This post is the continuation (the second part) of my previous post under the title “Classic Hotels – Part 1“.

The last hotel I had mentioned in my previous post was “Cheval Blanc Paris“, which is referred to as a ‘contemporary classic’ in Condé Nast Traveller (June 2021 issue). In this post I will first mention the other European hotels referred to as contemporary classic in the same article and then mention some more classic hotels in New York, US.

Other European Hotels Listed as ‘Contemporary Classic’ in Condé Nast Traveller (June 2021)

• Belmond Splendido Mare, Portofino:

A lovely hotel (originating from a fishermen’s guesthouse) with just 14 bedrooms having flower-clad balconies with views of the harbor. The hotel is next to Portofino harbor and overlooks ‘Piazzetta di Portofino‘. The hotel’s DaV Mare restaurant and its shrimps are suggested in Condé Nast Traveller. I took note of Belmond Splendido as a pleasant hotel in the colorful village of the Italian Riviera where many have found their love as it is said in the song “I found my love in Portofino“. (belmond.com)

• Villa Igiea, Sicily:

A Belle-époque hotel in the Sicilian capital of Palermo by the seaside. Its turreted villa and tiered gardens were designed by Ernesto Basile, the award–winning Palermitan architect. Initially bought by the Florian dynasty, one of Sicily’s leading families, and turned into a hotel in the early 1900s. It is told in the website of Villa Igiea that influential people like King Edward VII and King of Siam visited the hotel after its opening as well as many royal families. Roberto Rossellini, Alberto Sordi and De Sica had chosen the hotel for their masterpieces. Claudia Cardinale, Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon had stayed here during the shooting of the film “The Leopard“. Sophia Loren was also among the customers of the hotel. I have read that Elizabeth Taylor had four honeymoons at this hotel (Condé Nast Traveller, Jan.-Feb. 2022).

Villa Igiea has a palatial Art Nouveau interior with chandeliers and dynastic antiques. I liked the view of the hotel’s ‘Florio Restaurant‘ where Florio Family’s distinguished guests had dined (as put in their website) and its elegant bar within baroque columns. A pleasant hotel to stay at the beautiful Italian island of Sicily and explore the attractions of Palermo. (roccofortehotels.com)

• Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid:

Another Belle Époque palace that had hosted royalty and many distinguished guests since its opening in 1910. A glamorous building rising among the trees. Located in the Golden Triangle of Art of Madrid – area of top art museums like Prado. The hotel is in the Jerónimos neighbourhood, where the Spanish aristocracy had homes in the late 19th-century and faces the Paseo del Prado, the tree-lined boulevard with fountains. It is told in the hotel’s website that you may recognize the streets from Pedro Almodóvar’s film “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown“. I haven’t seen the film but Almodóvar is one of my favorite film directors. The hotel’s Michelin Star awarded restaurant by Quique Dacosta and first-rate Champagne Bar under a crystal canopy ceiling are suggested. (mandarinoriental.com)

The hotel’s Michelin Star awarded restaurant by awarded chef Quique Dacosta and first-rate Champagne Bar under a crystal canopy ceiling are suggested. I also liked its ‘Pictura Bar‘ (photo below) with paintings around the bar symbolizing the hotel’s being at the art center of the city.

• The Woodward, Geneva:

The Woodward hotel in Geneva is mentioned in the article in Condé Nast Traveller as follows:

“Few Swiss properties can lay claim to such knockout panoramas of Lake Geneva and snow-capped Mont Blanc from Parisian-like balconies …” (Condé Nast Traveller, June 2021)

It is an all-suite hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva newly designed by world-renowned architect Pierre-Yves Rochon. I found this hotel uniquely elegant when I watched the video at its website. Its Michelin-Starred ‘L’Atelier Robuchon’ restaurant is the legacy of Joël Robuchon, the deceased inventive French chef with record number of Michelin stars and many restaurants around the world. Its vegetable driven ‘Le Jardinier’ restaurant offers gluten-free dishes. It has a peaceful spa run by Guerlain and the longest indoor pool in the city.
(Website of The Woodward, Geneva)

A pleasant and elegant hotel in the city of Geneva where Sophia Loren lives. (You may check my older post “Sophia… Loren…“). The Woodward is part of the Oetker Collection hotels like ‘Le Bristol, Paris‘ that I mentioned in my previous post “Classic Hotels – Part 1“.

