Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / New York City / The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
New York City, New York, United States · Rosewood · Grand Luxury
Sylvan Bien and Harry M. Prince raised this 1930 Upper East Side Art Deco tower for Moses Ginsberg, with Dorothy Draper interiors, naming it for Thomas Carlyle. Robert Dowling added Bemelmans Bar in 1947, its Madeline murals painted by Ludwig Bemelmans, and Café Carlyle in 1955, where Bobby Short held court for decades and Woody Allen still plays clarinet most Mondays. JFK kept it as a New York base; Rosewood has run the house since 2001.
- 192 rooms
- Opened 1930
- Neighborhood: Upper East Side
- Architect: Bien & Prince
- Interiors: Dorothy Draper; Alexandra Champalimaud
About The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
- Opened 3 November 1930 as a 40-story Art Deco apartment hotel designed by Sylvan Bien and Harry M. Prince with Dorothy Draper interiors.
- Café Carlyle debuted in 1955; Bobby Short's long residency led the city to co-name the Madison and 76th corner Bobby Short Way.
- John F. Kennedy used the Carlyle as a favored New York residence while in office.
- Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has owned and branded the hotel since 2001.
History
Opened in 1930 as an Art Deco apartment hotel on Manhattan's Upper East Side, designed by architects Bien & Prince with iconic interiors by Dorothy Draper, The Carlyle quickly became a beacon of luxury amid the Great Depression. Its transformation under Robert Dowling in the 1940s introduced legendary venues like Bemelmans Bar (1947) and Café Carlyle (1955), drawing presidents from Truman to Reagan, royalty, and luminaries such as JFK, who reserved a private duplex. Acquired by Rosewood Hotels in 2001, it underwent sensitive renovations, including a comprehensive 2021 refresh by Tony Chi studio, preserving its timeless glamour while blending residential elegance with modern sophistication—distinct as Rosewood's New York flagship of discreet opulence.
The setting
Nestled at Madison Avenue and 76th Street in the affluent Upper East Side, The Carlyle overlooks designer boutiques and galleries, just one block from Central Park and steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The site, once occupied by early apartment buildings like the steel-framed Carrollton from 1888, was assembled in the late 1920s for this skyscraper amid a boom in luxury residential hotels along the avenue.
Restaurants and bars
- Dowling’s at The Carlyle — Restaurant
- Bemelmans Bar — Bar
- Café Carlyle — Café
- The Gallery — Café
Experiences
- Bemelmans Bar murals by Ludwig Bemelmans — Murals by Ludwig Bemelmans in Bemelmans Bar.
- Music-themed murals by Marcel Vertès — Music-themed murals by Marcel Vertès.
- Fine art collection — Fine art collection displayed in the hotel.
- Valmont Spa — Valmont treatments at the hotel's spa.
- Yves Durif salon — Signature cuts and colour at the Yves Durif salon inside the hotel.
- Fitness center — On-site fitness center.
Amenities
- Valmont Spa with Swiss cellular treatments
- Technogym fitness center
- Bemelmans Bar with live music
- Café Carlyle cabaret
- Yves Durif hair salon
- Suites with Steinway pianos
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Two Michelin Keys (2025)
- World's 50 Best Hotels 51-100 (2025)
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