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The Plaza vs The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

Both cost over $1,000 a night even in January, and neither has a pool. The Plaza if this is your first New York trip and you want Central Park across the road, tea in the Palm Court and Eloise upstairs; The Carlyle if you would rather walk to the Met, drink under Bemelmans's murals and take a cabaret seat at Café Carlyle after dinner.

The Plaza across the Pond in Central Park, at nightThe icon

The Plaza

Hardenbergh's 1907 château on the corner of Central Park, where the Palm Court still serves tea under stained glass.

$$$$From about $1,170 a night

Choose The Plaza if

  • A first New York trip
  • Milestone birthdays
  • Eloise fans and their parents
  • Central Park mornings

The catch

The entry rooms do not face Central Park or Fifth Avenue. The Plaza King and Deluxe rooms look over the inner courtyard or 58th Street, and in January the Carnegie suites, with a partial park view, and the Pulitzer suites, over Fifth Avenue, cost more than $1,000 a night above them.

The Carlyle's tower at dusk, with Central Park beyondThe classic

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

Old New York at its most polished: Bemelmans Bar, Café Carlyle and Madison Avenue, a block from Central Park.

$$$$From about $1,300 a night

Choose The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel if

  • Museum days
  • Martini nights
  • Special occasions
  • Classic hotels

The catch

The entry Superior Room is 360 sq ft (33 m²), faces the courtyard and has a rain shower but no bath, and even in January it costs about $1,300 a night before tax.

Which of our lists each one is on

Best forThe PlazaThe Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
Best design hotels in New YorkOn the listOn the list
Best central hotels in New YorkOn the listOn the list
Best hotels with a view in New YorkNot on the listOn the list
Best hotels for food and drink in New YorkNot on the listOn the list

Both hotels on the same scales

The PlazaThe Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

Under the radarSee and be seen
ClassicContemporary
Smart spendSplurge
Central & walkableRemote escape
InternationalStrong sense of place
Beach & pool optionalBeach & pool central
PolishedCharacterful

The Plaza

Area
Midtown, United States
From the centre
1.2 km
Airport
50 min from JFK
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $1,170 a night
Rooms
282
Last renovated
2008 (opened 1907)
Pool
No pool
Beach
None
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
1
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

Area
Upper East Side, United States
From the centre
2.6 km
Airport
45 min from JFK
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $1,300 a night
Rooms
192
Last renovated
2021 (opened 1930)
Pool
No pool
Beach
None
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
2
Parking
Yes
MICHELIN Guide
Two MICHELIN Keys (2026)
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

The verdict

Both cost over $1,000 a night even in January, and neither has a pool. The Plaza if this is your first New York trip and you want Central Park across the road, tea in the Palm Court and Eloise upstairs; The Carlyle if you would rather walk to the Met, drink under Bemelmans's murals and take a cabaret seat at Café Carlyle after dinner.

Questions people ask

Good questions about The Plaza vs The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

The Plaza or The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel?

Both cost over $1,000 a night even in January, and neither has a pool. The Plaza if this is your first New York trip and you want Central Park across the road, tea in the Palm Court and Eloise upstairs; The Carlyle if you would rather walk to the Met, drink under Bemelmans's murals and take a cabaret seat at Café Carlyle after dinner.

Is The Plaza worth it?

Book The Plaza to sleep inside the château on the corner of Central Park, take tea in the Palm Court and be in the park before breakfast. Pay the small step to a Terrace Room King, and keep the park view for a suite budget, since even the Carnegie suites see it only in part. A famous, classic and very expensive hotel on the corner of Central Park, where the public rooms and the address are the point and the entry rooms face away from the park. Expect company in the lobby and the Palm Court, and expect to pay for the name.

Does The Plaza have a pool or a beach?

There is no pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.

Is The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel worth it?

Book it for Bemelmans, Café Carlyle and the Upper East Side on foot, and pay for a Premier Room so that you wake to Madison Avenue rather than the courtyard. Come in January or February, when the entry room costs about a third less than in October or November. Old New York at full polish: an Art Deco apartment hotel on Madison Avenue where the bar, the supper club and the staff are the reason to come. It is dear at every rung, quiet upstairs and has no pool at all.

Does The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel have a pool or a beach?

There is no pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.