‘I DON’T WALK IN TO MAINTAIN, I WALK IN TO CHANGE’
It’s not exactly news that The Carlyle was a joy to stay at. Most readers of this magazine I speak to wouldn’t stay anywhere else when in the Big Apple. The old New York charm slap-bang in the middle of the post-war social scene of the Upper East Side gives it cachet from the get-go. Luxury to them can be both exquisite personalisation (like monogrammed pillows on arrival) as well as the unbearable satisfaction of ordering a drink in Bemelmans Bar; the charming cadre of men who operate the lifts; and the sense of ease at any and all requests. It has a homely feel, albeit stately homely, but that’s a good thing. Any accusation of the hotel being an analog organisation in a digital city is for the birds when you adjust context from the Candy & Candy generation to the almighty glamour of New York’s jet-set age, to which The Carlyle stands as a monument.
New hotel openings in New York are commonplace, from the trendy, urbane hotels in the Meatpacking District or Downtown to rebuilds of dilapidated properties around Wall Street. So how does The Carlyle keep itself relevant and attractive among such strong competition? Well, the answer is the people within, according to Tony McHale, the hotel’s unassuming Managing
