The New York Palace Rating: 4.5 Pearls

Midtown East, Manhattan, New York City

Chandeliers at the lavishly decorated lobby

The Palace's famous façade, originally constructed as a private mansion in 1882, twinkles among a sea of Midtown skyscrapers. The original building was made into a hotel in 1980, at which time the 55-story hotel tower was added to make way for the 900 rooms.

Minimalist or subtle the Palace is not. It's filled with gold flourishes, columns, marble, chandeliers, and statues.

Given its proximity to Midtown as well as Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and Madison Square Garden, the Palace gets both business travelers and its fair share of celebrities. It was also the main shooting location for the popular TV show Gossip Girl, which has undoubtedly raised its national profile and given it some local cachet.

The Palace was one of the main shooting locations for the TV show Gossip Girl. Management said the show typically filmed at the hotel one to two days per month.

Plenty of other celebrities, royalty, and well-to-do guests enjoy staying at the hotel, particularly within the VIP Towers section.

View on a Larger Map

The Palace is located on Madison Avenue between East 50th and 51st Streets in Midtown East, just across the street from New York's famed St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The hotel is a quick two blocks from the 6, E, and V subway lines, and is three blocks east of the B/D/F/M hub at Rockefeller Center. It's about a 10-minute walk from Central Park. For the clothes-obsessed, shopping mecca Saks Fifth Avenue is less than a block away on 50th Street.

New York City has three nearby airports: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark (in New Jersey). Flying into JFK or LaGuardia is typically easiest and the least time-consuming. From JFK, it's a one-hour, $45 flat-rate taxi ride to anywhere in Manhattan. From LaGuardia, it's about a 30-minute, $40 metered cab ride to Midtown Manhattan. Rides from Newark cost at least $40 (plus tolls), and can take more than 90 minutes. Don't forget to tip your driver 15 percent to 25 percent.

To save some cash, try the group shuttles that are available at all three airports for about $14 per person. For more information on the shuttles, go to Super Shuttle or New York Airport Service. You can also take public transit from any of the airports for as little as $7 per person, but travel can take up to two hours and involve a lot of lugging bags up and down stairs. For mass-transit directions right to the hotel, check out HopStop.com.

The Deluxe Room

The standard rooms, called Deluxe Rooms, are huge by New York hotel standards -- more than 360 square feet. These rooms can fit either a king bed or two double beds quite comfortably, along with armchairs and a table, a large desk, a bureau, and a minibar. Overall, the decor is sophisticated but not particularly exciting.

Tower Rooms, the VIP section of the hotel, were renovated in 2012, giving rooms an Art Deco look with classic brown and gold tones and luxurious touches such as marble bathrooms and classic Victorian furniture.

The Palace is divided between the Main House (Deluxe Rooms on floors 1 to 39), the Executive Level (same as the Deluxe Rooms, but they have access to the Executive Lounge on the 39th floor, which has perks including free breakfast and lunch, free Wi-Fi, modern meeting rooms, and extra business services such as printing and faxing), and the Palace Towers (the hotel's VIP section, with a separate check-in area, concierge, and elevators).

• Bed linens are crisp white sateen with plush pillow top mattresses
• 42-inch Panasonic flat-screen TV with cable
• Clock radio that includes an iPod hookup
• Minibar includes gourmet snacks from Dean and Deluca.
• Free shoeshine and nightly turndown service in all room levels
• There are three types of Internet available: Wi-Fi, high-speed plug-in, or Internet on the TV, which comes with its own keyboard. Each option costs a fee, though free Wi-Fi is available in the lobby and in all Tower rooms.
• Large, marble bathroom actually glitters with flecks of gold in the wall panels, accented by gold faucets
• Molton Brown toiletries
• Plush robe, and slippers
• New York Times is delivered every morning
• The Tower has 175 rooms and suites on the top 13 floors, and were renovated in 2012
• Tower rooms start at 465 square feet and feature a dedicated concierge, butler service, express elevators, and a private lounge

Huge Fitness Center

• 7,000 sqquare foot spa
• fitness center -- free to all guests -- has a lot of cardio equipment, and each machine has its own personal video screen. Even better are the views of St. Patrick's Cathedral and Midtown. Better still, the hotel offers complimentary sneakers and workout clothes to all guests
• Executive Lounge on the 39th floor, again with fantastic views of St. Patrick's and Midtown, and open to guests. (There's even a telescope provided!)
• Free Wi-Fi in Tower rooms and the lobby only, fee in all other rooms
• About 40 meeting rooms of varying size and grandeur on the second through fifth floors, totaling 22,000 square feet of meeting and function facilities, including a gilded ballroom on the second floor
• A business center on the fifth floor

Though the Palace mostly attracts business travelers or couples, the large rooms, extensive kids' menu, and safe, convenient location make it a solid family pick. The hotel can provide cribs, high chairs, and strollers at extra cost, and the concierge was very child-conscious and well-versed in recommending babysitters, equipment rentals, and kid-friendly restaurants.

Furthermore, for plenty of preteen and teens, the Palace is probably the most desirable hotel in America. It was the main shooting location for the risqué TV drama "Gossip Girl".

Gilt Bar

The hotel is one of the very few in New York to include a Michelin-starred restaurant, in this case two-star winner Gilt. With enormous doors, carved ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and a modern sculpture in the bar area, Gilt is so visually stunning that the cuisine seems secondary. The bar is a popular spot, even among locals, and stays open late on weekends.

The hotel's other restaurant, Istana serves continental fare for all three meals, and seems to be most buzzing at breakfast. A piano player also performs in the lounge area throughout the week.

Classic, European beauty like nowhere else in NYC

• Wedding Size: Up to 300 guests; up to two weddings hosted each day

• Wedding Packages: Like anywhere in Manhattan, the prices are steep -- anywhere from $225 to $450 per person. But, for the one time fee, you're getting just about everything: a space, decorations, a premium open bar for the length of the reception (as well as wine and champagne for the dinner), passed hors d'oeuvres, a personally designed cake, as well as buffet stations or a three- or four-course dinner (kids', kosher, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus available upon request).

• Ceremony Locations: In the Villard Mansion, the meeting rooms, the Chairman's Office, or the terrace of a Triplex Suite

• Photographers and Videographers: The hotel can recommend outside vendors at various price points; no extra fee for bringing your own artists.

• Music: The Palace works with Hank Lane Music, a independent booking company that can arrange for anything from a classical soloist for the ceremony, to a jazz band, to a wide variety of DJs.

• Spa Treatments: The in-house spa offers a full menu of services, including hair and makeup.

• Honeymoon Suite: The hotel provides a gorgeous Royal Suite for the newlyweds.

• Airport Transportation: The New York Palace can arrange for airport transportation and pickup, but you'll have to call for pricing.