- In March, I toured the 12,000-square-foot penthouse suite of The Mark, which has just been named the best city hotel in the US by Travel + Leisure.
- Celebrities often stay in the penthouse for $75,000 per night. Among its famous guests, Meghan Markle celebrated her baby shower at the hotel in February 2019.
- The spacious living room, the conservatory, and the massive rooftop terrace are the highlights of the penthouse suite.
- Guests can pay extra to completely customize the space, and they can add on expensive amenities, like a private chef and personal trainer.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, The Mark Hotel is a celebrity enclave, welcoming some of the most high-profile stars, CEOs, and royal family members into its rooms. In fact, Travel + Leisure named the famous hotel the Best City Hotel in the US and the Best Hotel in New York in 2020.
But the highlight of the hotel is its 12,000-square-foot penthouse suite. Priced at $75,000 per night, the suite is the most expensive hotel room in New York City. It’s no surprise the price tag and exclusivity of the room attracts A-listers, like Anna Wintour, Katie Holmes, and Kelly Ripa. Even Meghan Markle held her baby shower – which Serena Williams planned – in the suite in 2019.
I was granted access to the suite back in March to see how the other half lives when they’re traveling. This is what it’s like inside the massive penthouse suite at The Mark.
The Mark Hotel is located in New York City’s Upper East Side.
Standing on the corner of Madison Avenue and 77th Street, I could feel the building’s old-world charm. Although the building has been a landmark since 1927, it underwent a complete gut renovation in 2009. The renovation turned the traditional, historic building into an artistic, avant-garde mecca with 105 hotel rooms and 46 suites.
But the building's real draw is its penthouse, which The Mark calls its "oasis in the sky."
The building's high standard of luxury starts at the entrance as a doorman greets each guest as they enter the lobby.
Since The Mark's guests are some of the most high-profile people in the world, I was not allowed to take any photos in the building's public places, including the lobby, restaurant, and gym.
In the lobby, there's a private elevator that takes guests to the 16th floor to access the famous penthouse suite.
This foyer is called "reception" and is the first thing I saw when I got off the private elevator. The space has four doors, each leading to different parts of the 12,000-square-foot penthouse.
To the left of the entry, I found the great room, which is the penthouse's biggest draw – and for good reason.
Before entering the living room, there's a small seating area, which also houses a grand piano. But the room's real jaw-dropper is past the piano.
I instantly understood why this room is the main attraction of the suite. The 26-foot-tall cathedral ceilings are really something to marvel at.
Windows are placed at the highest points of the ceiling, bringing in natural light.
The room has multiple seating areas, including a billiards table in the far corner.
While the room is typically used as a living room, the entire space can be emptied and used as a ballroom for events. The hotel staff said this room can be multifunctional. In the past, they've tried (and failed) to fit a bouncy castle in here. They also offer to put on a private performance of "The Nutcracker" during the holiday season in this room.
The library and a cozy seating area are to the right of the entryway.
On the wall opposite the bookshelves, there's one of the penthouse's four fireplaces, which were designed to make the space feel like a home instead of a hotel room.
"Our guests live truly global lives and also truly understand and expect rarified luxury and real comfort so we wanted to create a majestic space within the hotel that is the pinnacle of luxury in terms of design and amenities but also feels more like a majestic residence than a hotel suite," The Mark owner Izak Senbahar told Fortune.
Through the library, there's a formal dining room that seats 24 people.
Each room in the penthouse was designed by French interior designer Jacques Grange, and he designed most of the furniture in the penthouse specifically for this space, such as the dining room table.
Through the dining room, I was surprised to find a pretty basic kitchen.
For me, the kitchen was not that impressive, especially when compared to the rest of the penthouse. However, like with most items in this suite, the extravagance is in the price tag. The appliances, for example, are by Gaggenau and Miele, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
While staying in the penthouse, guests have access to in-room dining, which includes caviar and lamb. But the hotel said they often have to tweak the offerings because celebrities frequently have very strict dietary needs.
