THE FACTS ABOUT THE PIERRE

USA New_York

The morning we checked in, The New York Times published a two-page story on The Pierre. It cited formidable statistics: 40lb of foie gras a week; a walk-in fridge devoted to Champagne; 66 chefs and 115 housekeepers. The hotel, it said, opened in 1930 and was once owned by John Paul Getty; in 1950 it became the first hotel with radio and TV sets in every room. The Pierre is a Manhattan landmark, a 201-room, 41-floor monolith in a commanding position on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. It is a well-mannered, discreet place where returning guests greet the lift attendants by name, and vice versa. In winter, the lobby is a sea of mink. Now owned by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, The Pierre delivers impeccable service: our messages were handwritten in black ink and when we asked the concierge to recommend a relaxed, inexpensive neighbourhood Italian, he got it just right. The restaurant, Café Pierre, seemed a little dead (the atmosphere may have improved now that the new chef, Rafael Gonzalez, has found his feet); but breakfast, light lunches, afternoon teas and bistro dinners are served in the stunning Rotunda, with its 1967 trompe l'oeil murals by Edward Melcarth. The love seats, arranged in clusters, are delightfully snug, and the Christmas decorations are hard to beat. All the grandest suites were once private apartments (76 owner-occupiers still live at The Pierre), the best of them, such as room 1412, with its jaw-dropping views of the ice rink in Central Park, cost a formidable $2,200 a night. The Charles Pierre Suite has a 900sq ft terrace; others have marble foyers. To whom does it appeal? 'Both English lords and 30-year-old bankers,' says general manager Guy Rigby. It is certainly a gentlemen's hideaway: refined and poised. Guests can even store personal items, including laundry, until their next visit. CONTACT The Pierre New York, Fifth Avenue at 61st Street (00 1 212 838 8000; fax: 940 8109; www.fourseasons.com/pierre). Doubles from $508; suites from $1,254