The Lowell

Why book?

For a classy Upper East Side stay that leaves you feeling like a local – albeit a well-heeled one with a host of convivial staff anticipating your next move so you don't have to.

Set the scene

The first thing we noticed as we strolled past the charming doormen and into the lobby was the hotel's fragrance – soft, warm and welcoming, pouring around the room from the specially created candles that lit the space. As first impressions go, it's an elegant one, signalling that we've stepped off the busy streets of Manhattan into a cosseting home from home. Beyond the lobby, a roaring fire crackles in the lounge on cooler days, and glasses clink and chime in Jacques Bar set just off to the side as locals and guests toast glasses of Champagne. There are just 74 rooms here, making it – by New York hotel standards, anyway – a boutique property. As we're whisked into the lift and taken to our room on the 16th floor, the chaos of the streets outside melts away completely.

The backstory

Opened in 1927, the Lowell is swiftly approaching its centenary. And while in many ways it plays up to its old-school grand dame status, the team have kept the property playing in the same league as New York's newer, swishier openings with frequent facelifts in the public spaces.

The rooms

Rooms skew classic, with enormous squishy beds and soft-toned wallpaper that gives a Hamptons-esque feel to the space helped along by upholstered chairs and executive desks. There's a number of suites, ranging from junior, which have cosy sitting areas, to one-bedroom suites with a kitchenette, to speciality suites which are more like smart Manhattan apartments than hotel rooms. The best of the bunch have wood-burning fires that the team will light for you on request and terraces with views over the neighbourhood.

Food and drink

The sexy, masculine Jacques Bar is everything you want in a good hotel bar, all walnut-y wood and cosy corners and strong, expertly made cocktails (we tried a punchy Boulevardier with bourbon, Campari and vermouth). Moroccan-French restaurant Majorelle is one of the city's most beautiful dining rooms, where you might feast on octopus cooked with smoked paprika or lamb tagine and fluffy cous cous as part of a prix-fixe menu. The pretty Pembroke Room is where breakfast is served each morning. And from May 2024, afternoon tea returns thanks to a collaboration between Majorelle and Dior Maison celebrating the Lily of the Valley.

The neighbourhood

Set between Park and Madison Avenues, this feels like a slice of the real Upper East Side. You'll pass teenagers in preppy private school uniforms, businesswomen walking their dogs, and shoppers popping into the (plentiful) designer shops lining the streets – Tom Ford, Missoni, Isabel Marant. The hotel is just two blocks from Central Park (the zoo is a five-minute walk from the hotel), and you're within strolling distance of some major landmarks and things to do in NYC, too – Carnegie Hall, the MoMA, the Rockefeller Center – are all less than 20 minutes away on foot.

The service

Many staying here are long-standing and loyal regulars, which means staff show a warmth and bone-deep understanding of their guests that can't be faked or forced. That affability is afforded to first-timers, too, who are treated as though they're checking back into a home from home. Papers and welcome drinks are offered at check-in (two glasses of Champagne were delivered to our room before we could so much as unpack our suitcases), and nothing is too much trouble for the upbeat concierge. After a cocktail in Jacques Bar, our waiter conspiringly took us to the Club Room, the cosy drawing room, for a nose around. Staff seamlessly anticipate your next move without ever becoming overbearing, with little moves such as a weather report for the next day left next to your bed at turn down showing you're ever looked after, even if you're being left well alone.

Who comes here?

Return guests who know the staff by name; couples who visit the city often from Los Angeles or Miami, business people, well turned-out friends who book suites next to each other and convene in the bar before an evening out for French 75s.

Eco effort

The Lowell is part of the Leading Hotels of the World sustainability programme, and all packaging and disposable items are made from eco-friendly materials.

Accessibility

The hotel has one suite which is ADA-approved, with full disabled access. The hotel's public spaces are wheelchair-accessible, and service animals are welcome.

Anything else to mention?

The hotel is pet-friendly, adding to that home-away-from-home feel. The guest services team even offers dog walking and can recommend dog-friendly restaurants in the neighbourhood, too.

Is it worth it?

For an old-world stay that positions you right in the thick of Manhattan but also offers the option to be swept away from the city's frenetic energy, it's hard to beat The Lowell. There's a reason so many guests are old friends here, after all.