Guests also have the option to book a private mixologist for $3,000 to $5,000. They are also able to book a 10-course, private dining experience with Michelin-star chef Jean-Georges, who comes to the penthouse and cooks a meal for the guests. But it comes with a high price tag - upwards of $10,000.
Around the corner, there's a staircase that leads to the other two big attractions of the penthouse: the terrace and the conservatory.
The doors to the right circle back to the elevator bank and the hallway leads to the bedrooms.
Once up the stairs, I found the conservatory, which offers a glimpse of the New York City skyline.
This floor has a seating area, a wet bar, a fireplace, and a half bathroom.
The large rooftop terrace has enough seating for both lounging and eating.
The terrace is a whopping 2,500 square feet and has views that overlook Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The hotel installs an ice-skating rink for guests to enjoy during the winter months.
Because the terrace and penthouse are so massive, it takes six staffers - comprised up of maids, assistants, and a concierge - to keep the space up to par for guests.
The staff is taking extra precautions during the coronavirus pandemic to keep guests safe.
"In addition to strictly following the official recommendations from AHLA and CDC, The Mark's seasoned and dedicated team is taking the process further by implementing proactive precautionary measures, new internal initiatives, and responsible social interaction guidelines," the hotel wrote in a press release shared with Insider.
Back downstairs, there is a master bedroom that sticks to a neutral color scheme.
A-listers have called this bedroom their home for varying amounts of time. The guest that was checking in as soon as I left, for example, was staying for the next three months.
The room has a large flat-screen TV and a freestanding fireplace.
The floating fireplace has two faces.
On the other side of the fireplace, there's an office space and a seating area.
The neutral color scheme continues into this section of the room.
Off that room, there are two closets that are surprisingly small for a penthouse this size.
For the second time during my tour, I found myself not impressed. While the hotel can get away with calling these closets "walk-ins," I did expect storage space to be much grander than two narrow closets.
Perhaps more impressively, the guests can hire a personal shopper through The Mark to fill these closets with items from Bergdorf Goodman.
The master bedroom, however, is unlike any New York bathroom I have ever be in.
There is a large shower on the left, and the door on the right conceals the toilet and bidet.
On the other side of the bathroom, there is a deep soaking tub.
I was shocked to learn that The Mark also sells a bathrobe for $3,400, which probably pairs well with this extravagant bathroom.
There are five bedrooms in the penthouse in all, allowing for 15 guests to sleep in the penthouse at one time.
Some guests don't need all five bedrooms, so it's common to turn one of the rooms into a completely different space. Sometimes a bedroom can be turned into a gym. The Mark offers a ton of fitness amenities, but at a price. For example, you can hire a fitness coach that will help you train in your suite for $200 for 55 minutes.
The last stop on my tour was the three smaller bedrooms that can also be transformed for different uses.
Sometimes these rooms have been reserved specifically for guests' pets, turning them into pet palaces. The hotel has several pet amenities, which include designer dog beds and specialized dog food menus. Guests can also purchase a Mark-branded jacket for their dogs for $220.
After seeing every inch of the penthouse, it was clear why celebrities and the ultra-rich flock to The Mark.
From the moment a guest checks in to The Mark's penthouse, they are completely catered to and every request is met, so it's easy to see why it's a favorite among celebrities and rated the best in the country.
But I was surprised to learn that the $75,000 price tag doesn't include everything. Many guests add additional amenities for food, pets, and fitness to completely customize their hotel experience - something the rest of us are likely to never understand.
- Read more:
- 16 of the most expensive hotel rooms in the US
- I toured a $24.5 million penthouse in New York's iconic 'Jenga Building' and found the interior had a different look than its sharp, boxy silhouette did - here's a look inside
- Take a look inside the most expensive hotel room in the world, a 2-story sky villa designed by Damien Hirst that runs $100,000 per night and was just named one of the 'world's greatest places'
- I stayed at New York's most iconic luxury hotel that charges up to $50,000 a night and was once owned by Donald Trump