"When the original Park Lane New York hotel opened on Central Park South in 1971, it had a certain European glamour about it. Over the decades, that glamor faded into a rather stodgy beige look. Cut to fall 2021, when the 47-story property debuted a full redesign courtesy of design firm Yabu Pushelberg that transformed the stuffy hotel into something wholly untraditional and much more inviting—especially compared to its neighbors, the Plaza Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton. Fans of Ludwig Bemelmans and Mark Chagall will love the whimsical illustrated murals by NYC-based artists En Viu woven throughout the property. Look at the ceiling above the check-in desk for a spring-green scene or along the saturated blue walls of the staircase leading up to the redone Harry’s New York Bar on the second floor. The staircase up to Darling—the only rooftop bar on Central Park South—has a more dramatic design with a mural reminiscent of floral still life paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. The space has both indoor and outdoor areas where you can order seafood towers and Boulevardiers made with Japanese whiskey and ume plum liquor." - Lyndsey Matthews
