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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Lucy Pavia

The Mark Hotel NYC review: Inside the chic celebrity favourite where Meghan Markle had her baby shower

Meghan wore a casual yet chic ensemble (Picture: 247PAPS.TV / SplashNews.com)

In February this year a quiet stretch of pavement of 77th street on New York’s Upper East Side played host to a media circus.

Meghan Markle’s return to the US for the first time since her marriage for a baby shower had quickly become New York’s worst-kept secret.

(AP)

Huddles of photographers and reporters lingered as $140 mandarin trees orange trees and Away suitcases were wheeled into the hotel (rumoured baby shower gifts) before Markle herself stepped out, grinning in her old A-list uniform of a black baseball cap and chic beige overcoat.

(GC Images)

But if there’s one hotel which can handle the arrival of the most famous woman in the world and her starry friends (Serena Williams, Amal Clooney and Gayle King were all spotted joining the festivities) it’s The Mark. The 5-star hotel is one of Manhattan’s A-list favourites, previously welcoming the Beckhams, Selena Gomez, Emma Watson, Gigi Hadid, Gisele, Kendall Jenner. And now… er… yours truly.

The lowdown

The Mark Hotel entrance

The hotel’s reputation as one of the chicest in New York is largely thanks to its interior designer, the legendary Jacques Grange, who was charged with giving the 1927 hotel a makeover in 2007.

Monsieur Grange’s roster of previous clients includes Yves Saint Laurent, who tasked his friend with decorating his Chateau Gabriel retreat near Trouville in France, and Princess Caroline of Monaco. The Mark reflects George’s mix of modernity with fabulous Art Deco flourishes - a standout feature being the polished black and white-striped stone floor in the lobby, offset with a burnt orange velvet sofa where you can tuck yourself away and people-watch the hotel’s fancy guests coming and going.

The Mark Hotel lobby

The hotel’s monochrome and burnt orange theme continues outside in the ‘Mark Pedicabs’ - where you can save your feet (and a cab fare) by being whisked in style to one of the many galleries or designer shops nearby.

The rooms

A room in The Mark Hotel

If the lobby is a bold feast for the eyes, the rooms are a gentler affair, featuring calm grey and cream furnishings with accents of lime. My Superior Courtyard King room featured a generous hallway area, a wide and soft bed with Quagliotti linen and a spacious marble bathroom - all totalling around 400 square feet, which is palatial by New York hotel standards.

The suite where Meghan is rumoured to have had her baby shower

If you really want to spend big, The Mark, part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts group, has some pretty fabulous options among its 141 rooms and suites.

The Duchess of Sussex and friends apparently used the Grand Penthouse Suite for the much-publicised Baby Shower, which at $77,000 a night is the most expensive in the city.

The Mark Hotel's Grand Penthouse Suite

This sprawling 10,000 square ft space has five bedrooms (three Kings and two Queens) 6 bathrooms, a Library Lounge, a double height dining room which can seat 12 and a gourmet kitchen. There’s also a private rooftop terrace with views across Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bathroom in The Mark Hotel suite

Eating and drinking

Another jewel of The Mark is its restaurant and bar run by culinary star Jean Georges Vongerichten.

One of New York’s see-and-be-seen spots, the French-American menu includes dishes like Maine lobster with lemon risotto, grilled lamb chops and a signature The Mark cheeseburger laced with truffle. A great place to people-spot after dinner is The Mark bar, right by the lobby, where you can perch on one of the cow print sofas with a craft cocktail.

There’s also the option of ’lunch to go’, a picnic created by Jean Georges with the blanket, cutlery and condiments all provided.

It’ll stash neatly in the basket of a signature black and white hotel bike so you can disappear into Central Park for some chic al fresco dining with the Hot Duck.

Things to do

The hotel is a short walk or Mark pedicab ride to both the MoMa and Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Mark is a favourite place to stay for Met Gala attendees - including Kim and Kanye West this year), while the Met’s sister museum the Met Breuer is only a three-minute stroll away.

You’re in the heart of the Upper East Side here so there’s also a slew of fancy designer shops for splashing the cash at (Missioni, Christian Louboutin and Vera Wang).

The Mark is also the only hotel in New York with its own private yacht for hire. The 70-foot Herreshoff-designed boat will whisk you from Tribeca’s North Cove Marina for a three-hour journey into New York Harbor, grazing the base of the Statue of Liberty. The on-board menu is designed by Jean-Georges Vongerichten himself.

The hotel also has a Frederik Fekkai Salon where you can pop to for a blowdry or a mani before dinner (or your yacht trip) - the full New York experience.

The Mark Hotel is part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts group

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