I spent Christmas in New York a few years ago. It was such a romantic time, one that will stay in my mind forever. I thought I would jot down what my time there looked like, in case any of my readers are planning a stay in New York for a special occasion.
- The Pierre is a landmark hotel on Fifth Avenue, built in the 1920s. It sits proudly on the corner of Central Park and the Upper East Side, where elegant residences meet upscale shopping. After a $100 million renovation in 2007, it reopened as the U.S. flagship of Taj Hotels.
- The hotel’s signature Rotunda showcases Renaissance-style trompe l’oeil murals painted in 1967 by American artist Edward Melcarth—art so vivid you almost expect the painted figures to step forward.
- Perrine, the Pierre’s signature restaurant, serves refined French-American cuisine.
- Two E Bar & Lounge, once a private library, is now an intimate Art Deco lounge. It’s candlelit, with live jazz and an award-winning cocktail program, and remains one of my fondest memories from the trip.
- The hotel originally opened with just over 100 employees; today it runs with more than 1,000 and has earned both Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond recognition.
- During the holidays, New York itself is buzzing—roughly 6.5 million people visit between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, with Rockefeller Center alone drawing more than 100 million visitors annually.
From my room, I looked out at Central Park’s sprawling trees and festive lights, with the exciting thrill that anything could happen.
