The Aesthete

  • the carlyle

    bathroom comfort:

    Kiehl's toiletries, whirlpool tubs and Frette terrycloth bathrobes

    signature dish:

    Fresh Dover sole from La Rochelle, sauteed on the bone to a buttery golden brown and filleted table-side

    would steal
    for my home:

    The in-suite polished, handcrafted Steinway baby grand pianos

  • the plaza

    bathroom comfort:

    French double doors, 24-carat gold Sherle Wagner fixtures and Miller Harris toiletries

    signature dish:

    A classic afternoon tea at the century-old Palm Court includes a Maine lobster sandwich and truffled quail egg salad

    would steal
    for my home:

    Delicate hand-carved writing desk in the style of Louis XV

  • the peninsula

    bathroom comfort:

    Marble bathrooms, spacious soaking tubs and flat-screen TVs

    signature dish:

    Fives restaurant serves up marinated black cod with an asparagus and shitake stir fry, steamed rice and scallion tempura

    would steal
    for my home:

    Oversized teak Sun Terrace loungers wrapped in rich saffron-colored fabrics

  • the pierre

    bathroom comfort:

    Turkish marble bathrooms and Molten Brown grooming products

    signature dish:

    Grilled veal chop at Le Caprice includes a heaping plate of crispy sweetbreads, silky cipollini onions and Maitake mushrooms

    would steal
    for my home:

    Bose Wave music system with an iPod docking station

  • the sherry-netherland

    bathroom comfort:

    Gilchrist & Soames toiletries and plush Cypress bathrobes

    signature dish:

    World-famous cocktail Cipriani Bellini tickles the palate with white-peach pure and private-label Prosecco

    would steal
    for my home:

    Original 1920s marble pedestal sinks with nickel-plated faucets

  • the st. regis

    bathroom comfort:

    12-foot ceilings, Italian marble and Rem?de bath products

    signature dish:

    Iconic Alain Ducasses Adour serves a vegetable cookpot, made with fresh local ingredients and is delivered from the oven to table in a porcelain pot

    would steal
    for my home:

    Feather-filled down comforters and 100% Egyptian cotton sheets

Land of Luxury

Bye Bye, Boutique. The discerning traveler returns to the city's grand hotels

by Jenna Goudreau

Bonnie Muir has stayed at many of New York's trendy and chic boutique hotels; the bunk-bed flanked rooms at the Pod Hotel, the 167-square-feet "premium cabins" at Yotel and communal hallway bathrooms at The Jane. That's has; after her first night in an old-world room, the London-based business traveler vowed to never again opt for tiny and sleek. "I don't want to pay for minimalism anymore," she says.

Muir has traded "over-priced miniatures" for large-scale luxury, and now stays at the 84-year-old The Sherry-Netherland during her twice-annual trips. "The suites feel like regal, French apartments, and the people are miracle workers," she beams. (To wit: when a dislocated elbow sent Muir to the ER in July, a hotel manager arranged an extremely late checkout and packed her suitcases so she'd make her flight on time.)

the 3 most vital guest emotions are feeling welcome, important and comfortable.

Muir isn't alone in her migration back to New York's landmark luxury hotels; many guests are choosing old-school service over new-school bells and whistles. According to a luxury market report by Unity Marketing, demand for luxury hotels nearly doubled last year from the year before, and travelers are willing to pay a premium price for personalized service and the highest quality amenities.

"Boutiques have an edge that may be waning," says Jonathan Barksy, Ph.D., the chief research officer of hospitality tracker Market Metrix. He crunched data from 35,000 customer interviews on boutique vs. luxury hotels over the last year, and discovered that while boutiques get high marks for being "hip" and "cool," luxury hotels win when it comes to respect, extravagance and comfort. "In all my research," says Barksy, "the three most vital guest emotions are feeling welcome, important and comfortable."

Barksy has experienced firsthand some of the drawbacks that come with the modish culture of "cool" boutiques. He isn't naming names but had a "very negative experience" at one "morbid" London boutique with predominately black décor. Already in a dark mood, he and his wife went to the restaurant downstairs and couldn't speak to each other because the music was so loud. When he paid the bill, the 20-something waitress challenged the tip he'd left. "She was really confrontational. I was just blown away," Barksy recalls.

“There's a misconception that ‘luxury' is stuffy or pretentious,” she says, “but really it is catering to the individual.”

"With the boutiques, like the hotel itself, the staff is new, now and hot – but it doesn't last over time," says Sharon Telesca Feurer, marketing director at The Peninsula New York. "With luxury, there's more longevity of the staff. In a world where we're all so pressed, you feel cared for." Instead of a fleet of attitudinal actors hoping to be seen, Telesca Feurer says long-term luxury staffers learn guests' names and offer above-and-beyond service. At The Peninsula that comes in the form of personalized picnics, complimentary chauffeur service and customized birthday cupcakes. "There's a misconception that ‘luxury' is stuffy or pretentious," she says, "but really it is catering to the individual."

While there's always expendable income among the affluent set, slowed business travel and a still shaky economy may drive many to more carefully consider their choice of hotel. "To some travelers, the boutiques look frivolous," notes Bjorn Hanson, Ph.D., a professor of hospitality at New York University. Perhaps he's referring to Hudson New York's "decompression chamber," a 30-foot-long, neon escalated tunnel that serves as the boutique's entrance, or the DIY light installation at its sister boutique Morgan's. Says Hanson, "There is the perception of added value with the luxury hotels, and travelers may ask themselves what is an appropriate hotel for this trip."

Sometimes the rich history of the landmark itself is the consumer draw. Be it a personal history, like that of Virginia-based guest Anne Morgan Scully, who now returns to The Pierre with memories of running through its halls as a little girl, or experiencing a piece of the history of New York. The grandiose 104-year-old Plaza has provided the glittering backdrop for children's heroine Eloise and grown-up hits like Barefoot in the Park and The Way We Were. The St. Regis slept Salvador Dali and Marilyn Monroe, while The Carlyle welcomed the Kennedys and Jackie O -- and still employs the '50s-era bartender who served them.

"There's a certain inherent charm to a storied location like The Pierre," says Kathleen Shea, Taj Hotels sales executive, which opened in 1930 overlooking Fifth Avenue and Central Park. "So many memories were created here."

Photographs courtesy of The Carlyle, The Peninsula, The Pierre, The Plaza, The Sherry-Netherland and The St. Regis.