The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

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."

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.

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.

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.

When we stayed here a year ago, it was perfection. So much so that we wanted to come back again this year to celebrate a birthday. Now, we paid a hefty price tag per night for this reservation (7k+). I booked our room months in advance through FHR. I booked the same room category we had before, the two bedroom premiere suite. However, upon check in this time, it was not even remotely close to the same suite as last year. Last year we had a beautiful view overlooking Central Park. This year, this suite overlooked an alley. The ceilings were extremely low. There was no dining table even though the online description boasts of all suites in this category having one. There was a small nook table that had chairs covered in stains and food. The bathrooms looked like motel bathrooms. Online it shows beautiful Calcutta marble bathrooms - ours were this old, green dingy tile. The sink was basically on top of the toilet. There was hair all over the bathtubs. This looked like an overflow room, or a hospitality suite. This was NOT what I had booked. When we had checked in, we had inquired about the FHR upgrade, but the front desk person told us “ we had the best room in the hotel.” Why lie? It was clear they had overbooked and put us in the overflow suite. After waiting a few hours, we finally connected with the hotel manager. She told us that all suites are individually privately owned and they all look different. The online photo representation of this suite category is NOT representative of each suite. That is blatant misrepresentation. How is that even legal to do that? She told us that they were fully committed for that evening, but could move us to a different suite the next day for a “complimentary upgrade.” It was also clear that the hotel was severely understaffed. To call a bellman the next day to move rooms took quite a long time. The next night in our new suite we ordered room service. There was a dining table immediately next to the front door. My daughter opened the door and asked him to put it on the table. I came over shortly after, and the delivery person was tapping his watch and said “we are very busy downstairs, I don’t have time for this.” Time for what? I’m so sorry I inconvenienced you by making a room service order? That night we noticed our new suite was chilly around 67 degrees and dropping. We kept trying to use the thermostats but nothing happened. The next day we called and I think around 4 engineers came to our room. The first three all said they didn’t know how the heating system worked in this hotel and offered to bring space heaters. It wasn’t until the last engineer came that we were told that the thermostats in the suites do not work for heating. The heating has to be done remotely from the basement in the hotel and it didn’t work. There are other reviews that notate this as well, going back a few months ago. I’m not sure how you charge these nightly rates and have a 5 star property but cannot get the furnace in your hotel’s basement fixed. How does that work? The day of check out, we had had the concierge arrange a car for us. I had requested a bellman be at our room at 2:20 to help with bags. The car was supposed to be there at 2:30. At 2:30, no bellman had arrived yet. At 2:35, we were waiting for an elevator so we could just go, when they finally arrived. We get downstairs and our car is still not there. It’s now 2:45 and where is our car? We ask the concierge and you could tell they’re totally over us. The feeling was mutual. Finally close to 3pm our car arrives. The traffic to the airport keeps going up and up. It took close to 2 hours to get to the airport. Because of the delay, we missed our flight. I did ask the hotel to reimburse us for the car service, but of course I never heard back.
I do think this hotel is an amazing, historical property, but unfortunately due to lack of proper management and the deceit with the suites, I would never come back. It rubs me the wrong way all of the things that transpired during our stay.

Not really impressed by this hotel. We had to wait a long time for our room past the 3pm check in time and they were not honest or did not know when our room would be ready. There is no lobby to hang out in.
There is a popular bar that is filled with non-hotel guests. The restaurants are the same and are filled with non-hotel guests. I would not call it a five star hotel.
We did eat at the main restaurant for dinner and the food was of a good quality. What is missing is the ability to relax at the hotel as a guess in any public area.

