ALL THAT JAZZ

Stepping off Maddison Avenue into The Carlyle is like walking into a time capsule—starring hotel regulars George and Amal Clooney, Mick Jagger and a clarinet-wielding Woody Allen

- Coco Marett

There is a distinct difference between something being old and something being classic. The Carlyle, a Rosewood hotel in New York, is a classic.

The hotel opened 89 years ago, and very little has changed since. The iconic black marble floors of the lobby still sparkle, the walls of Bemelmans Bar still feature the original faded murals by Madeline illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans—it’s his only work on public display—and the restaurant remains clad in hand-painted wallpaper by Milanese artist Enrico Brus and lined with banquettes dressed in antique Turkish kilim.

Even the staff seldom change. Ask around, and you’ll find that the majority of the team have worked there for 20, 30 or sometimes even 40-something years. Some of them have become local legends in their own right—a bellboy, concierge or lift operator, of which The Carlyle is one of the last hotels in New York to employ around the clock.

“To us, it’s not just a business; it’s a friendship,” says hotel ambassador Hector Ruiz, who has worked at The Carlyle for 30 years. “We pay a lot of attention to our guests’ needs: what they like, what food or wine they prefer to have when they’re here. I always call them or their assistants ahead of time to see if there’s anything we can arrange for them or to find out if they’re here for any special occasion—it makes a world of difference. It’s all about the little things that you do, and that comes from building rapport and trust.”

Countless stars have entrusted The Carlyle’s staff with their secrets. “A hotel is only as good as its ghosts,” wrote intellectual and author BernardHenri Lévy in his essay Life at the Carlyle. “Tell me who haunts you and I’ll tell you who you are. Tell me whose memories are preserved within your walls and black marble floors and I will tell you what you are worth.”