OVERVIEW of The Lowell
Every list of the most “romantic” hotels in New York City includes the Lowell at or near the top. This is our choice for any special occasion. With only 47 suites and 21 rooms, it is small, intimate and ideally located on a tree lined street just off Madison Avenue on the prestigious Upper East Side. Central Park is a block away (at the entrance to the Zoo), the City’s top museums are just down the street and visitor’s favorite shopping spots are a short stroll from the hotel.
Staying here is more like visiting an exquisitely decorated private home more than a hotel. You arrive to a lobby that looks like a formal living room, filled with wonderful antiques, area rugs and draperies in fine fabrics. Check-in is at an antique desk with bookcases and old fashioned mail slots behind it. A formally dressed concierge sits next to reception, ready to help with tickets and other reservations.
THE ROOMS at The Lowell
All of the rooms are magnificently decorated in a kind of English country house décor. The Lowell King is a delightful room with 400 sq. feet of space and is perfectly adequate for any stay. The Junior Suite is 600 sq. ft., has a separate sitting area with couch and chairs, a deep soaking bathtub and a sta
ll shower. But it is the one bedroom suites that define this little gem of a hotel. Over 800 sq. ft. of space includes a separate living room with a wood burning fireplace, an in-suite kitchen, bookcases, an antique writing desk, crown molding, beamed ceilings, gold trimmed artwork and antique mirrors and an English antique armoire with a flat screen TV inside. The writing desk overlooks the tree-lined street below through iron paned windows that actually open. There are homey touches as well an umbrella for the rainy day and a throw to take the chill off. The large and luxurious marble bathroom features a separate shower stall with a Hall of Fame shower, thick, plush monogrammed towels, Bulgari toiletries and a TV to enjoy while soaking in the oversized tub.
The bed is covered in high count luxury linens and is oh so comfortable. The windows are doubled glazed to keep out the noise and have black-out curtains to keep out the morning light. Two of the suites have private terraces.
If you really want to splurge for a special occasion, they have Five Specialty Suites designed with hand-picked furnishings to resemble luxurious Manhattan apartments. Coveted for their corner locations on the hotel’s upper floors, these comfortable living spaces invite guests to linger longer by wood-burning fireplaces or host a dinner parties catered from the suite’s gourmet kitchen. Several of these suites (the Garden Suite) offer private terraces, while each one boasts spectacular city views.
DINING at The Lowell
Jacques Bar is an intimate and cozy lounge serving great drinks with a very good (albeit expensive) list of wines by the glass. Delicious snacks and small plates. If not in your room, breakfast is served, on hand painted china in The Pembroke Room, a beautifully elegant room in its own right.
Majorelle is the hotel’s signature restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Created by restaurateur Charles Masson (La Grenouille) and his creative culinary team, under the leadership of Chef Richard Brower, the restaurant presents a menu of French Classics with Mediterranean
influences from the Riviera to Morocco. Seasonal ingredients and wine pairings change in tempo with the flowering botanical oasis in the Garden, which offers outdoor seating year round.
THE SERVICE at The Lowell
Upon arrival our bags were whisked to the delightfully flower laden lobby by a doorman dressed in a kind of white military uniform. Check-in was swift and I was pleasantly surprised (since we travel anonymously) to have been upgraded to a one bedroom suite because the hotel was not full that night. We were offered a complimentary cocktail and asked if we would like any other paper than the Times delivered to our door in the morning.
Turn down service comes with Fiji water and the Times (and whatever else you want) is delivered to your door at 6am. in the morning. The mini bar is stocked with Dean & Deluca snacks and the room service menu has some very reasonable prices for Dom and Cristal should the mood hit you.
The hotel also offers some amenities you either don’t see elsewhere or in very few places; a welcome drink upon arrival as mentioned earlier, Internet access that is FREE, and 24hr. room service AND concierge service.
Service is swift and efficient. While passing through the lobby we asked for ice to be sent up to the room. About a minute after we reached the room, it arrived. Breakfast came in about 15 minutes or 10 minutes earlier than we were told it would.
OTHER at The Lowell
The hotel provides a Fitness Center with top-of-the-line equipment for guests and is stocked with complimentary fruit, granola bars and water.
This is such a wonderfully comfortable and cozy hotel you will feel like you are visiting old friends. It’s the kind of place you’ll return to over and over.
THE RATES at The Lowell
From $1060 Peak Season Weekend with a two night minimum.
WHAT OTHERS SAY About The Lowell
AAA Four Diamond Award
Forbes Four Star Award
“Regulars of this beautiful Midtown hideaway on a lovely, quiet street off Madison Avenue claim it’s like being at home but better especially if your idea of home is a British country house, with working fireplaces in many rooms, sheets so good you’ll want to stay in bed and a wonderful high tea; its small size means service is phenomenally attentive, and the low-key vibe makes it one of the few truly romantic hotels in New York.” – ZAGAT
PROMOTIONS at The Lowell
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