What’s Haute New York: Hotels, Restaurants, Spas and more

By Kristelle Devieux

Aside from keeping you in on the hautest venues, this season’s What’s Haute NYC
will take you on a journey of monumental proportions filled with the best in refinement and popularity!

THE PENINSULA
700 5th Ave # 21
212.956.2888

[highlight_text] The Peninsula’s overall design accents include antique furnishings and accessories, and a display of sophisticated artwork. [/highlight_text]

Desiring something with a modern feel? Be sure to check out The Peninsula, whose sheer ambience celebrates Old World grace perfectly balanced with modern amenities. The Peninsula New York is a thoroughly comfortable fusion where contemporary fabrics, furnishings, and technology merge seamlessly with many classical elements throughout the hotel. Rooms feature Fili D’oro bed linens and luxurious goose down duvets, while expansive marble bathrooms incorporate special mood lighting and signature Peninsula bathtub televisions as well as separate bath and shower enclosures. The Peninsula’s overall design accents include antique furnishings and accessories, and a display of sophisticated artwork. For an optimum luxury be sure to experience the Peninsula Suite.

TRUMP HOTEL
1 Central Park West
212.299.1000

By now we all know what to expect from anything affiliated with “The Donald.” Everything at the Trump International Hotel & Tower exerts such elegance and sophistication that even the air you breathe on the premises feels divine! With 10-foot ceilings and 9-foot windows, the rooms offer breathtaking views of Manhattan, whose skyline never fails to amaze. Some suites offer fully equipped European-style kitchens where a chef from the hotel’s celebrated restaurant, Jean-Georges, will personally prepare specialties in the room’s kitchens, available 24 hours upon advance request. And as expected it wouldn’t be a Trump establishment if it didn’t offer the Trump Attaché program where guests satisfy their most particular or extravagant requests with the most comprehensive care. If that’s not Haute Living in the city, nothing is!

PHILIPPE
33 East 60th Street
212.644.8885

Chef/Owner Philippe Chow, the mastermind behind the insatiable delights of Mr. Chow, has now moved his commanding force to Philippe. Drawing upon his classical culinary training, Chow integrates his masterful spin on traditional Chinese cuisine resulting in the utmost modern, flavorful, and theatrical concoctions. Philippe’s ethereal cuisine fits the restaurant’s minimalist and yet stylish atmosphere that has undeniably delighted a devoted clientele made up of the most governing names in the music, media, and film industries.

LA PRAIRIE
50 Central Park South
212.308.9100

If you’ve just landed from a long, tiring flight from Dubai, or need a minute to block out the Wall Street pressure, or even feel like taking a break from shopping, the La Prairie at the Ritz-Carlton Spa has the fix you’re longing for! The renowned Swiss brand that has pioneered the anti-aging revolution for decades has brought its impeccability and proven Swiss science to the city. Capitalizing on their specialty, La Prairie combines privilege and pleasure with state-of-the-art science to satisfy all the pampering needs at once. Emphasizing on de-aging and de-stressing, La Prairie offers an array of both European and Asian massage specialties in addition to their unique cellular facials that luxuriously rejuvenate the skin. All in all, La Prairie truly embodies every sybarite’s dream in pampering.

CARBON
By Invitation Only

Nothing says “affluence” more than belonging to an esteemed invitation-only membership community. Carbon is one of the city’s few private clubs of such nature, committed to promote social networking within the city’s upper crust of influentials. Carbon’s wide array of social and cultural events give members unique access to the best the city has to offer. Their highly exclusive events take place in private spaces, members’ homes, and other elitist venues with first class access to luxury lifestyle brands and services. Carbon’s membership is comprised of 200 of the city’s top founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, media and entertainment executives, and hedge fund managers (sounds like typical Haute Living readers!), and only admits about 25 new members per quarter from a waiting list.