Classic Hotels in New York, USA

The Carlyle, New York

I have always liked from above views of Manhattan of New York, so I chose the lead image of this post as a suite in The Carlyle with a beautiful New York view at sunset. A similar photo that I saw in Condé Nast Traveller had also captured me. I read in Sunday Times Travel (Feb.2020) that Princess Diana loved the privacy of the discreet canopied entrance of the hotel (photo above). The article in Condé Nast Traveller (Jan.-Feb. 2022) states that:

“Mick Jagger allegedly still keeps a residence at The Carlyle, drawn to the enviable views over Central Park.“

Built in 1930, this timeless hotel with an Art Deco style had been a gathering place of celebrities and world leaders. The Carlyle is on the Upper East Side of New York City on Madison Avenue, a block from Central Park and close to Museum Mile (home to Metropolitan and Guggenheim Museums). You can enjoy the piano tunes or live jazz in its dimly lit “Bemelmans Bar” and classic cabarets in its “Café Carlyle“. Woody Allen had been performing most Monday nights at the Café Carlyle since 1997 until late 2020. Bemelmans Bar, where 75-year-old Earl Rose plays the piano for 27 years, is famous for its martinis. I read that Mariah Carey once got up to sing at Bemelman’s.

I also read that a documentary movie “Always at The Carlyle“(2018) has been made, in which celebrities including Woody Allen, George Clooney, Sophia Coppola, Wes Anderson and Anthony Bourdain tell their stories about this iconic hotel. (The Carlyle NY Website)

Other Classic Hotels in New York

In Sunday Times Travel (Feb.2020 issue), New York’s classic hotels are listed including The Carlyle (referred to as ‘the old romantic’). Other classic New York hotels mentioned together with The Carlyle are as follows:

• The St Regis New York:

The St. Regis New York was opened in 1904, three years before ‘The Plaza’ and is located on 5th Avenue with a grand canopied entrance. Its gilded lobby, Dior or Tiffany-themed suites, ‘Astor Court’ (fine-dining) and historic ‘King Cole Bar‘ (the birthplace of Bloody Marry) are mentioned in Sunday Times.

Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dalí (who lived there with his wife Gala and his pet ocelot), Marlene Dietrich, Nikola Tesla, and Alfred Hitchcock had been among the hotel’s famous guests and residents. (St. Regis New York Website)

• The Peninsula, New York:

Although not in Sunday Times list, “The Peninsula, New York”, also on 5th Avenue, draws attention with its glamorous entrance. Its jolly website makes you feel you are in Manhattan. Housed in a 1905 Beaux-Arts Landmark building, It is within walking distance of Central Park, Fifth Avenue shopping and Broadway theaters. The Peninsula is praised in a Condé Nast Traveller hotel review for its huge guest rooms, a top spa and swimming pool, its excellent ‘Clement‘ restaurant and one of the best service staffs in NYC. It also has a chic rooftop bar (Salon de Ning) offering panoramic views over Manhattan. (Peninsula NY website)

• The Plaza:

It’s the “Home Alone 2” hotel. We had enjoyed a lot to watch Home Alone series with my children in a holiday time. When I saw The Plaza in one of the series, I wished we visit this glamorous hotel once. Sunday Times mentions its gold Rococo mirrors, stained-glass ceilings, marble floors and endless chandeliers. Located where Central Park meets 5th Avenue, it is referred to as the best address in town and its rooms as the comfiest bed in NYC. Its afternoon teas and cocktails with millionaire bar snacks (caviar, lobster rolls) at its palatial Palm Court are also mentioned. (theplazany.com)

• The Algonquin Hotel:

Referred to as ‘the artists’ haunt‘ in Sunday Times. Located in Times Square and Broadway. Opened in 1902, the historic Algonquin Hotel in New York City, had been a gathering place for writers, editors, and artists who used to meet for lunch at the hotel’s ‘Round Table Restaurant‘. There is the resident cat, Hamlet – a street cat the hotel houses for almost forty years. It is suggested that you have a martini in its iconic ‘Blue Bar‘ open since 1933. I liked the dimly lit artistic atmosphere of the hotel evident in its website. (algonquinhotel.com)

• The Quin:

A boutique hotel referred to as ‘the secret one‘ in Sunday Times’ classic New York hotels list. It is located one block from Central Park, close to Carnegie Hall, the concert venue, and Russian Tea Room, famous restaurant which had many notable celebrity guests and where Madonna worked as a coat-check clerk once. The Quin is mentioned as a warm, welcoming hotel with friendly staff who would always remember your name. Has peaceful rooms of which the bigger suites have spacious balconies. Note that there are bargain rates for a park side stay or deals on its website. (The Quin NY website)

There are many classic hotels all over the worlds. These were the ones I wanted to mention in my Classic Hotels posts (Part 1 and Part 2), the ones mostly with a history and stories or which had appeared in the films. The iconic historic bars and elegant restaurants of the classic hotels I have mentioned are also worth to try.

Have pleasant stays and visits!