The Pierre

After years of planning, Frenchman Charles Pierre Casalasco opened The Pierre’s doors on October 1, 1930. As the Great Depression hit the country, Casalasco transformed the hotel into a safe playground to the creative class of his time.

The hotel quickly attracted both the local and international society. The elegant lobby checked-in many star patrons including Coco Chanel, who made The Pierre her home when she first traveled to the US.

The first glance when entering the room on the 37th floor.

Sunset over Central Park and the city.

In 1959, The Pierre became a cooperative, mixing hotel guests and permanent residents. Among them was Elizabeth Taylor, who bought an apartment after her marriage to Eddie Fisher.

Valentina and I first met in New York almost a decade ago. Quintessential Downtown girls, staying at such opulent Park-side setting felt quite like a fairytale vacation for us.

In the late 1960’s, Peter Dowling, owner of another Uptown staple, The Carlyle, took over The Pierre and transformed it into his vision of Versailles, commissioning the hand-painted murals that still adorn The Rotunda.

Detail of the romantic wall paintings.

Don’t forget to pack your ball gown!

Ben and his wife chose the hotel to spend the last night before the scheduled birth of their child.

The Perrine restaurant menu offers a combination of seasonally-inspired fare and daily specials of vintage Pierre classics, including recipes created for important occasions in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

Feeling like we are in a Blake Edwards’ movie…

So dramatic!

Midnight treats: Empire State Building shaped chocolate and soft slippers.

Spectacular view at night.

Sanctuary silence + luxurious bed = one of the most restful nights I ever had in Manhattan.

Beautiful sunrise colors revealing the puzzled buildings.

Bathroom with floor-to-ceiling marble tiles, bathtub and high pressure shower.

It was a delight to find fine ladies and gentlemen everywhere as we explored the corridors of the hotel’s many sumptuous ballrooms.

Waking up across the street from Central Park is a true luxury.

“Love thy neighbor as thyself” – seriously considering relocating Uptown.

The Pierre was nominated as a historic landmark of New York City in 1981, the decade when regulars included creative icons like Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli.