An Oasis in Manhattan: Our New Favorite Hotel
We stayed at The Surrey for three nights in February. It was just wonderful. The lobby is small and elegant with a stylish bar off of it. The folks working check-in are courteous, calm and very friendly. We stayed in their basic room and it was spacious and nicely appointed. They have this cool cocktail service that is really quite reasonable considering that you get 4-5 drinks and an in-room bartender to mix them. The bed was so comfortable and it just felt luxurious. The bathroom had a nice walk-in shower and no tub but was beautiful and immaculate.
Service was so great. I had my shoes shined and they were returned in beautiful boxes, wrapped in tissue. Turn down was a treat (chocolate dipped madeleines and bottled water). These details really make the experience memorable. And although this was a much nicer hotel than we would normally choose, we were always treated like "1 percenters"! A total worthwhile splurge.
The location cannot be beat. First night there we walked into the park and had a classic new York experience: dusk, light snow, Central Park. So romantic! New York is so stimulating and can be exhausting for out-of-towners with ambitious sightseeing agendas! returning to the Surrey in the evening, just felt so marvelous. It was a perfect bubble of UES civilization without being stuffy. We loved walking across the park to the West Side and to the Met, AMNH, the Whitney, the Frick... just paradise.