New York Hotel Elysee

One of most charming and romantic hotels in Manhattan, the Hotel Elysee is often overlooked due to the glass towers that stand on each side of it. Yet its reticent nature remains part of its appeal. Conceived in 1926, the hotel has a storied past as the preferred address for movie stars, artists, writers and intellectuals including Tennessee Williams, Jimmy Breslin, Joe DiMaggio, Maria Callas, Marlon Brando and Vladimir Horowitz (who donated a Steinway, which still resides in the Piano Suite). Indeed, Hotel Elysee’s European-style décor and old-world charisma makes it feel like a French province in the heart of the Big Apple.

Hotel Elysee features 87 well-crafted rooms, three junior suites and eleven suites with quirky elements: some have fireplaces, others have kitchens, terraces or solariums, and all are decorated in country-French furnishings. Amenities at the hotel include a business center, concierge, high-speed internet, free access to nearby gym, valet parking, room service, 24-hour reception, fitness room/gym, banquet facilities, disabled access, cable/satellite TV, laundry service, iPod docking stations, direct dial phone, refrigerator and safe-deposit box. On the second floor of Hotel Elysee is the Club Room, where a free continental breakfast is offered daily, along with complimentary wine and cheese weekday evenings.

Located on East 54th Street, Hotel Elysee is within walking distance of Central Park, Bloomingdales and Museum of Modern Art. While staying at the hotel guests can also enjoy the on-site Monkey Bar restaurant for live music, signature cocktails and fine dining. Montenapo Restaurant is also on-site and serves fine Italian cuisine.