that was completely out of her control, but did not stop her from trying! I also was shown around the spa by a girl named Lianna and she was extremely helpful and engaging, answering all my questions about the services and salon.
On our last evening, my brother dropped his ID somewhere between drinks at Bemelmans bar and dinner and it felt like the entire staff from the bar, to front desk, to bellman, stopped what they were doing to help us search for it. The next morning, one of the Bellman remembered us and asked if we had found it. To me, that speaks volumes of their level of service. They make your problems their problems. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience and I dream of returning someday.

I stayed for a weekend for a wedding. Nice hotel and you felt the historical presence there. However, while the staff was overall very friendly, certain guests got preferential treatment and I haven’t seen that at other hotels I’ve stayed at. That disappointed me.

We stayed at the Carlyle for our wedding weekend, and the service they provided was truly amazing! They went out of their way to make our wedding weekend special, they sent up champagne and strawberries after our ceremony and also provided us with monogrammed pillow cases for our suite. The hotel is classy and has that old school New York charm. The salon and spa in the Carlyle is fantastic, and they provided exceptional service as well for our wedding day. We highly recommend that people stay at this hotel.

Easily one the classiest hotels in the city. My favorite place to stay when visiting and I greatly enjoy sharing this gem with friends that I have never been.

This hotel is shockingly old (not in a good way). It feels like staying at a 1980’s decorators house that hasent been touched — not even the couch. The first room they gave us had a cloud of smoke in it. The second has broken AC. We love Rosewood and I’m very surprised they would even put their name on this property. Makes the reconsider trusting their brand.

This timeless Manhattan staple is always on my list when staying in NY. This establishment is refined, and the antique interior provides an ideal afternoon after Upper Eastside shopping. You can certainly see it was designed by Renzo Mongiardino, with inspiration taken by Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace.
The afternoon tea service is amongst my favorite in the city. Buttery flaky sones were impressively served with strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream (superb). Classic cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches were delightful and service was perfectly not obtrusive. Always worth a visit for the perfect high tea or dinner.

Super disappointed in this place. Chose it for a special night for my girlfriend’s birthday. The bar was nice, but prices were about 30% higher than the normal high end bar. The food was good, but the place was super stuffy. The average age was late 60s and it seemed a place people went to prove they could afford it. The service was okay, but felt like a few guys raking in big tips, with fake interest while the real service came from guys who cleary weren’t making the money. Overall this place offended me and I would never go back. There are much better places in NY to spend your money.

If you want to experience an intimate memorable stay with an attentive extraordinary team who caters to every need possible with grace and effectiveness this is the place. To add, the hotel continues to sing the New York charm, with beautiful, big hotel rooms, a tea room, exquisite bar, The Café Carlyle, a romanic area which attracts the great musicians, Herb Alpert, Lani Hall this is the place. From the moment you walk in, you are greeted by infectious bellman to the moment you continue to enter the lovely lobby. This is a world class hotel, a gem, only go if you want an «unforgettable» experience.“In every way, And forever more. That’s how you’ll stay.”
Thank you Carlyle Hotel specially Alex Tscherne, Director of residences.

I’ve wiled away more than a few hours at Bemelmans Bar drinking cocktails and munching excellent bar snacks. But up until now, I hadn’t tried the Carlyle’s afternoon tea service. Tea is my favorite meal and I’ve sampled most of the services in Manhattan.
Until I tasted the desserts, the Carlyle was the clear winner. But unfortunately all four were inferior — even dreadful. So sad, because the tea sandwiches were by far the best I’ve had in the city. As was the wild strawberry jam that came with the excellent scones. And the clotted cream was the real deal.
In contrast to the Pierre, which offers an array of small bites, the Carlyle’s tea is a real meal. The sandwiches are substantial and delicious. I especially liked the cress, which I haven’t tasted elsewhere, and the turkey, which tasted freshly roasted.
But what a letdown when I reached the top tier of desserts. A sickly sweet mini éclair, two flavorless tartlettes (one I suspect was lemon) and a crude pecan sandie-​like cookie.
Go to the Carlyle for the beautiful Turkish palace-​inspired Gallery, the interesting mix of people, and two thirds of the tea service. Go elsewhere for dessert.

The best restaurant ever!
The fish was excellent! The staff is very professional. Thank you for best dinner.

A classic New York fine dining experience. Outstanding, attentive service and decadent atmosphere.
It’s not up there with the best dining experiences in New York, but it’s certainly worth trying atleast once and then definitely kicking over to the bar where the band is amazing (Woody Allen could be jamming). Definitely recommended

The staffs were nice and polite. Service was great.
The lobby interior, and the restaurant area are nice.
Stayed at the 15^th floor. The room has the balcony and great. Like the bathroom with the heated floor. The amenities are great provided. Mini bar has ton of drinks chioce. The bed was comfortable.
The room were actually nice except some area need to repair the broken items.
Overall was great and enjoyed experience to stay there.

We really enjoyed our stay here. After many trips to NYC, we decided to splurge and stay uptown on the east side. The old flavor and history of the Carlyle seemed a perfect place to try. My wife and I prefer a more staid environment rather than a «hip» noisy/​busy locale. Its nice to have an elegant place to return to after a night on the town.
The best thing and maybe most remarkably, for us it wasn’t crazy expensive. We took advantage of the AMEX «third night free «promo. On top of that they very nice desk staff upgraded us to a suite. Granted it came with a view of a painted concrete wall but heh?! Two baths? A living room. On the upper east side? No complaints here. And adding the free breakfast, I calculated our costs at about the same as a decent place in midtown.
So would I come again if I was paying the full rate for three nights? Maybe not. There are so many places to try in Manhattan.
However.
The building is fabulous. The rooms are so quiet. The bedding and pillows are luxury, first rate. The lobby staff, doormen, wait staff all extremely professional and helpful.
Many hotels will be judged against the elegant Carlyle going forward. I think it will be hard to achieve the standards they set.