Just back from a weekend stay at the Carlyle. My husband organized the stay and wanted me to in complete surprise mode. Upon our arrival we hit a snag with the arrival dates After lengthy phones and assistance by AJ at the front desk, all worked out. The room was upgraded to a king suite. The view was spectacular. We were treated to cocktails as we waited. The next day was in fact my birthday and I couldn’t have asked for a better day. The comfort of the bed the Frette bathrobes and DS Durga products started my day off right. The evening was spectacular as we had a seat near the piano at Bemelman’s and then Dowling’s for dinner. The staff were engaged and attentive. The food incredible and my recommendation for a great cocktail is the Bobby manhattan
Thank you The Carlyle for an exceptional stay
Best regards
Sam Norman

I was thrilled to be staying at the Carlyle November 3rd to 6th. However from the moment I went to check in that happiness quickly faded. The front desk Agent with a french accent (tall Caucasian male) was classist. However his manager came in and was able to smooth over the matter and check me in. The night before checking out I went outside and said good evening in a kind tone to the two gentlemen standing outside in winter coats. They gave me this scornful look and as a group of Caucasian people came to the door they ran and greeted them then escorted them in to the bar. I went to the front desk shortly after requesting the house car and the manager said in a playful tone "the doorman normally calls them did you not see them"?! I said no I didn't see them because I thought the two gentleman who gave me the scornful look were guests. She walked ahead and got outside and spoke with them before I did and when I came outside to her about 3 minutes later, Emilio the door man said " you said there was no doorman and I'm standing right here in a harsh and sarcastic tone". I looked at him puzzled because when I greeted him he said nothing and turned away not even asking if I needed assistance. I then asked may you call the house car to which Emilio blurted out "No I cant" so I asked why wouldn't you be able to then he said " I don't have the number". So I walked away puzzled and turned to the other doorman and asked if he by any chance would be able to call the house car and ask how far he was so I could wait for it and reassess my plans. He said "yeah I have the number" so I said thank you but in a confused tone because what was the prior issue about. Emilio is talking aggressively in the background and I stated to my friend the house car is 15 minutes away to which she said its okay we will walk because she didn't want to stay around the negative energy. As we're walking away Emilio is looking in our direction arguing like a woman and says loudly to his collegaue "man they're f$cking ridiculous". I'm glad Jared from the concierge team was extremely courteous, helpful, professional and could assist with handling this aggressive doorman.
Bottom line, this was unacceptable and below standard of a Rosewood Hotel. I hope they fix it for the future guests and hold some training sessions to correct this and those attitudes.

We love the Carlyle, and have been staying at this amazing hotel since 1992. The experience is usually amazing, but this time we were a bit disappointed. When we made the reservation we specifically requested a high floor, and were told that they would do everything they could to deliver on this request. When we arrived we had a very small room on the third floor. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement.
The room was extremely small, with a strange bathroom configuration.
The positive; the bed was extremely comfortable, the soap at the Carlyle is amazing, and the staff is very friendly.
Also want to give a shout-out to Demetrius at Bemelmans Bar. We absolutely love Bemelmans and make a point of going every time we come into the City. Demetrius made sure that we had a great table.

We’re staying at The Carlyle because our daughter is running the New York marathon. The hotel learned about this and went out and bought gels, powders, and other marathon supplies and sent them up to our room with a nice note. The classiest of moves.

I’d recommend staying at The Carlyle without hesitation. We had a memorable dinner at the restaurant, and enjoyed a delicious breakfast in our room. The hotel room is beautiful, and the hotel is on a quiet street situated perfectly close to shopping on Madison Avenue and Central Park.

