Fashion Week is about to descend upon us (and by “us,” I mean the city of New York) again — but this time, all of the designers, models, and celebrities (and the media frenzy that follows) will swarm around Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center instead of Bryant Park, where the iconic, white-tented event had previously been held since 1994. For this year’s Fall 2010 Fashion Week (which, confusingly, was held in February), we brought you six Fashion Week hotels to suit your style. But we expect that your style may have changed since then, so we have prepared a new list of hotels that will fit your fancy for September’s Spring 2011 Fashion Week. And if you like what you see, book with us!
Silk, satin, and a Birkin bag
Our hotel pick: The Carlyle
- Average price: $527/night
- Rating: 4.5 Pearls
- Location: Upper East Side, New York City
If your closet is full of classic, timeless pieces that emanate stately grandeur, look no further than The Carlyle to cater to your classic, luxurious taste. Tradition and class are in every inch of this iconic American hotel, which has played host to several presidents. Built in 1930 with original designs by Dorothy Draper, the Carlyle maintains much of its original style: Louis XV lobby furniture, the original murals in Bemelman’s Bar by the author of the famous Madeline children’s book series, and grand pianos in some of the suites.
Fringe and a hobo bag
Our hotel pick: Gramercy Park Hotel
- Average price: $545/night
- Rating: 5 Pearls
- Location: Gramercy and Murray Hill, New York City
The vintage pieces in your closet are showing a little wear — just the way you like it. Stay at the Gramercy Park Hotel, which currently sets the bar for New York cool — hence the celebrities in the lounge and the paparazzi on the sidewalk. One would expect no less from Ian Schrager, the architect of culture who brought the world Studio 54 in the ’70s and practically invented the hipster boutique hotel in the ’80s and ’90s. This hotel offers ultra-luxe rooms done up in high Boho-chic style, a gorgeous gym, and a young, attentive staff.
Plunging necklines and sleek stilettos
Our hotel pick: Bryant Park Hotel
- Average price: $544/night
- Rating: 4 Pearls
- Location: Midtown West, New York City
If your style is sleek and sexy, stay at the Bryant Park Hotel — one of the sexiest boutiques in the city. Between the black-clad doormen wearing earpieces, the padded red-leather walls and red-lacquer counters, and the soft techno music playing at all times, it’s clear from the start that the Bryant Park Hotel is meant to be a hip place. The hotel’s proximity to both the Garment District and the Condé Nast building makes it a popular choice for fashion industry jet-setters.
One-of-a-kind finds
Our hotel pick: Crosby Street Hotel
- Average price: $525/night
- Rating: 4.5 Pearls
- Location: SoHo, New York City
If you scour boutiques and consignment stores for unique pieces to add to your eclectic collection, make yourself comfortable at the Crosby Street Hotel. This U.K. import manages to feel both sophisticated and accessible — you can actually sit on the velvet tuxedo-style sofa in the “drawing room” without feeling like you’re violating some kind of design etiquette. The design team paid obsessive attention to color, texture, and detail, from the 10-foot-high Jaume Plensa sculpture in the lobby to the deep sofas in the drawing room to the textured wallpaper in the rooms. The overall effect is as whimsical as it is comfortable, a combination that’s often absent from the monochrome glass-walled design hotels that have sprouted in the vicinity.
Little black dresses
Our hotel pick: The Plaza
- Average price: $800/night
- Rating: 5 Pearls
- Location: Midtown East, New York City
Like the little black dress in your closet, The Plaza is an updated classic that remains classy and timeless. Following a $400 million renovation, the hotel reopened its doors in May 2008. The Oak Bar and Oak Room are back up and running, the newly christened Champagne Bar graces the lobby, and the Rose Club attracts a new set of twenty-something revelers. Historically, this hotel has carved out a significant place in 20th-century culture. Truman Capote threw his famous Black and White Ball here; in North by Northwest, Cary Grant was captured by spies in the hotel’s famous Oak Bar; F. Scott Fitzgerald staged part of The Great Gatsby here; on their first visit to the States, The Beatles took up an entire wing on the 15th floor.
Cool retro digs
Our hotel pick: The Empire Hotel
- Average price: $486/night
- Rating: 4 Pearls
- Location: Upper West Side, New York City
If you get your style inspiration from the groovy 1960’s, you’ll like The Empire Hotel’s zebra- and leopard-print seating, heavy brown curtains and modern chandeliers. If you’re part of the see-and-be-seen crowd, even better; the Empire is conveniently located near all of the Fashion Week activities and seems destined to become the next Fashion Week hot spot.
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