Have you stayed at The Surrey in NYC? It’s on the Upper East Side located near Central Park and, therefore, great for lots of pleasant places to stroll. The last time I stayed here was about 10 years ago and though the rooms were very comfortable and luxurious there was clear wear and tear that needed more than just a simple paint job. But the slight weariness added a comfortable charm to the place, making you feel like it was your wealthy Grandmother’s house and not a regular hotel. Clearly her taste had remained steadfastly rooted in the classic but maybe her attention to detail had faded a bit. Well! I checked back and found a newly renovated hotel no longer resembling the once slightly worn place I had remembered (with fondness I should add). In 2009 The Surrey opened it’s doors to reveal a revamped and remodeled hotel and though it looks quite sleek there’s a part of me missing the original.
This is a shot of the original lobby, as seen on visit-New-York-City.com”:
And here’s an image of one of their old suites, as seen on allcityhotels.com:
This is a shot of the new lobby, as seen on nyhotelblog.com:
And here’s an image of one of their new suites, as seen on nyhotelblog.com:
What are your opinions of these changes? Tell me what you think of the new Surrey Hotel!
embrace change!
That’s a great attitude!! Thanks for the uplifting note Caroline.
How sad! In my opinion the new sleek look is available all over NYC. What set the
Surrey apart from all of the run of the mill modern ’boutique’ places to stay was the classy albeit lovingly tired furnishings/decor. This certainly will not be my choice for a visit to the city. Much prefer the upkeep and updating done as necessary by truly classic (and classy) hotels such as the Lowell.
Too bad!
Very well put Jackie. I couldn’t help but think “I’ve seen this before” when I saw the shots of the rooms in particular. And, yes, the Lowell is an excellent example of a truly fine NY hotel. Maybe I’ll do a little write up about the Lowell next! Thanks for the comments!
What a huge transformation, the Surrey Hotel looks amazing. I like the new look, but I wonder if they’ve managed to keep returning clientele.
Good point, the original clientele would have been attracted to a more formal, traditional look and the renovations are certainly very streamlined and modern. They had a great staff too, and I hope they kept them on.