my husband and love iconic old hotels with history, and the carlyle certainly fits. we decided to book for a long weekend, see some tour-isty sights we never bothered to go to on prior trips, and relax. before we arrived, we made them aware that we would be there at 10 a.m. due to an early flight, did not expect to check-in at that hour, but please hold our bags as we would be out until 3. no problem. arrived back at hotel at 3:30. no room ready. 4. 4:30. 5. tired from walking all day, we were told we could go have a drink and they would text when ready. (mind you, not let us buy you a drink for the inconvenience). did go to the famous bar which was packed shoulder to shoulder, so loud you couldn’t hear each other, and silly me, thinking this was such a high end, classy place, i didn’t expect to see people in ripped jeans, sweats, and again, so loud and obnoxious (and was early in NY). I had my 35$ martini, and waited for the text. at 6, went to check again. finally at 630 we got into our room. would have expected maybe a complimentary bottle of wine, a cookie, a slice of cheese and a cracker, or some acknowledgment of inconvenience, but nothing.
again, disappointed. spacious suite, but no bathtub, which i requested. no robes. no glasses in bathroom. the view was laughable. just closed the shades to block it out, and the blinds were ripped. could barely turn around in bathroom. no extra blanket, pillow. no courtesy vanity items. these are things that every high end hotel i’ve ever been in provide for their guests. (hated the bath products they did provide, but that’s a personal preference).
i will say that the staff was very helpful, immaculately dressed, courteous and the breakfast was wonderful.
i had so looked forward to our stay at the famous carlyle but i believe there are better places in nyc that are just as iconic. We will give some of those a try next time. lesson learned.

I have been staying at the Carlyle for many years and I never had the time to write a review.
Carlyle its by far the Best Hotel in Manathan.Great rooms, excellent service.
My compliments to the management

Everything perfect

Spent a few nights at The Carlyle in Manhattan and had a really lovely time there. Staff were very friendly and helpful and on check out we got to keep our room cards as a memento which was a nice touch. Bemelmans Bar is cosy and quirky and a fun place to people watch and enjoy the atmosphere.
We visited for my birthday and the hotel experience team gifted me balloons, cake and champagne to my room which was so lovely and thoughtful and made my stay at the hotel even more special. Will definitely be visiting The Carlyle again soon.

Travel agent here. Wanted to share my pleasant experience with the staff and operations at this hotel. There were a handful of staff members that went out of their way and above and beyond to make the stay great for a client! Absolutely pleasant and professional and I apologize in advanced if I'm missing any names here! The staff is amazing and the hotel has an old school charm to it. The rooms are a little bit on the small side, but again, the hotel overall makes up for this. Loved interacting and coordinating with the following people who made the entire process as smooth as can be:
Brittany
Mimi
Amanda
Anna
Stephanie

I want to reiterate again though, the whole staff here are gems!

Concierge even tied my husbands bow tie - wonderful stay!

We had a great time at the hotel but unfortunately our room was in a very low floor so we could not appreciate the view.

👍

We stayed here several times per year for a number of years, but when our favorite front-of-house manager moved on about ten years ago, we also moved on. We frequently stay at the Lowell, which we adore, but the Carlyle's location was better for our needs. I couldn't have been more pleased with our experience.. Our first night was in a Rosewood suite that had a stunning western view, but the room seemed sparse and the bathroom was microscopic. The hotel was kind enough to upgrade us to a Premier Suite on the third floor, and although we didn't have a view (it looked on 76th), it was spacious, elegantly appointed, and very quiet, with a bathroom the size of Vegas. We had guests over for cocktails, which was perfect, because we had an extra powder room and went to Bemelman's several times over a period of three days. The place was hopping, but the Maitre d' always got us a table and they featured a very talented quartet. And, really, ya never get tired of people watching here (just be prepared to fork over $45 for a martini that was also the size of Vegas). Room service was delicious even though service was a bit spotty over the three days, but it was not a big deal. The concierge checked in several times to make sure we were happy, and the front desk staff smiled tirelessly through what I perceived to be privileged demanding guests and/or residents (I'd like to thank I'm not demanding). We tried the gym, which is small but adequate. We also used the very convenient house car to go over to Lexington for flowers and enjoyed the park and museums that are a few minutes walk. The staff was extremely kind throughout our stay, and I think The Carlyle has won us over again! Really, if you can spring for an upgraded suite, just do it.

Well located on upper east side, very friendly and efficient staff, the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in!