El Carlyle, un hotel de palisandro

“Kind and attentive staff during the visit, cold room, scabies following visit”

I came here for two nights with my daughter and stayed in a room on the 12th floor with two twin beds. The room would not warm up due to the cold temperatures outside. The staff was very responsive and sent up a very kind technician immediately to make sure the heat was working correctly. They told us that due to the building being so old, there wasn't more they could do besides provide space heaters, which helped somewhat. Two and a half weeks after our visit I noticed red bumps on my body and experienced unbearable itching, particularly around my feet at night. After seeing my PCP and a dermatologist, I was eventually diagnosed and treated for scabies. My young daughter thankfully did not get it since we had two separate beds in our room, thank goodness. I had not traveled or stayed anywhere after my trip to New York and nobody else in my family has had any bites or symptoms. I called the hotel to inform them of what had happened. I did not ask for a refund, nor do I want one. I simply asked for a copy of the report showing me that they inspected the bed properly so this hell would not be experienced by future guests. They refused to send me any reports or any documentation at all proving they remedied the situation in the room. They simply stated via email "an outside company tested the room 1212 on Saturday and the results were negative for all biting bugs."

“Wonderful hotel”

I have stayed multiple times at the Carlyle for pleasure, but this stay was different as I needed to be near the hospital where my husband was having surgery. The entire staff was kind, patient, and extraordinarily accommodating. Every morning at breakfast they would even make a special bag of the daily papers and pastries to bring to him at the hospital without my even asking. This is just a small example of how the staff goes above and beyond for their guests. I can’t wait to return with my husband for a long weekend.

“Good but not great”

There are “hotel people” and Air BnB people. We are definitely hotel people, especially iconic hotels like the Carlyle, which is Rosewood branded. We have been fortunate to stay at top hotels around the world, like The Imperial Hotel in Vienna, the Peninsula in Paris and Bangkok, and Four Seasons around the globe, among many others. Our initial impression of the Carlyle was unfortunately not great, due to the lady at the front desk. She was not friendly, and failed to note any of our benefits, which I heard her later reciting to other guests (your room includes free breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, etc). She also could not apparently run my credit card, as they contacted me twice more to “please come to front desk at your earliest opportunity, we don’t have a credit card on file for you” bs. I notified their guest experience person in advance that we were celebrating a wedding anniversary during our stay. At other hotels around the world, they always do something special. At the Peninsula, it was a fabulous meal. At the Imperial, it was a nice bottle of champagne and strawberries. Like that. However, our day came and went at the Carlyle without a word, not even a note. When the guest experience desk contacted me later to inquire as to our stay, I was honest and informed them of our disappointment. Lea, to her credit, did everything possible to “turn this trip around”, as she said. Complimentary champagne, $100 room credit, chocolates, etc. She is certainly a credit to the hotel. So we actually did have an enjoyable experience. She also provided us with a free room service breakfast, though our room, (1108), is actually too small for room service. There is no place for the breakfast cart, so we sat on the bed. The delivery guy had a hard time navigating the cart through the room, it is very small. We did have a peek of Central Park through our window, though we would have loved a higher floor for a more sweeping view. This was my wife’s first visit ever to NYC, so I wanted to make it really special for her. Would we stay at the Carlyle again? Maybe. I do have Lea’s contact info, so if I arranged with her beforehand I’m sure it would be a smoother experience. I would say that overall the service, while friendly, is not up to the standards of other 5 star hotels. For example, at the Four Seasons, if you have a charging cord for your phone or whatever, they wrap it up in a little leather thing to eliminate a lot of trailing wires. Not a big deal, and not expensive for them, but what a nice touch. Also, and I admit we are totally spoiled, we love a bidet. Housekeeping failed to replenish our body lotion and we had to call down for that. There was not a room service menu in our room, and when I went to call the front desk, our phone didn’t work. That’s the kind of stuff that separates the best hotels, so the service here could definitely be improved upon.

“Luxury hotel at a luxury price”

I booked The Carlyle hoping for a bit of that old world New York charm I keep hearing about. The location puts you right where you want to be on the Upper East Side, and the lobby feels intimate rather than cavernous like some of the midtown giants. It really leans into that small boutique hotel energy which I tend to prefer over the massive chains. The biggest surprise for me was the room size. Anyone who spends time in Manhattan knows you usually have to step over your suitcase to get to the bathroom, but here I actually had floor space to spare. It felt spacious and properly upscale. The staff were solid too. They were friendly and quick to help when I needed extra towels, managing to be attentive without being annoying. I have to be honest about the value though. It is steep. You are definitely paying a premium for the history and the zip code. While the room was comfortable and the service was good, I found myself wondering if it was truly worth the high nightly rate. It is a very nice place to rest your head, but do not expect it to revolutionize your idea of luxury for that price. It gets the job done with style, just know you are paying for the reputation.