If you’re looking for a Gilded Age, old-money historic NYC experience, Lotte New York Palace on Madison Avenue is just the place. Lotte Palace was built during the Gilded Age, 1882 to be exact. The lobby, courtyard and the main hotel building comprise three wings of the Villard Houses, a row of mansions built in the 1880s by McKim, Mead & White (which are New York City-designated landmarks and listed on the National Register of Historic Places) for railroad tycoon Henry Villard.
I entered the building through the main lobby, walking through its notorious courtyard, which is immediately recognizable from the over 25 movies and TV shows filmed there. Through the heaviest revolving door I’ve pushed in a while and stepped back in time, surrounded by the type of ostentatious grandeur that isn’t made anymore. The lobby features multiple staircases, two of which lead to the second-floor balcony and its giant pink marble fireplace. Marble statues of Greek goddesses adorn the gold leaf-plated banisters. It should feel almost gaudy, but instead, it feels exciting and luxurious.
Heading down the stairs to check into the towers, I was given a room on the 45th floor. My ears took a second to pop when I got off the elevator, but the annoyance of that feeling quickly lifted when I caught a glimpse of the view out my window. I looked straight out over Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, right towards Rockefeller Center. It’s the type of view that even I, a lifetime New Yorker, was in awe of.
The room itself was huge—much larger than I anticipated. Simple, with crown molding, two sets of curtains (controlled electronically with a remote), and a strikingly comfortable mattress. There’s slightly outdated wooden trim around the doors and windows, but the room smells amazing, a bit like peonies. There's a table by the window that’s large enough to work at or eat at. Clearly aware that the devil is in the details, this hotel takes every step to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Next to each side of the bed are remotes to control the lighting in the entire room, so you’ll never have to get up to turn off a light. Slippers are laid out by the bed. The bathroom amenities go beyond the usual shampoo, conditioner and lotion, with mouthwash, face wash, toothpaste, a dental kit, a sewing kit, and a shaving kit all at your disposal, and the shower pressure was exactly right.
After getting comfortable and pressing every button in the room to create our own confusing light show, we headed down to the hotel bar, the Gold Room. The bar, infamously Chuck Bass’s favorite hangout in 2012’s Gossip Girl, still has its original gold-plated ceilings, frescos and paneled walls. It's dimly lit and incredibly romantic. And though there’s nary a 20-year-old man playing a drunk 16-year-old in sight, the spot is drenched in old-money appeal. We ordered sliders, a tapas trio and a pizzette, all of which were cooked and seasoned perfectly—a high achievement for bar snacks. The cocktail menu is robust, but it’s definitely the kind of place where you order a martini, which is what we did, along with a classic Martinez and one of their signature drinks, the Gossip Girl.
The spot is undoubtedly a luxury bar, with drinks costing upwards of $25 and rooms averaging around $650. But that’s the price attached to living for the night like a Gilded Age billionaire.
Neighborhood
Midtown East is quintessential New York City. Home to Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal and the UN headquarters. It’s got the iconic NYC feel and landmarks of Midtown, without as much of the chaos that occurs closer to Times Square in the West and Bryant Park in the South.
Nearby
1. Museum of Modern Art: for seeing the works of the art greats (think Dali, Van Gogh and Warhol) in person.
2. Ophelia: for both river and skyline rooftop views and great cocktail offerings.
3. Radio City Music Hall: for concerts, theater, and at Christmas time, the Rockettes.
Time Out tip
If you can grab tickets, make sure to check out Steve Cohen’s Chamber Magic show in the hotels salon.