Hôtel Plaza Athénée
37 East 64th Street
212.734.9100

Located in the prestigious Upper East Side, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée is hailed as one of the best. Fashioned in a classic, elegant style, the hotel brilliantly combines European refinement with the intimacy and service of a luxury hotel. The Plaza Athénée has been a home away from home for royalty, world leaders, celebrities, executives, and sophisticated travelers for the last two decades. Suites are capaciously detailed featuring luxurious Belgian linens, a stylish décor of European fabrics, and rose aurora marble bathrooms. In the best tradition of grand hotels, the staff is minutely concerned with personal attention and unflinching service that encompasses a truly indulgent and memorable stay.

ESTIATORIO MILOS
125 West 55th Street
212.245.7400

Estiatorio Milos lives up to its reputation of being New York’s seafood temple. The concept is simple: find the world’s best seafood and serve uncomplicated dishes that pay homage to these naturally succulent fish. In doing so, Chef-Owner Costas Spiliadis has sought out the best fish, crustaceans, and produce from points around the world and gathered them in Midtown Manhattan at Estiatorio Milos, his upscale Mediterranean restaurant. Emphasizing the menu’s mantra of “sophisticated simplicity,” the design of the restaurant plays its part; soaring ceilings and pristine white marble set the scene for market-style displays of sea produces. In keeping the flavors true and clean, the fish are lightly dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, allowing the fresh tastes of the sea to remain undiminished-the dishes served are fresh, fragrant, and mouth-watering. Trust me, Estiatorio Milos’ food will leave you wanting more!

ST. REGIS
2 East 55th Street
212.753.4500

For all our old European art and romance lovers, nothing beats a stay at the St. Regis Hotel. As a New York City Landmark since 1988, the hotel’s architecture and interiors rival some of the finest hotels in Europe. Dating back to more than a century ago, the St. Regis has become an iconic establishment. With pristine marble floors and crystal chandeliers highlighted by antique tapestries, oriental rugs, antique Louis XV furniture, and a library of 3,000 leather-bound, gold-tooled classic books, St. Regis Hotel’s 18-story Beaux Arts building has attracted some of the most glamorous and creative personalities (such as famed painter Salvador Dali) worthy of appreciating its grandeur and beauty. With flawless personalized service, it’s no surprise that the St. Regis has firmly held its place as an ExxonMobil Five-Star and a AAA Five Diamond winner for 13 consecutive years. Recent additions such as the Bottega Veneta Suite and Adour Alain Ducasse are optimizing the St. Regis’ standard of luxury and elegance.

SOCIALISTA
505 West Street
212.929.4572

What’s to be expected when Armin Amiri, the former doorman at Bungalow 8, teams up with Guiseppe Cipriani, Ben Silverman, Harvey Weinstein, and power couple Trudie Styler and Sting? A super exclusive “dilapidated chic” boîte reminiscent of 1940s Havana. Designed after a classic Cuban salon, Socialista evokes an old-world Hemingway-esque effect with slow-turning ceiling fans, faded, peeling walls, and distressed leather sofas. Situated on a quiet West Village street behind an unassuming façade, Socialista is a hush-hush venue strictly for the owners’ closest friends and acquaintances (as entry to the upstairs lounge is only granted via a secret telephone number) Once inside, the party is a haute affair where affluent Manhattanites vibe to the sounds of hip tunes, delight on seasonal New American food fused with Latin touches, and sing Viva La Revolución!

SUSAN CIMINELLI
754 Fifth Avenue, 9th Floor
1.888.3DaySpa

[highlight_text] Susan Ciminelli’s unique holistic approach to healing the skin and body is referred to as “The Healing Art of Beauty.” [/highlight_text]

For an absolutely sophisticated approach to holistic skin care, devout clientele from Jennifer Lopez to Martha Stewart to Paul McCartney are living proof that Susan Ciminelli’s work is the real deal. The Susan Ciminelli Day Spa on the ninth floor at Bergdorf Goodman provides a comprehensive understanding of holistic healing, designed to fill customers with an enlightened, all-encompassing sense of well-being. Susan Ciminelli’s unique holistic approach to healing the skin and body is referred to as “The Healing Art of Beauty.” Her years of training and experience with this individualized holistic technique bring a very special kind of services to her clients. With treatments directed to create both internal as well as external beauty and harmony, the spa serves as an intimate and tranquil refuge to regale in the most pampering, detoxifying, and relaxing experience.