What a year it has been! In celebration of an exciting and momentous 2019 at The Lowell, we invite our loyal fans to join us as we reminisce over the special moments and milestones of the year, from awards to new offerings to the 35th anniversary of our historic renovation. Read on for a full recap of the year.
In January, we started off the month with a wonderful Forbes feature on how The Lowell is “a jewel box of a boutique hotel on the Upper East Side” and Majorelle the “standout charms [as] a beautiful special occasion type of place [with] high-end fancy French-inspired with a Moroccan influence cuisine.” In March, the Observer highlighted the Pembroke Room’s afternoon tea, naming it one of the best tea spots in New York.
Spring days of May brought many exciting developments for both The Lowell and Majorelle with a beautiful article in Town & Country UK and the addition of executive chef Emmanuel Niess to the Majorelle kitchen. In Town & Country UK, our rooms were described as a “delightfully ritzy-looking space, [which] have been recently redecorated in the style of a classic salon de thé, with heavy curtains, lamps dripping with crystals and an abundance of greenery.” Chef Emmanuel Niess, who is known for his lively combinations of color, texture, temperature and more in dishes that are familiar but unexpected, joined Majorelle as the Executive Chef after working in Belgium at several Michelin-starred restaurants.
Also in May, the 2019 Met Gala brought many stars to The Lowell to primp for the night’s theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” in our specialty suites. Award-winning Broadway performer, singer and actor Billy Porter, award-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan and the talented cast of Broadway’s “Ain’t Too Proud” enjoyed our close proximity to the museum and prepped for the event with the help of their glam squads, champagne and treats. In June, we welcomed our first specialty seasonal tea, Garden Tea, featuring Ladurée Ispahan Rose Macarons, floral-themed cookies, Dammann Frères floral-infused loose-leaf teas and a champagne cocktail.
As the city entered into the heat of summer in July, things were also heating up at The Lowell as we were honored with the award of #1 Hotel in New York City for the second year in a row from Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. The hotel commemorated the occasion with a grand soirée in the Club Room and guests enjoyed a champagne toast and photos with a background of a custom flower wall by McQueens Flowers. This was the start of our exciting streak of number one awards in 2019. We closed out the summer in true New York fashion by honoring the US Open and hosting a VIP meet and greet for guests with Romanian tennis star Simona Halep.
During the most fashionable month of the year, The Lowell celebrated all things New York Fashion Week with the launch of Coco’s Haute Couture Tea. With a limited run in September, the tea came with the classic afternoon tea offerings plus tailored additions like a glass of rosé champagne, a Camellia-infused black tea blend, couture-themed sugar cookies and a parting gift of Coco: the Pocket Wisdom book.
Fall ushered in more excitement for The Lowell as we accepted our second #1 Hotel in New York City award from the Condé Nast Traveler 2019 Readers' Choice Awards. On the heels of our two #1 awards, released our most extravagant and luxurious package yet, the Experience #1 Offer. We invited guests to celebrate with us by booking the offer to spend two nights in the remarkable Michael S. Smith designed Penthouse Suite, enjoy round-trip airport transfer in a Mercedes S550 Maybach, Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne and personal amenities upon arrival, custom monogrammed Frette PJ's, dinner for two at Majorelle, tickets to a Broadway show of choice and a Full American Breakfast each day served in-suite or taken in the Pembroke Room.
Also in October, the New York Times covered our third seasonal tea offering, Gentlemen’s Tea, just ahead of its launch, and named The Lowell as one of the few upscale hotels around the world that is reinventing afternoon tea. Gentlemen’s Tea was a smashing success and received plenty of media buzz with a segment on Fox 5 NY featuring our general manager, Heiko Kuenstle, and a feature on Departure's list of the best afternoon tea spots in New York City. Gentlemen’s Tea brought a twist to traditional tea as each Dammann Fréres black tea, from Lapsang Souchong to Vanille, was paired with Angel's Envy Whiskey or Sandeman Port. Seasonal tea sandwiches like roast beef with horseradish aioli or foie gras with fig compote and truffle were also added to the traditional line-up and the Pembroke Room's beloved home-baked scones had a savory element of scallions and Cumberland Sauce.
In the final days of November, Majorelle carried on our 2019 award streak by earning the title of Top Restaurant Decor in New York City from the ZAGAT Guide NYC. As the New Year is now approaching fast, it has been quite a wonderful past 360 days and we are so grateful to our guests, staff and partners for making this year so special.