The Surrey Hotel is fresh from a costly refurbishment, and the smooth floors, trendy furniture and smart dressed staff are still gleaming. Completed in November 2009, the refurbishment saw the décor leap a few decades from pre-war elegance to glossy contemporary. The lobby is an attractive study in Art Deco, with sleek marble in silver, greys and black punctuated by bold pieces of furniture. A six foot tall Chuck Close black and white portrait of Kate Moss greets you by the elevators on your way up to your room. This style continues throughout the hotel and into the adjoining Bar Pleiades. The bar is always bustling with well-dressed patrons, proving that good décor plus imaginative cocktails is a winner with the Upper East Side crowd, as well as hotel guests.

In general there is a very hip feeling around the Surrey that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the area it’s located in. The bedrooms are deeply comfortable yet modern and sleek with all the normal extras, such as tea and coffee making facilities, I-Pod docking stations, bathrobes, plus a few welcome extras such as striking damask style carpeting, and a smooth grey marble bathroom. The Duxiana beds are as nice as sleeping on a cloud and considered some of the best in New York. There is also a lovely roof garden and full service spa at the Surrey. Don’t leave without checking both out –especially the roof garden.

The Surrey Hotel 20 E. 76th St. New York, NY 10021