There are no stainless steel bathrooms at The Stanhope Hotel in midtown Manhattan. No concrete floors, no minimalist art. As New York hotels go, the Stanhope Park Hyatt is intimate, chic and well located. But it is definitely not a boutique hotel.
Standing under crystal chandeliers on the black and white terrazzo floor of the lobby, amid portraits of Victorian ladies and opulent floral arrangements, one can almost imagine a horse and carriage pulling up in front of the discreet blue canopied entrance that faces Fifth Avenue. Across the street is Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is Manhattan's affluent Upper East Side, a world of nannies and prams, of well-bred dogs and their well-heeled owners, of cherry blossoms and good taste. The hotel fits right in.
Design
Architect Rosario Candela's 1926 design for the exterior is deliberately free of ostentation. The hotel's limestone façade blends seamlessly with the neighbouring townhouses.
Inside, the décor is less restrained: The lobby is a veritable miniature Versailles with Louis XIV antiques, gold leaf mouldings and museum-quality tapestries. In the mahogany-panelled library, English hunting prints and brass lamps create a country hunting lodge atmosphere. The Lobby bar is pure New York with its Brentwood chairs and bordering-on-gaudy Tahitian murals -- it's a casual place to unwind at the end of the day, while visiting businessmen wrap up their deals around you.
Service
From the bellhops and bartenders to the chambermaids and doorman, service is brisk and discreet, one might even say brusque in that NYC sort of way. This is not a resort, after all -- stays are short and to the point. Guests expect to be greeted, served and sent on their way with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency. Tip well from the start and you won't have to worry about missing that final wakeup call.
Clientele
Weekenders mainly: a group of middle-aged women on a girls-only theatre expedition, a father and his teenaged son seeing the sights, travelling business people, couples in town to shop and see some shows. There are no rock stars or models bellying up to the bar at The Stanhope. In fact there is a distinctly middle-America feel to the clientele: well-dressed, unhip, prosperous, nice-looking people. This is the sort of hotel mom and dad would have brought you to when you were a kid.
Rooms
Large by New York standards. The 185 guest rooms and suites are decorated in a manner in keeping with the period of the hotel. The furniture is mostly antique reproductions with some interesting Chinoiserie accent pieces. The beds are big, the bathrooms marble, the décor tasteful in an understated way. This is not an ultraluxe hotel, but it is very comfortable and the small touches, such as twice-daily maid service, The New York Times at your door in the morning and the overnight shoe shine, set the Stanhope apart. All the rooms are wired to the hilt, offering fax machines, two-line telephones, CD players and TVs with VCRs.
Ambiance
Definitely on the staid side, there are no surprises here, which can be a very good thing when you're away from home. There is nothing daunting about The Stanhope -- it is a tasteful, low-key, small hotel that is luxurious without being intimidating, elegant but never stiff.
Food and drink
It's hard to imagine why you would want to eat in the hotel dining room in a city that has some of the best restaurants in the world. But you might consider breakfast if you're looking for something formal with lots of fresh berries. The food's fine, but only if for some reason you don't want to leave the hotel. The Parisian-style outdoor terrace facing Fifth Avenue is a pleasant place to lunch between museum visits when the weather is fine.
Things to do
The section of Fifth Avenue that is home to The Stanhope is known as Museum Mile. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is across the street. The Whitney and Guggenheim museums are only a couple of blocks away, as is the Frick. The hotel offers complimentary car service to the theatre district and Lincoln Center. And some of the best shopping in the world is a pleasant stroll up the avenue.
Information
The Stanhope Park Hyatt: 995 Fifth Ave.; (212) 774-1234; http://www.stanhopepark.hyatt.com. Room rates start at around $650 for a deluxe bedroom.