Built in 1926 as a residence hotel, the original Surrey was home to
many of New York’s most eccentric celebrities. JFK, Bette Davis,
Claudette Colbert, and other famous faces who recognised the al-
lure of exceptional, discreet service. The Surrey, New York’s only
Relais & Châteaux hotel, is situated in one of Manhattan’s most
exclusive neighbourhoods, the Upper East Side, with direct access
to Madison Avenue’s upscale boutiques and restaurants, Museum
Mile, iconic landmarks and Central Park. Once a long-term resi-
dence to Bette Davis and JFK as well as Padma Lakshmi (as noted
in her 2016 memoir, Love, Loss and What We Ate), The Surrey
concluded a glamorous transformation in 2009, while maintaining
its pre-war, Beaux- Arts charm. Named #1 New York City hotel
by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in 2015, the hotel is the pre-
ferred hideaway of today’s elite set. Reflective of its Upper East
Side neighbourhood, The Surrey by renowned architectural and
interior designer, Lauren Rottet, evokes the ambience of a resi-
dential townhouse that has evolved over time with eclectic pieces
that seem to have been acquired through travels around the en-
tire world. Adding an unexpected twist, the hotel is accented with
eclectic elements such as the front desk made of hand-tooled leath-
er, and intricate mosaic tiles mimic an antique Oriental carpet in
the grand entry. The hotel showcases coffered ceilings, limestone
walls and mouldings, and marble archways and floors in the lobby.
Rottet’s use of a refined palette of textures and shades of cream,
silver, grey, light tobacco and black provides a timeless stage for the
vibrancy each guest brings to the hotel.
You can have dinner at Café Boulud with a menu guided by the
chef’s contemporary approach to classic French cuisine and his
flair for seasonal delicacies and worldly flavours and then enjoy
a signature cocktail at Bar Pleiades. For more intimate gatherings,
the private dining rooms at Café Boulud are elegant settings for
celebrations of your own making.
With 189 salons, including 34 suites, a Penthouse and a Presiden-
tial suite and a discreet service, it allows guests to retreat from the
public and keep a low profile in an otherwise high profile lifestyle
A deluxe set of amenities include a private roof garden (intend-
ed to feel hidden with manicured boxwoods and ivy trailing over
wrought iron tables and chairs, also boasting the largest bed of
lavender in New York City), the Cornelia Spa (offering discreet
and tailored services on the 2nd floor of The Surrey, it delivers a
thoughtful spa experience enhanced by signature elements includ-
ing all natural botanical tastings to complement a carefully curat-
ed treatment menu with intimacy and classic sophistication and
cornerstones of Cornelia) and the Fitness center (Located on the
second floor, it is open to guests with room key access, 24-hours
a day). The Surrey Hotel is, after all, a transcendent experience,
where the high-energy Manhattan setting meets cathartic uptown
service and discretion.
THE SURREY HOTEL
NEW YORK, USA