Profile

The Surrey emerged from a $60 million makeover in November 2009 sporting a completely new (and completely contemporary) look and feel. While the exterior of the seventeen-floor property remains unchanged, the six-foot-high Chuck Close tapestry in the lobby of a wild-eyed Kate Moss is the first tip-off that things here are decidedly not Upper East Side business-as-usual. A moody color palette of silver, black, and gray is complemented by style-conscious accents throughout; artwork by the likes of Cecily Brown and Jenny Holzer flanks the walls, and artisanal New York foodstuffs like Mast Brothers chocolate and Hudson Valley bourbon fill the minibar. Rooms are spacious, and all feature plush Duxiana beds and iPod docking stations. Some have gas fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, and window seats looking out onto Madison Avenue. A showpiece Presidential Suite boasts a terrace, grand piano, and full kitchen and bar, while all guests are welcome on the top-floor English rooftop garden. A midsize spa on the second floor offers skin and body treatments with Darphin products, as well as private Pilates and yoga instruction. Room service comes from Cafe Boulud, and there’s even an in-room cocktail program. Breakfast is served in the Art Deco–style Bar Pleiades on the ground floor. — Carolyn Murnick

Notable contemporary art collection; Cafe Boulud-helmed room service; elegant rooftop garden; walking distance of Museum Mile.

Cons
Steep rates make longer stays cost-prohibitive.

Claim to Fame
The late singer Rosemary Clooney and the late actor Richard Harris both lived in the Surrey while working in New York City.