New York's Pierre Hotel: Old World Elegance On Central Park

Along with the Plaza, the Waldorf-Astoria, the Sherry-Netherland, the St. Regis, The Peninsula, and The Carlyle, the Pierre Hotel holds a special place in New York City lore as one of its grand old luxury hotels, where even a walk through the lobby offers a trip back in time to a more elegant era. I've strolled through the hotel's lobby before, and peeked into such storied spaces as its grand ballroom and the rotunda, but never had the opportunity to actually spend a night there until recently. After my stay, topped off with dinner and breakfast at the hotel's flagship restaurant Perrine, I can certainly say that it's worthy of all the praise it's received over the years.

Most visitors enter the hotel, which is owned by the Mumbai-based group Taj, through the Fifth Avenue entrance, but arriving guests are encouraged to enter from 61st Street directly into the gleaming marble-clad lobby. Floral arrangements punctuate the arched space, which (at least to me) appears completely unchanged from when the hotel first opened in 1930. The check-in process was a breeze and the front desk agent friendly and professional, and we were escorted to the vintage elevators, where we were surprised to find elevator operators manning each one. I've never encountered elevator operators in a hotel before, and can only imagine that these are some of the last ones in the city.

Our room was a Superior King with an interior view, which clocked in at around 300 square feet. The quiet room looked out to 61st Street (the higher-floor Central Park view rooms are the most in-demand, but those also carry a much heftier price tag), and it was chock-full of elegant touches and luxurious amenities: high ceilings, a super-soft king-size bed, a walk-in closet, a bathroom clad in Turkish marble with a glass rain shower, soft carpeting, a 40-inch flatscreen TV, a Bose clock/radio, and a tranquil cream color scheme. We brought a bottle of Champagne with us (because why not?), and an ice bucket was delivered to the room swiftly, full of crushed ice with a hole in the middle that fit the bottle perfectly. Now that's luxury. Other amenities include 24-hour laundry service with one-hour pressing, a 24-hour doctor on-call, and one of the most comfortable bathrobes I've ever encountered. The whole hotel was spotless, and wasn't stuffy in the least.

Though room service is available 24 hours a day, we decided to have dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Perrine, formerly Sirio. The long restaurant has a few different entrances for guests arriving from different parts of the hotel, a long bar dominating the first half, and an elegant dining room beyond that. Chef Ashfer Biju has assembled a simple menu of classic dishes prepared using high-quality seasonal ingredients. Appetizers we sampled included a well-balanced classic Caesar salad, fresh tuna tartare with crunchy house potato chips and bright basil pesto, housemade gnocchi with a creamy mushroom velouté, and a crab flatbread on housemade naan topped with fennel, celery leaves, herbs, and Gruyère. Eight main courses include something for everyone, including roasted local vegetables, a high-end burger, and three different fish options; we tried the New Jersey lamb chops, which were perfectly cooked and served with polenta and seasonal vegetables, and nicely roasted and juicy local spring chicken with white wine and pee wee potatoes. There's also a "Simply Prepared" menu section, with lemon shrimp, lamb chops, black sea bass, filet mignon, Maine lobster, spring chicken, or 28-day dry aged strip steak served grilled or roasted. Side dishes change with the season, and currently include glazed carrots with lime, orange, and chiles; spice-roasted sunchokes with black olive crumble; and grilled asparagus with capers, dill, and hard-boiled eggs. For breakfast the following morning, we had the opportunity to choose from a traditional Continental or American breakfast, or from main course options including an Indian-inspired omelette with tomato, cilantro, and green chiles; huevos rancheros; vanilla waffle with strawberry compote; brioche French toast; buttermilk pancakes with chocolate chips, blueberries, or banana; and a bagel with smoked salmon.

I strongly suggest you visit The Pierre, even if you're not staying there. Just wandering around its hallowed halls you'll discover the rotunda, a recently redesigned round room off the ballroom that's completely covered in elegant murals; as well as the Two E Bar, a stylish Art Deco lobby bar by day (that's also one of the city's best spots for afternoon tea) that transforms into a sophisticated cocktail bar at night. There's also a full calendar of food and drink events that the hotel organizes throughout the year; for example, on June 21 it'll be celebrating the longest day of the year with a Parisian-style street festival complete with live music, endless rosé, and French food stations; tickets cost $65 and can be purchased here.