Had the pleasure of staying at this wonderful place while visiting New York. Very nice area, service excellent. No complaints from me. We will return and we will be staying here. Everyone was so kind and very helpful.

Very nice hotel and I definitely enjoyed my stay.
First of all, I need to confess that I received a steep discount (comp nights) for this establishment. If I didn’t have that privilege, the hotel would have been prohibitively expensive for my budget (rooms are about $ 700+). This is NOT the place to come if you are on a budget.
That being said, the staff treated myself and my family VERY well even though we were technically not paying customers… We didn’t feel any different than any other guests. Big kudos to the front desk staff; they were awesome especially the lovely French woman (can’t think of her name).
I’ll go through my review point by point:
HOTEL ROOM:
The room was very nice. Is it a completely modern and updated room? No. It is however very spacious (especially for a NYC room) and contains everything you would need for a comfortable stay. Beds were very comfortable (though the cot was a bit pricy). Bathrooms are small but elegant and the showers are very nice (adjustable stream on the shower head). The shower and sink are stocked with «Kiehl» products. If you don’t know, Kiehl toiletries are ridiculously expensive (for good reason) and very high quality. The shampoo, conditioner, body wash, crème de corps, and facial moisturizer were very welcome and we used them up!
LOBBY:
It’s not a very large area, but it is largely made of marble so it looks very elegant and impressive. There are a number of couches and lounge chairs throughout the lobby. Another plus is free Wi-​Fi in the lobby (though unfortunately not in the rooms). Only thing that can sometimes be awkward is when the bellman are standing around. Although they aren’t usually looking at you, it can just make you feel a bit uncomfortable.
ELEVATORS:
This was my only major axe to grind during my stay. Sometimes the elevators run VERY slow… why is that? Because they are manually operated by bellmen. It’s not a bad thing, but at one point I was waiting about 7 minutes which is a bit too long IMO. Also, some bellmen are FAR more friendly than others. I didn’t care for most of them, but Angelo is an AMAZING guy. He’s very friendly and talkative (if you want to talk). If you don’t want to talk, he will also understand and not be overly chatty. The other bellmen weren’t too conversational.
BAR:
Bemmelman’s Bar… This is where Woody Allen plays jazz every Monday and has had the likes of presidents, royalty, and movie stars buy a drink from them. Long story short, it’s a classy joint. It’s very dark and dimly lit which does provide a nice environment. There aren’t a terribly large amount of seats at the bar, so it might be a good idea to get there early. Again, like most things at The Carlyle, the drinks will be very expensive. 3 cocktails came out $ 80 (before our discount). It may have been expensive, but that was the best damn Long Island Iced Tea I’ve ever had!
GYM:
Small, but effective gym facility. It is located at the back of the spa so that is a bit annoying, but other than that it’s easy to get to. The gym contains:
*Dumbells (Up to 50 LBS)
*Cable Machine (With a Chin Up Bar)
*Two Adjustable Benches
*Bosu Ball and Two Swiss Balls
*Ab Roller
*Treadmills, Ellipticals, and Bikes
*Tanning Machine (Yep!)
*Resistance Bands, etc.
The best thing about the gym? Open 24 hours a day! That’s probably because the Carlyle also houses residences but it’s a nice perk for hotel guests as well.
There seems to be a personal trainer/​gym attendant staffed during business hours. Although the gym is a bit small IMO for a personal trainer, the one I met while there (Jamaal) was a very nice guy and good to talk with. He politely gave me some pointers while making sure not to interrupt my workout. Very nice guy and I was very impressed with the facility. They also play awesome classic rock the whole time!
Unfortunately, I did not eat at the Carlyle Café, so I can’t really comment on the quality of the food, but I can only imagine the same amount of thought and detail is put into the food as is the rest of the place. Definitely recommend this hotel if you have the money to spend. The location in upper east side Manhattan is amazing as well.
— JB

Take with a grain of salt what I say about service in this review, since a good friend of mine has lived in this hotel for a while, so I am over there a lot and know all the doormen, bellhops, etc. That being said, a couple of things to look at with the Carlyle:
–Bemmelman’s Bar: this is the bar located in the lobby of the hotel. I’ve only been there once – paid $ 12 for a beer and decided I never needed to do that again.
–The Rooms: I stayed in a room here once and I swear, it was a glorified coat closet. Tiny rooms for $ 500/​night is not ok, even in a luxury hotel on the upper east side.
–The service is great (but again, I may not be getting an unbiased view of this). The doormen are polite and always have a smile on their face and are willing to help you get a cab or help with your bags.
To sum up: nice place, overpriced and cramped.

Had a random dinner here on a Thursday night & saw Tom Ford. Good sign, right?
1– The restaurant has that old New York charm. I recommend going here on a random weeknight — it feels more luxurious to have dinner in a beautifully ornate dining room on a random weeknight, don’t you think?
2– Order the Lobster Thermidor. It’s delicious. Although word of warning: if you order it for yourself and yourself only, DO NOT GET AN APPETIZER because it’s huge. Or if you really want an appetizer, con someone into sharing the lobster with you. You (and your belly) will thank me later.
3– If you have time to kill before your dinner reservations, go to Bemelman’s & have an old fashioned.
This is one of those places that you have to visit AT LEAST ONCE.
It’s a New York City institution!
xx